Green going mainstream *.

Environmentalism is fast becoming embedded in the American culture, and consumers are hoping to associate environmental responsiveness with the stores and products they use. In fact, environmental attributes are even trendy and cool--just look at how Hollywood celebrities have embraced Toyota's Prius. Representing a signal for innovation in product design and communication, a U.S. Roper's poll tells us that 56 percent of Americans would do more for the environment if they only knew how. This means opportunities for businesses that can introduce new products and car-sharing concepts that are now becoming established in cities around the country (in spite of inconveniences involved in using them).

Another sign that we may have reached a tipping point in environmental consumerism is the recent announcement that Wal-Mart is working with suppliers on packaging made from renewable ingredients like corn. Keep in mind, too, that some of the leading deep green companies have recently been acquired by mainstream manufacturers wanting in one the green action: Colgate's purchase of Tom's of Maine, Danone's 40 percent acquisition of Stonyfield Farm, and Unilever's takeover of Ben and Jerry's.

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* This "green" contribution to The Shopper Report comes from Jacqui Ottman whose firm (Ottman Consulting) specializes in green marketing. She sent it to me just before I heard that Whole Foods will no longer sell live lobster for environmental and animal cruelty reasons. I was especially taken with her phrase "deep green," which I believe would resonate with many consumers. Retailers as well as packagers could win credibility by acknowledging that they weren't deep green yet, but were getting greener. Wal-Mart is the best example of a company that seems to be getting ready to make that claim. Besides pushing for corn-based packaging, they are pushing detergent suppliers, including P&G, to downsize their detergent bottles to something like the Method line sold at Target. A Summer 2006 BusinessWeek Online article begins: "As green goes mainstream, finding a smart green strategy is tougher - and more urgent - than ever." It goes on to ask: "Are you shipping your product in a box within a box, as Wal-Mart recently asked its suppliers to stop doing? That's easy enough to fix." The waiting times to buy a Prius are compelling, and many stories are being told about them. My personal Prius story is about a first cousin of mine who until Katrina was a doctor at Tulane in New Orleans. The day before the storm hit, he packed his family into his Prius, leaving his wife's SUV in the driveway because it wouldn't get as far on a tank of gas.