It’s been a while since our last blog post here at D+ and we’re hoping that absence has made the heart grow fonder! While we’ve been on hiatus, mountains have been moved and we are beyond excited to share some big news. D+ is moving to new office space this week and as important: We’re going green. This time next week we’ll be knee deep in our new Silver LEED Certified space…but until then, let us share some of the ways D+ is reducing our impact on the environment.

2008 GREEN INITIATIVES

Experience

• • Delucchi + has been a leader in marketing Green real estate since 1995
• • The company understands both the environmental and economic benefits of being Green

LEED Silver Office Space

• • The space was designed by a National Green Architectural firm, Kishimoto,Gordon,Dalaya PC (www.kgdarchitecture.com)
• • The landlord, The Tower Companies has been the preeminent leader in Green Development starting with Washington’s first Green building in 1995, Tower I at Tower Oaks (www.towercompanies.com)
• • We are making a significant investment to build out our new office space LEED Silver
  • o 5,600 Square Feet at 1828 L. Street NW, Suite 240, Washington, D.C. 20036
• • The space was designed to maximize daylight and views
  • o To increase worker productivity
• • Because the landlord purchases green energy, leasing this space vs. a standard building is the equivalent to not emitting 190,748 lbs of CO2 every year—or the equivalent of removing 22 cars off the road every year. The 10 year lease is the equivalent of saving nearly 2 MILLION pounds of CO2 or 220 cars off the road.
• • We are recycling 95% of the construction waste
• • We are spending 10% more on the space to meet LEED requirements (this is factored into the construction costs already)
• • All materials in the space are all non-toxic to enhance air quality and eliminate toxicity
  • o Teknion ie furniture line uses recycled metal for the frames, 100 percent recycled fabric, and frosted panels made of recycled materials. The height of the stations are 42” to meet LEED requirements for views
  • o The Teknion Contessa chairs are made from materials that are 85% recyclable
  • o All of the files in the space are made from recycled metal
  • o Origami desks are made from 89% recycled materials
  • o Expansion desks are made from 69% recycled materials
  • o The Shaw carpet tiles have a recycled backing
  • o All of the paint and sealers used are low VOC
  • o Ceiling tiles have a high recycled content
  • o All of the insulation is recycled cotton
  • o All of the metal studs are made from recycled metal
  • o We are using low mercury lighting that is designed to save energy
  • o All offices have occupancy sensors
  • o The appliances are Energy Star to save energy
  • o We are recycling and using all green cleaning products

ROI for Delucchi+

• • Increases worker productivity
• • Enhanced air quality reduces sick days
• • Helps with employee retention and recruitment since the company is “value based”
• • The overall space and designs enhance creativity
• • People feel better about where they work which results in positive morale
• • The space gives the company a competitive advantage since we market green real estate
• • It is nice when personal values can transcend with your profession

Amenity for the Staff

• • Located near two metro stations the company gives each employee a Metro card to encourage the use of public transportation
• • The design of open space and more shared “common” areas works well for teamed environments

Corporate Citizen

• • We are currently working with EPA Climate Leaders so that we can understand what our total emissions will be for our business with the new space and our business travel
• • We will then develop a program to offset these emissions to meet our goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2010

The Landlord: The Tower Companies

• • We chose this landlord because of their commitment to the environment
  • o They buy 100% wind energy for all of their buildings which helps us offset our carbon footprint
  • o They mandate that clients meet 24 LEED points in all of their new leases
  • o They mandate the use of Green cleaning supplies which protect the indoor air quality in each tenants space
• • We are the Tower Companies first tenant who has certified space in their entire portfolio
• • Because this is an older building Tower Companies has invested $1.5 Million dollars to put in new air handling units so the building would meet pre-requisites for LEED certification
• • The Tower Companies have been our client since 1995

Find out how to reduce your personal carbon footprint and protect global warming:
www.carbonfootprint.com

www.climateprotect.org

Find out how you recycling efforts make a difference:
www.nrc-recycle.org/theconversionator/shell.html

See how we are going Green!
www.delucchiplus.com/green

Homeownership comprises one of the largest financial decisions people make.  Green homes seem like a natural fit for consumers because there is so much evidence that shows people care about the environment and want to make smart decisions.  The growth in Organic Foods is a perfect example of people using their dollars to make a choice that is not only healthy for themselves, but also for the environment. 

But why is it so much easier to get people to spend twice as much on an organic grocer than it is to entice them with healthy living?

The Paradox of Choice teaches us that in today’s world of greater consumer choice, increasing the number and types of products confuses consumers, making decisions more difficult and stressful.   With many more factors to consider, consumers wonder how you value those. 

The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) has been around for 14 years now.  It measures customer satisfaction in 40 industries and for 200 companies.  Many industries rate lower today than they did when the ACSI began in 1994.  This is counterintuitive since businesses seem to be spending more time and money providing more products that are better made and cost less than at any other time in our history, and yet customers do not appear to be any happier.  Why is this?

