Most people want to do good, be healthy or be green, but there is one thing standing in their way: laziness. Throwing out (heck, even recycling) a plastic bottle is a lot easier than washing out that
stainless steel water bottle each day. "Paper or plastic?" is easier to answer than remembering the super-stylish, eco-friendly tote that you've left in your car trunk (again). And running a
half-empty dishwasher, while guilt-inducing, lets you sit on the couch just a little bit longer than you could if you were hand-washing the dishes.
Even though they're pouring a lot of
money into the green industry by purchasing gadgets, cleaners and energy-saving appliances, most people don't want to change that much. So if you're planning on launching or marketing a green
product in the coming months, be sure to know your audience.
A relatively new bamboo serveware company has been increasing its market share with its sustainable and 100% organic bamboo bowls,
serving pieces, trays and cutting boards. The company has been making in-roads with national retailers and boutiques alike and has caught the attention of the sort of magazines and publications you'd
give your right arm to be in.
But something was amiss. Despite the "green" angle, the "pretty" angle and the "social responsibility" angle, there was not yet a "convenience" angle. The bowls,
cutting boards and trays didn't translate beyond the home table, and consumers were still resorting to paper and plastic goods for their parties, picnics and outdoor meals.
So the company got
wise. Rather than accepting a smaller market share than it felt it deserved, it found new ways to use the bamboo and the byproducts with which it was already working. It used two of bamboo's best
qualities -- its knack for regeneration and its speedy natural growth cycle -- to create a durable and disposable line of dishes and utensils (including a spork) that could be washed for reuse or
tossed without guilt.
The line will be out in time for Earth Day segments, summer barbeque stories and even the occasional outdoor wedding, but more important than the fortuitous launch timing
is that the bamboo company has tapped into a whole new market. There are legions of soon-to-be (or wannabe) green consumers out there, but they're not armed with the knowledge or wherewithal to make
the change.
By manufacturing and marketing a bamboo version of a product consumers already know, the company is making it easier for the average person to make the leap to a greener
alternative -- without requiring them to change their habits, something else they also already know but definitely aren't ready to change.
Next time you unleash a new product -- one that
glimmers with eco-friendliness and sustainability -- on the market, ask yourself, "Can the consumer who doesn't unplug appliances before vacations, who throws out moldy plastic containers instead of
washing them and who uses paper towels like they're going out of style fit this into his/her lazy green lifestyle?"
It might not be the environmentalist's dream, but it's a way to tap into the
average consumer's desire to do good -- without too much inconvenience, of course -- and one more step in the right direction.