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Posts Tagged ‘delicious’

Mr Coffee Maker Cleaning Instructions
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Mr Coffee IV

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Mr. Coffee Coffee Maker Cleaning Instructions
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Good Eats Moment – Mr Oatmeal

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Coffee Maker Scale Removal
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Moving? 101 Best Moving Tips Ever

Moving is one of life’s most stressful events.  To help you have a stress-free move, we’ve researched dozens of moving books, articles and websites to create a list of the 101 best moving tips.  Use this article to save time, energy and money on your next move.

The tips are organized by category to make them easier to use:

Getting Organized

 

1. Start early-  Almost everyone has more stuff than they think they do, and almost no one leaves enough time to pack it.
2. This will help you manage what has to go where.
3. One study reported that it takes 4-5 hours to pack an average dorm room, so that should give you an idea of what’s involved.
4. Calendar- Pull out a calendar and plan by day when each room will be completed.
5. Delegation- If you’re moving with family members, agree with them exactly while tasks they will be doing and the date they will be finished.
6. Revise your plan if you’re falling behind.

 

Finding Great Movers 

1. Referrals-  Get referrals from local real estate agents and friends who have moved recently.
2. Licensing-  Only consider movers that are licensed, bonded and insured.
3. Research-  Investigate your potential movers through the U.S. Department of Transportation, MovingScam-dot-com and the Better Business Bureau.
4. Estimates- Evaluate a minimum of 3 movers based on in-home estimates of goods to be moved.
5. Price- Price isn’t the only factor- extremely low bids indicate a desperate mover.
6. Estimates- Ask for written “Binding Not-To-Exceed” estimates.
7. Avoid “rogue movers”- if you feel uncomfortable, trust your instincts!  Never agree to move your possessions with anyone you don’t trust.

 

 

General Packing  

1. Keep the suitcases separated from all the other items to be moved, such as in your car, at your new workplace, etc. so you’ll have everything you need for the first few days without searching through boxes.
2. Then mark the sides of the boxes so you’ll know which ones are which.
3. One at a time-  Wherever possible, work on packing just one room at a time (instead of several all at once) to keep things focused and organized.
4. You’ll save time and expense.
5. You’ll find you get much more accomplished.
6. You’ll always know where to look and save time putting things back together.
7. It will save room in your boxes.
8. Then tape perpendicularly at the center of the first tape, forming a cross.
9. Stacking-  Stack boxes with the heaviest on the bottom, lightest on top to prevent crushing.
10. Heavier boxes lead to injuries, are much more likely to burst their tape or seams and tend to get dropped.
11. Scale- Keep a bathroom scale in the room you’re packing so you can keep the boxes below the weight limits.

 

Packing Electronics

This will make hooking up the items in your new place much easier.

1. (I realize that most of us don’t have the original packaging for much of anything, but I thought I would bring it up anyway).
2. This two-box system seems like a pain but seems to do a better job isolating items from jarring impacts.
3. Never throw unwrapped cords into boxes- they get tangled and caught on other items.
4. Then you’ll know exactly which cord you’re seeing and where each end connects when you put things back together.
5. The two-inch rule-  Use at least 2″ of biodegradable packing peanuts around each side of fragile items.

 

Box Inventory and Labels 

1. “Fat” is in-  Use the thickest, darkest marker you can find for labeling boxes. Pencils, pens, tin or light markers are almost impossible to see even just a few feet away.
2. That way if a box gets turned, you can still identify its contents.
3. Abbreviate room names-  Start box labels with the abbreviated name of the room followed by a box number, such as “BTH2-6” for “second bathroom, 6th box.”  You can then track each box to make sure everything arrived safely.
4. Label “Open Me First” on boxes where it applies.
5. Mark “Fragile” where appropriate.
6. Identify contents- Identify the major contents and where they came from, such as “Medicine Cabinet” or “Linen Closet- Towels and Wash Cloths.”
7. Box Inventory-  Keep a clipboard and write down each box’s room, box number and contents (graph paper is great for keeping things recorded neatly). 
8. Then you’ll know everything arrived safely.
9. Labels out- Ask movers to stack boxes in your new place with the labels facing out so that you can easily spot a specific box.

 

 

Letting People Know 

1. Post Office- File your change of address with the Post Office at least 30 days prior to the date of the move.
2. Referrals- Ask everyone you notify for a referral in your new area.
3. Records- Get copies of your existing records (transcripts from schools, medical records from doctors, etc.) while you’re notifying the changes of address.

