It doesn't have to happen overnight, or through big, costly changes. Even the smallest steps can become significant over time, and uncover an even more important upside: inspiring others to embrace sustainability, and leaving a positive influence on the communities you touch.

Green may be the new black, but not for the reasons you might expect. A new study of consumers' "green" attitudes and behaviors reveals that there are many reasons people do (and don't) engage in sustainable practices themselves or favor brands that do.

In this economy consumers are feeling vulnerable. Now, more than ever, people want to feel a part of a responsible and sustainable culture, and they are spending their dollars accordingly. Go tell your story. People are listening.

One piece of advice for anyone designing a green marketing campaign is to use your intuition, gut and heart. Just like a good creative director can sense when ad copy has hit the right balance of hype and restraint, a green marketer must be able to identify and feel when it has struck the right human chords.

As aspirational consumers desert high-profile stores like Whole Foods, preferring saving money to being seen, a whole new group of consumers is ripe to take their place.