Buying groceries happens roughly every week and most people would consider themselves well versed in shopping for food.  Many of the potential clients for green products will purchase or lease at least one vehicle every five years, and though they may not like the process, they are at least familiar with it.  When it comes to purchasing a home people will buy, on average, three in their lifetime.  Therefore, their experience is limited.  Introducing new products and systems that they are unfamiliar with is confusing.  In addition, they have no basis with which to assign a value to it.  Combining this with the fact that it is likely the single largest purchase an individual or family can make, we must be very patient and deliberate, allowing people to learn from us – not just buy from us, empowering consumers and building their confidence about making the right choice by choosing green real estate.  

According to a CNW Marketing Research released in July 2007, over 50% of Prius owners bought the vehicle primarily to make a statement about themselves. However, the key to success in the new “green” market is to provide a product that does not sell itself on it’s environmental credentials alone. The quality must be there. Like the Prius, you allow someone to make a statement their priorities without sacrificing style, quality, or durability. Environmental design becomes more about common sense, leading consumers to ask, with all other things being equal, why would I buy a product that is harmful to the environment?

People will pay more for healthy products because the are concerned about health and the environment.

In a recent poll completed by the London Observer, two out of three people in the UK felt that advertising products as “good for the environment” was just another way to charge more for them. The study went on to find that nearly 50% of those same people said they would actually pay up to 10% more for goods or services that were actually more sustainable.

Third party information is always helpful in adding validity to your messaging particularly when the information is technical in nature and can be validated using metrics from a trusted source. Energy Companies, for example, will calculate the anticipated savings of an Energy Efficient unit or building, and give you not only the calculation but the equivalent “marketing facts.” For example, ‘Building A is designed to be 27% more efficient than it’s non-Energy Star peer group, and this is the equivalent of removing 170 cars off the road every year.’

Organizations like the United States Green Building Council, who have developed the rigorous LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system, serve the important function of laying out a set of green criteria and then determining to what extent that criteria has been met, culminating with Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum designations. LEED has become the format followed by most state, local and federal government agencies when allocating incentives, such as fast-track zoning, increased density, or tax credits.

There are five areas of focus for LEED projects.

- Water efficiency
- Energy and atmosphere
- Materials and resources
- Indoor environmental quality
- Innovation and design process

Already there are green mandates or incentives in over 70 municipalities, 12 states (with many more pending) and numerous federal agencies. More will undoubtedly be on the way. As green building continues to gain traction within the industry, we can help with smart marketing tools so that both the developer and the client can benefit.

People are interested in the environment but different age groups connect with different messages, and want those messages delivered in different ways.

The difficulty in having an environmental product and message at the same time, is that you are trying to sell and educate simultaneously, and that can not only dull the effectiveness of your message, but also arouse defenses about whether or not your customer can trust you. This is of particular issue among the Generation X crowd, who are skeptical by nature and tend to be the most untrusting of marketing messaging. They do however look for products that they believe to be a prudent investment, and is believed to hold value longer, sort of the edgy but enduring theme. Boomers want products of the highest quality, and are concerned about health and safety. They are looking for products that are both timely and timeless. Generation Y is the most educated about the environment, as well as the most concerned and the most likely to make purchasing decisions based specifically on environmental impact. They are disruptive and distinctive.

Green products can be marketing to speak to the specific needs and desires of each buyer demographic and reaches across all product types to provide a distinctive sales benefit.

Our guest blogger this week is Marnie L. Abramson, Principal and Director of Marketing and Public Relations for The Tower Companies. A true “green” expert, Ms. Abramson represents Tower’s green building initiatives by speaking at numerous conferences, trade shows, industry roundtables, and government hearings; focusing specifically on marketing challenges as they relate to the costs and benefits of green building practices. A long time D+ friend and client, we are proud to have her aboard this week for a five part series on selling the environment. 

In a highly competitive selling climate the urge to get an ad out the door and get it out FAST is almost overpowering. Whether you’re on the development or sales side the name if the game is moving inventory. Moving it fast. Sadly, this often happens without doing any homework at all on the consumers we are trying so hard to reach. Research, both quantitative and qualitative, is an essential part of any strategic marketing effort.

Here’s an example.

You decide after much internal debate that you’re going to target young professionals, age 25-35 living in Northern Virginia. Excellent. Now ask yourself, do all of these 25-35 year olds respond to the same things? Of course not. Some enjoy cultural activities like visiting museums and art galleries while others are avid sports fans. Some of them drive luxury cars and others walk to work. Some are married with children while others are single. Without a solid, working profile of the demo within your demo, how can you produce advertising that motivates them?