 

Change of Address- Whom to Notify 

1. Accountant/tax preparer; Alumni associations; Attorneys
2. Babysitter/ child care provider; Banks (auto loans, checking accounts, credit cards, home equity, IRA’s, mortgage, safe deposit box, savings account); Broker; Business cards (order new ones if applicable)
3. Cell phone provider; Child care/ daycare; Chiropractor; Courts, especially for traffic tickets or local disputes; Credit bureaus; Credit card issuers
4. Dentist; Department of Motor Vehicles; Diaper service; Doctor; Dry cleaning pick-up and delivery
5. Family members
6. Health clubs; House cleaning service; House of worship
7. Insurance providers (auto, health, life, other vehicles); IRS (form 8822)
8. Lawn care; Luggage tags (replace existing ones)
9. Magazine subscriptions
10. New business cards; New employer; Newspaper subscriptions
11. Old employer; Orthodontist
12. Parent-teacher association; Passport; Pet sitter/ dog walker/ pet day care; Pharmacy (BONUS: get year-to-date expense summary for taxes); Physical therapist; Physician (BONUS: get referral for new location); Post office; Professional organizations
13. Retirement plan holders; Return address labels (order new ones)
14. Schools (BONUS: get copies of transcripts); Snow removal service; Social Security Administration; Swimming pool maintenance (pool cleaning, pool opening or closing); Swimming pool memberships
15. Veterinarian BONUS get vet records and recommendations
16. Water delivery service

 

Moving With Kids

1. Consider “The Berenstain Bears’ Moving Day.”
2. If appropriate, let children pick their room.
3. If possible, let kids pick a decoration for their new room.
4. Pack a kid’s sized suitcase and let each child pick out a special toy to keep with them and a special outfit to wear on “new home day.”
5. If the child has a special dish or cup, include it in the kitchen “Open Me First” box so familiar items await them at their new place.
6. Consider unpacking the kids’ rooms first, or at least their “Open Me First” boxes to help them settle in.

 

Open Me First Box: The Kitchen 

1. Aluminum foil or plastic wrap
2. Break-proof or disposable flatware, cups, and plates
3. Coffee maker and coffee (don’t forget the filters!)
4. Dish detergent
5. Frying pan and spatula
6. Pet food and bowels
7. Scissors
8. Tea kettle

         

Open Me First Box: Main Bathroom  

1. Bath mat
2. Bath towels
3. First-aid kit (aspirin, band-aids, hydrogen peroxide)
4. Hair dryer
5. Shampoo
6. Shower curtain and rings
7. Soap
8. toothbrushes and toothpaste

 

Open Me First Box: Tool room or drawer  

1. Duct tape
2. Flashlight
3. Flat-head screwdriver
4. Hammer
5. Level
6. Phillips-head screwdriver
7. Picture hangers
8. Tape measure
9. Utility knife

 

Moving Day

1. Again, start early- You want to have everything as organized as possible prior to the arrival of the movers.
2. Your attention will be needed for the nuts and bolts of the move.
3. Have food ready-  Whether you have professional movers or friends and family, having coffee, orange juice, and bagels or donuts available will make it easier for everyone to get started.
4. Cell phone numbers- Make sure you have the cell phone number of the driver of the truck entered into your cell phone, and that the driver has yours in case you get separated or have a problem.
5. Make sure you have payment ready.
6. Directions- Have directions and a map ready for anyone will be driving between your old place and your new place.

 

Unpacking 

1.  Trash and Recyclable Boxes- Keep at least one trash bag (for the real trash) and one large emptied box (to hold used packing paper and biodegradable “peanuts”) available in each room BEFORE you start the heavy unpacking.

2.  Time Limits- Set an objective of unpacking a certain number of boxes each day until all the boxes are all unpacked.

 Good luck on your upcoming move!

About the Author

T. Scott Clendaniel is a consultant, speaker and writer. He is the veteran of over 16 lifetime moves, including two across the Pacific. He is also the founder of the website Movers-Edge.com. You can get your free moving checklist, moving tips and advice at our parent site, http://www.Movers-Edge.com. And please vist our free moving blog at http://www.Moving-HQ.blogspot.com.

AIDA winners unveiled the new Passat CC. Style with substance. Designed with the German innovation impressive, the Passat CC creates the perfect symmetry between driving performance and design aesthetics.

