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Seventh Generation Debuts First National Campaign

7th Generation ad spot

Stalwart earth-friendly brand Seventh Generation is finally launching an ad campaign to back up its decades of action.

And executives at the Burlington, Vt.-based company, which began selling green products 21 years ago before green was trendy, hopes the marketing effort will help the company become more well-known in general. But it's also meant to differentiate the company from others in the ever-growing category, says Kristen Deshaies, senior marketing director at Seventh Generation.

"When people understand how long we've been at this, and that it's everything we do, not just select products, there's a lot of trust that comes with that," Deshaies tells Marketing Daily.

Themed "Protect Planet Home," the TV, print and online ads focus on Seventh Generation's role in helping people protect their families from hazardous chemicals.

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Both the 30-second and 15-second versions of the spot focus on the revolution consumers have been leading to replace unhealthy and hazardous products from their homes. The brand's safety and effectiveness are communicated through voiceovers such as "where the five-second rule is extended," and "no one holds their breath while they're cleaning."

The TV campaign, created by Minneapolis-based Carmichael Lynch, runs through April on cable networks such as Bravo, Food Network and USA, along with national network spots on NBC's "Today Show" and "Ellen." Print breaks in March issues and run in parenting and home magazines including Good Housekeeping and Parents. The online media buy includes both video pre-roll and banner ads on sites including Hulu, ivillage, Yahoo, Facebook, Lifetime, Google, GoodHousekeeping and Grist.

In testing, people found the spot appealing and motivating, and helped them understand what makes Seventh Generation unique, including the company's heritage, dedication and leadership. While the company has a loyal following of long-time consumers (its Facebook fan page had more than 27,500 fans at press time) research shows that nine out 10 consumers don't know the brand, even thought it's now available at Target and other major retailers and not just at health food and specialty stores, Deshaies says.

The natural cleaning products category has grown 56% in the last year (52 weeks ending Nov. 29, 2009), as larger, conventional cleaning products companies have entered the marketplace with their "green" lines, and put significant marketing muscle behind them. In focus groups conducted by Seventh Generation, this has resulted in consumers who are increasingly confused about how to truly protect their most valuable assets -- their family.

"Compared to other brands, we're still relatively unknown," Deshaies says. "When we are competing against brands with almost universal familiarity, it's a problem -- or an opportunity. We really felt like now is the time to both make ourselves known and for people to understand what makes us different. Other brands may offer great products, but don't have the history that we have."

The goal of the campaign is also to educate about how they can become involved in protecting the environment relevant to their personal world -- their home. On the Seventh Generation web site, consumers will find tips and advice for disposing of household hazardous waste (in old cleaning products) and a downloadable Label Reading Guide application for iPhones and mobile devices that deciphers common chemicals found in household products.

2 comments about "Seventh Generation Debuts First National Campaign ".
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  1. Erica Verde from Citra Solv, LLC, January 15, 2010 at 11:02 a.m.

    Thank you for this article, Tanya, but you should be aware that Citra Solv (www.citrasolv.com), one of the original natural cleaners, has been around for almost 23 years. It is a small, independently owned company, but has been involved and allied with environmental issues and organizations for several years. They've even created a series of environmental comics aimed at increasing awareness of eco issues, Rustle the Leaf.

  2. Kevin Horne from Verizon, January 15, 2010 at 12:15 p.m.

    "Compared to other brands, we're still relatively unknown," (even with 27000 Facebook "fans")

    the answer, once again = TV

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