Whether or not green remains chic over time, it's increasingly clear that the willpower, creativity, initiative, and leadership required to indelibly entrench green into the media industry does exist.

Tthink beyond green when pitching green products. What other value-added propositions exist for a product or service? How can you expand your consumer base?

There is interconnectedness in cleantech that does not exist in other areas of the economy, which requires maintaining unusually high levels of visibility into multiple vertical industries. Here are six keys to success.

People have become more environmentally responsible. Companies are simply tapping into that groundswell. But to be seen as really green, companies have to put in the work, both in terms of commitment to sustainability and self-promotion.

I invite everyone to please share in the discussion forum below, or email me directly. I will focus in the next months on the most outlandish, creative, or perhaps even brilliant ideas in terms of incorporating green into traditional media. I'm hoping this exercise will create some connections with like-minded individuals, initiate some deal flow, and act as the genesis to numerous award-winning campaigns. Hopefully, then, we can prevent green from being remembered once again as merely "the new black."

In addition to making nearly 85% of all consumer purchases (on everything from autos to healthcare), a recent study from Frank About Women found that 25% of all products in a woman's shopping cart today are environmentally friendly. So what can your brand do to give women more opportunity to help the planet?

In the cleaning category, it's hard to get more mainstream than Clorox. Clorox's Greenworks line is being fueled as much by its well-known brand name as it is by the same natural ingredients that characterize so many other green brands on the shelves.

Since the Industrial Revolution, a "cradle to grave" system has been in place; products and packaging ending up in landfills at the end of their useful life cycles. In a "cradle to cradle" system, materials are perpetually circulated and reused in "closed loops."

Social responsibility, transparency and environmental values are resonating with consumers. Companies that work toward honestly stated, specific goals without "green-washing" will stand to profit, in every sense of the word.

Inaccurate or overstated green claims can turn people off of green marketing even if a watchdog group isn't pointing fingers. If consumers start tuning out green messages, significant market opportunities will be lost, both for individual companies overstating their green claims and green products in general. Here are some tips.