The Abrams Clean Tech Report

 

Earth Day, and Earth Week 2009: A Turning Point For Clean Tech

Friday, April 24th, 2009

With Earth Day now behind us, and Earth Week drawing to a close, I wanted to put a few thoughts out there on the subject. It’s not like it’s not been on my mind. This blog is the result of a conversation my friend Elke Heiss and I had last week, when we sat and talked about Earth Day – what it represents, the signs of maturity we’re seeing in the clean tech industry, what this maturity means for clean tech companies, and the need for continued outreach to and education of corporate and consumer buyers of clean tech products and services.

It’s almost 40 years since the advent of the first Earth Day. And since that first Earth Day, look at the shift in the role technology’s played: rather than being used as a way for us to consume more, more conveniently, and at an ever-accelerating pace, we’re now looking to technology to help us “conserve,” “preserve” and “reuse”.

One could even go so far as to say that, since that very first Earth Day, the clean tech sector as a whole has crossed that infamous “Chasm” – not as a single company, mind you, but as a collective. That said, though, the realist in me would also like to note that clean tech is not yet quite as big a part of mainstream consciousness as I’d like to believe. I watched Al Gore speak to the House Sub Committee on Energy this morning. Had you watched it, too, you’d understand what I mean. There are too many companies still struggling to get to the chasm, let alone cross it.

Over the long term, the energy efficiency gains and cost savings, health and environmental savings from deployed clean tech solutions should make any long-term thinking company with a rainy day fund realize that investing in such technologies now means they have a better chance of being around 10, 15, 40, 50 years down the road. You have to admit: “brand longevity” as a concept starts to look and sound a little different when you think about how high the cost to maintain “as is” truly is. But there are those disbelievers still. More dangerous and dark than that: ignorance. Those that choose to be ignorant and those that are through no fault of their own. But where it’s darkest, even a little light shined in can change everything.

So to all those companies (and behind them, the individuals), who have put money, time, sweat equity and brainpower into creating this generation of clean tech – it’s impossible to celebrate the promise of Earth Day, and Earth Week, without thanking you.

Elke and I believe it’s absolutely imperative that we continue educate the masses. People, en masse, eventually demand meaningful changes. Just look to the history books. We have gone through, and are still going through, some dark times. But at the same time, I’ve never seen such magical bright opportunity. It’s a time of incredible creativity, with incredible talent working on amazing solutions, and to boot – there’s a younger generation that wants in on the battle for Earth now. Young energy. They’ll continue to demand changes that only clean tech can provide. And just look around – there are more clean tech companies today than I can shake a stick at today – from environmental compliance software companies, to those that enable consumers to manage their energy consumption in real-time; from renewable energy solutions to alternative fuel vehicles; from electric cars to ecologically safe pesticides; from green building materials to next gen waste management companies, to carbon sequestration technologies; from biomass technologies to new water treatment technologies…the list is long. We’re witnessing the growth of new markets grow, companies being birthed while others are dying – and policy shifts that are taking progress to the next step. It’s clear that this fundamental shift is a tide that’s roaring in, and anything in its way isn’t going to make it out in one piece.

Clearly, this maturity of clean tech means both new opportunities and new challenges. For some in clean tech, the conditions are absolutely ideal. They’re in the right place at exactly the right time. However, even if that is the case, their long-term success will rest on their ability to actively educate and engage companies — whole communities, in fact — in dialogue about all the ways they (and the planet as a whole) will benefit from their products and services. And it’s taking each of us. Whether you’re volunteering to do so, or an employee in a clean tech company – we’re all needed to effectively spread the word about how clean tech addresses our long term prospects of survival.

The environmental challenges that we must collectively address are far more complex than they ever were back in the 1970s when this whole movement started in earnest. Because of this, the education process must continue, albeit at a different level.

It’s clear that “one size does NOT fit all” any longer. People expect conversations that are on target with their needs, not general messaging blasted from corporate megaphones. Moreover, policy and regulation changes are driving selling opportunities as much as buying behavior, and this will continue to have an impact on sales cycles. The implication is that the really big opportunities will accrue to companies that hire sales and marketing execs who are extraordinary strategists with a keen ability to filter information, who can deliver targeted messages about products that deliver real, immediate, seeable value to customers. You have to be able to articulate to your target customers all the benefits of your technologies – and where they’ll see the return, and how, and what that means for their business.

It’s also true that the baseline of knowledge corporate teams must now operate from is shifting; it’s more complex. A detailed understanding of what the new administration’s government credits, subsidies, and state and local incentive packages mean for your business is key. Right now, everyone I know is scurrying around, making sure they have a handle on where the stimulus package money is going, and trying to figure out how it’s going to flow out of municipalities, and how to get access to those funds at some level. You really have to do your homework; it will pay off.

You must target your messages, audience by audience, to maximize the return on your marketing and sales investments. At a more basic level, with the new channels out there, it’s easy for those who aren’t paying attention to miss a connection to a potential customer, simply because they haven’t explored these new channels. There are areas of opportunity hidden even in distressed sectors. Here’s a piece of unsolicited advice: assemble a strategic sales and marketing team focused on addressing the different market constituencies by filling in knowledge gaps. Take responsibility and assume you have to teach your customer or prospect what they need to know to be successful. The key is to assemble your partners, your suppliers and your customers, and go forward as a single, unified force. Let Earth Day, and Earth Week, remind you of how and why to go forward. It was a great grassroots initiative that gave Earth Day its foundation.

We must all continue the conversation – with our customers, employees, partners, investors and prospects. Properly engaged, armed with the right knowledge, corporate and consumer buyers will take this whole thing mainstream. Look at what’s happened with Earth Day: enhanced via social media to truly global proportions, Earth Day today is now an important annual event. And this one is special.

Keep the faith. Ask for help where you need it – it’s there – whether from your pr firm or otherwise. And stay focused.

Here’s hoping everyone has a great weekend – and happy hunting to all.

Elke, btw, is a VP with Sterling Communications. To contact her, call 415 350 5053.

About Sterling Communications, Inc.
Sterling Communications, Inc. — the Inside Agency(SM) — is an independent, full-service public relations agency that has a 20-year track record of generating visibility and enhancing the brands of technology companies across a variety of sectors. The Agency has worked successfully with industry pioneers in silicon, software, systems and ecosystems — from back- office IT solutions to global cleantech organizations. Sterling’s communications professionals take the time necessary to really understand not only the client’s product or service, but also the client’s overall business, the broader competitive landscape and the important market dynamics at play. Founded in 1989, the company is headquartered in Silicon Valley, with additional offices in San Francisco and Seattle. More information can be found at http://www.sterlingpr.com.

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