Consumer profiling digs deep and allows you to develop a brand image and message that speaks to both the active and passive consumer seeking your product in the market. In other words, you capture their attention as they enjoy their favorite lifestyle activities AND catch their eye while they are actually researching real estate and housing options.

So the next time you’re in a rush to get that ad out the door, take a step back and ponder your perfect profile.

One afternoon I’m sitting at my laptop and a new message pops into my inbox. It’s from co-worker, so like any good employee I read said email right away. All I see at first is “LOL.” I scroll down to reveal their e-signature and then a string of email back and forth between them and a client. After reading this string of email I failed to see what was so funny. What was this “LOL” all about? Maybe I missed an email? Maybe I missed a meeting? I was so sure that there was nothing funny in any of the emails, that I wasn’t afraid to question what was going on. In mere seconds my co-workers translation came back via their trustee Blackberry… LOL = Lots Of Love. In hindsight it makes perfect sense.

Communication has moved almost completely into the realm of electronic format. We email instead of writing a letter by hand. We send text messages or “text” instead of making an actual phone call. And when email becomes too cumbersome, we send an instant message or “IM.” Not only are we sending more communications, but also our communications are becoming shorter, sweeter and hopefully more concise. We abbreviate sentences, phrases, and even use emotions when typing these quick communications. This new language however is becoming more convoluted and more difficult to understand if you aren’t constantly staying in the know.

To this particular co-worker “LOL” means “Lots of Love.” To most others it means “Laugh Out Loud.” So to keep any further miscommunication from happening internally or externally we’ve created a small dictionary of basic IM/Text acronyms and just for fun an emoticon (emotional icons) translator as well.

TEXT/IM:

LOL – Laugh Out Loud
ROTFL – Roll On The Floor Laughing
LMAO – Laugh My A** Off
TTFN – Ta-Ta For Now
TTYL – Talk To You Later
JK – Just Kidding
GF – Girl Friend
BF – Boy Friend
BFF – Best Friends Forever
BRB – Be Right Back
NP – No Problem
BTW – By The Way
WTF – What The %&$@

EMOTICONS:
:-) - Smile
;-) - Wink
:-P - Tongue sticking out
:-D - Big Smile
:-$ - Money Mouth
:-( - Frown
:’( - Tear/Cry
B-) - Sunglasses Wearing Smiley

Potential pitfalls:

While blogging can be rewarding in a number of ways, there are potential pitfalls to avoid.

Authenticity is a big buzzword around blogs. Flogs, or fake blogs are a big risk. If you are having your blog ghost written by a pro, be careful. A lack of transparency can hurt your credibility, just look at Walmart:

It all started last month, when a folksy blog called Wal-Marting Across America was set up. The site featured the musings of a couple known only as Jim and Laura as they drove cross country in an RV, and included regular interviews with Wal-Mart workers, who were dependably happy about the company and their working conditions. BusinessWeek.com wrote the first exposé about the blog. The story shot down speculation that Jim and Laura weren’t real people, identifying the woman as Laura St. Claire, a freelance writer and an employee at the U.S. Treasury department. But it also disclosed that Wal-Mart was paying plenty for the couple’s support, including money for renting the RV, gas, and fees for writing the blog.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/1531992

Dead Air can be problematic. A blog needs to be updated on a regular basis, but not daily. Focus on the quality of the blog posts, not the quantity.

Eric Kintz of HP writes:

Why blog post frequency does not matter anymore

“Thou shall post every day” is the most fundamental and most well known principle of blogging. Every new blogger is warned about “the” ultimate rule and is confronted with the pressure of a day going by with no new post. Every one has in mind the examples of successful bloggers, like Robert Scoble at Microsoft, who post several times a day. Daily posting shows that you are serious about blogging, generates traffic and drives reader loyalty, as readers come back daily to check your new posts. You cannot be successful if you do not go by the rule, right? RIGHT?

Wrong. Daily posts are a legacy of a web 1.0 mindset and early web 2.0 days (meaning 12 months ago!). The pressure around posting frequency will ultimately become a significant barrier to the maturity of blogging. Here are 10 reasons why.

Read them here: http://h20325.www2.hp.com/blogs/kintz/archive/2006/06/05/1120.html

Comments can be a blessing or a curse. This is a forum where people can gripe, it can also be a place where you address and fix that gripe:

Rusty Williams has 10 tips on iMediaconnection:

Tip 6: Address criticism head on.
You’re going to read things about your products or services that make you uncomfortable. Just like any customer complaint, the best thing to do is turn the negative into a positive. Show that you’ve taken some action to address the problem, or if it’s misperception, explain why. It’s also OK to explain the business reasons behind decisions that may upset some of your customers. People’s initial reactions are emotional, but they will almost always understand that businesses exist to earn money and cover costs.

http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/11390.asp

Now, hopefully I have not scared you away with the potential pitfalls.