[Dalya’s Note: This blog post was originally published 5/13/13 by Carolyn Parrs who is the Principal of Mind Over Markets, author of Green Marketing Blog, and Founder of Women of Green.]

We’ve heard the rumors, read the blogs, and saw the headlines that said Green Marketing is dead. To me, that was good news. We certainly do not need another man-hugging-polar bear commercial cut loose on the airwaves. I guess marketers figured out no one buys an electric car to save melting ice caps. They buy it to save themselves from melting down at the gas pump.

So here’s the thing. What’s dead in green marketing are those first attempts that made big fat assumptions that people would choose the environment over their own needs. Like saving money. Like providing healthy food for their kids. Like growing stronger plants.

The good news is green business is still alive and well. According to a recent Big Green Opportunity Report, green industries are experiencing far faster growth than their conventional counterparts across the country. These businesses are steadily grabbing market-share from non-green businesses, and consumers continue to flock to the other side where the grass truly is greener. It’s true, green is still a niche market, but with super savvy marketers that position themselves beyond green, we will see more and more market share.

So you want to smarten-up your green marketing? Here’s how.

Fire the Choir

You know who they are. As a matter of fact, you might be one of them. So get over it. Hurray if you are driving a Prius, buy veggies from a co-op and swore off parabens years ago. That puts you in the top 7% of consumers. And that puts you in the choir.

The truth is green is for everyone. You may know that. But 48% of the population doesn’t. This is where good messaging comes in. So instead of leading your marketing with a green halo, dig in and find the common denominator in your brand. One great question to ask is “Why bother?” Meaning, why would your target market(s) bother buying your stuff? What’s meaningfully different about it? How will this make their life better, easier, more fulfilling? When you get down to that level, to the core messages, then the green part can be the tipping point in your direction. We all want to do good. We all want to breathe clean air. We all (well, most of us anyway) want to protect our environment. Let green be the icing on the cake, not the cake itself.

Read Part 2: HERE.