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Best Coffee Maker Amazon

Best cities for the next decade, more proof that we are lucky to live in Austin. Kiplinger searched the Best Cities for the next decade and appointed Austin in the number of a selection. The magazine considered a number of factors, such as unemployment, income growth and cost of living. He joined Kevin Stolarick, director Research in the Martin Prosperity Institute, a think tank that studies economic prosperity. Stolarick said …

In Memory of Bubba the Cat (8-9-2009)

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Coffee Maker Ottawa

Nescafe instant espresso recalled for glass
Nestle Canada is recalling Nescafe brand espresso instant coffee crystals because the product might contain small shards of glass.

myHotelVideo.com presents Comfort Inn & Suites in Kamloops / British Columbia / Canada

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The Best Coffee Maker To Buy

What is the best coffee maker to buy for the home and what kind of coffee, a can.?

I saw something on the agenda of History a new coffee machine that will make a cup of mud much better than most of us now use.

The best coffee for you will depend of exactly what you want of it – excellent coffee, convenience, small footprint etc. When it came to a great coffee – which also means different things to different people. So, first you have to decide on the method of preparation you want to use – I recommend you read the following article choosing the best way to brew coffee: In http://www.espresso-machines-and-coffee-makers.com/best-coffee-maker.html the bottom of that page, too there are several people writing about what worked best coffee maker for them. I hope you find it useful.

3-D goes DIY with pictures of fans in 3-D video content is no longer the playground of Hollywood's major studios. The fans are manipulating stereoscopic cameras to produce 3-D pictures and videos can be uploaded to YouTube.

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Steam Coffee Maker How To Use

how much water to coffee for Cappuccino & question use regular coffee?

just got Mr. Coffee Steam Espresso/Cappuccino Maker – ECM250 and also just broke the little pot after my first cup!
Can someone tell me how much water to add? Sorry, don’t have good details, I am new to making these, use to let coffee shops do it for me, but now trying to save $4 each at home!

Also, why does using plain coffee in it make it taste so bitter, I would have thought it would have been very plain using regular coffee?

Try 1 1/2 cup of hot water.

Tony Sachs: The Spirit of America: rye whiskey for 04 July and every day with July 4 in hand, it's time to pay tribute to Americans only inventions that have made this great country. Baseball. Jazz. Blue jeans ….

I love my new coffee machine

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Coffee Maker India Price
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Coffee – a Recovery’s Brewing in the World’s Favourite Bean

Finance professionals probably haven’t slept much over the course of the last few months. The collapse of Lehman Brothers triggered a ‘once a century’ series of events which we are still feeling our way through.

But as the dust settles, light has appeared at the end of the tunnel. Policy makers are setting timeframes on how long it will take before inter bank lending is resumed and estimating how many quarters of negative growth will be endured before the next positive quarter.

Amidst all the uncertainty of the collapsing financial landscape, two factors have remained strong and are central to the case for Coffee. Firstly, despite a recent bout of strength the long term outlook for the US dollar got dramatically bleaker as financial rescue packages have been unveiled. And secondly, despite fears of a global recession, the Chinese economy (a barometer for the health developing world as a whole) has slowed not stalled as many had anticipated.

We have stated on numerous occasions that in the US, a lack of fiscal restraint, loose monetary (interest rate) policy, ongoing trade deficits and a ballooning national debt have caused an increase in the supply of dollars now circulating through the global economy. The US$700 billion bail-out has added further fuel to the fire.

We remain of the view that as the US dollar continues to decline in value over the medium term, energy and commodity prices, as defined in dollars, will re-inflate. And the price of coffee will be no exception. While periodic corrections will occur, the full effect of the US dollar inflation will play out with significant consequences for the economies of America and the rest of the world.

Although there are signs of confidence returning to the inter-bank market, such is gravity of the situation in the US economy, Ben Bernanke has cited the possibility of a second stimulus package to reignite the ailing world powerhouse. So it’s a good job then that the acceleration of demand for coffee over the long term will emanate from the developing world.

The United States and Germany may occupy pole positions on the coffee consumers grid right now, but this may change in the year’s ahead. Fast growing emerging markets led by China and India are driving demand even today. And the end result is upward pressure on prices.

Focusing on the present, global demand for coffee is outstripping demand. The International Coffee Organization (ICO) recently estimated coffee consumption for the 2008 calendar year should reach 125 million 60kg bags. This is a jump of 2 percent from 2007 and is only fractionally above current production.

Looking ahead, the (ICO) expected coffee consumption to continue its upward trend in the coming years, likely reaching 150 million bags by 2015.

Furthermore, The National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia have estimated that demand will outstrip supply by 6-7 million bags this year as Brazil (the world’s largest producer) enters the least productive phase of its output cycle.

The Federation also added, ‘Overall consumption is growing faster than production, and global inventories will decrease further next year. Growth is not coming from mature markets but from emerging markets’.

This fact provides us with great cause for optimism. And China, the Middle East, and Russia amongst others are driving demand to hold up well in most cases in the face of slower growth in the US.

Increasing affluence in developing nations is leading to strong growth for the bean as western consumption habits spread. Despite fears of a global recession, China is still on for 9 percent GDP growth this year.

What’s more looking ahead, (according to Euromonitor International) coffee sales in China could reach US$3.6 billion by 2011, from US$2.4 billion in 2006. This represents a robust 50 percent increase.

This may explain why coffee chain Starbucks plans to open at least 80 outlets in China this year as consumers in the most populous country continue to ramp up spending. The country’s standard of living is increasing and China’s per-capita urban disposable income rose 16.2 percent in 2007, the seventh year in a row the number increased by more than 10 percent.

Similar types of growth are occurring in Russia where per capita consumption levels are low relative to more established markets such as the US and UK. Russian consumption, like the Chinese, is growing by double digits. Brazil and India are also contributing to the demand growth albeit at slightly slower rates.

So from our perspective, the demand side of the coffee equation appears quite healthy. Meanwhile, supply is not enjoying the same types of growth.

Exports by all exporting countries during August totalled 7.4 million bags, down from 8.1 million bags in July. Exports during the first 11 months of coffee year 2007-08 (Oct 2007-Aug 2008) fell by 4.5 percent to 86.6 million bags from 90.7 million bags for the same period in coffee year 2006-07.

And as we stated before, Brazil’s production cycle is entering a lean phase. If the effects of the drop in output are similar to those of 2007 (in which the world’s foremost producer saw output fall a whopping 21 percent) prices of coffee will jump considerably.

In addition a key dynamic in the story which can not be overlooked is climate change. Drought and flood continue to impact the supply of all soft commodities and coffee is no exception. The frequency with which crop devastating natural forces are occurring is on the up and, we believe the impact will no doubt be felt in the years ahead.

IMPORTANT: This message, together with the Fat Prophets website and all its contents have been prepared for general information only, and as such, the specific needs, investment objectives or financial situation of any particular user have not been taken into consideration. Individuals should therefore talk with their financial planner or advisor before acting on any information present on this message or the Fat Prophets website. Past performance is not a reliable guide to future performance, and investors should be aware that returns can be negative. For a full explanation of the performance calculation methodology, please visit the Fat Prophets website.               

About the Author

Fat Prophets are leading global independent stock market advisors with a comprehensive product range of research reports for all investors. Visit the Fat Prophets website to learn more and get expert advice on investing in shares and managed funds. fatprophets.com.au

Godrej Jumps After Sara Lee Agrees to Sell India Venture Stake
May 13 (Bloomberg) — Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. , the country’s second-biggest soapmaker, rose to a record in Mumbai trading after Sara Lee Corp. agreed to sell its stake in their joint venture for 185 million euros ($234 million).

Finland-Indian(Punjabi) Finlandia hotel,MOGA

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Coffee Maker In India

I have 2 visa to work in Saudi Arabia as the largest producer of coffee I have 2 visa to work in Saudi Arabia as a worker?

2 ihave coffee Saudi How I can get workers from India who will help me

Saudi Arabia is the cause of many headaches as American may not even think about giving him an answer to this question, Good luck, I suppose,

Godrej May to raise $ 150 million Sara Lee Unit, Buys (Update2) Billionaire Adi Godrej said her Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. may raise up to U.S. $ 150 million from the sale of shares to finance the purchase of the participation of Sara Lee Corp. s' in a company in India and other acquisitions.

ONE DAY AT A FILM SHOOT.. a film maker mistaken to be British from the UK

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Coffee Maker Illustration

THE CHALLENGES OF MARKETING INNOVATION FOR A BETTER SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

INTRODUCTION

 

Marketing is about selling people more. So can sustainable marketing really work?

- Marketing comprises a set of skills that generally enable companies to sell more stuff to more people to get a greater share of the market. These skills are usually portable: it doesn’t matter what’s being sold to whom in what marketplace. The social and environmental impact of the stuff that’s being marketed remains, for the vast majority of people in marketing, until recently, largely irrelevant. The idea of sustainable marketing is inevitably sort of ridiculous.

- Sustainable development comprises a set of ideas, principles, values, mindsets and practices that enable individuals and organizations to improve their quality of life in ways that simultaneously protect and enhance the Earth’s life-support systems, in other words, without destroying the planet. At the very least, it can mean consuming in more environmentally and socially responsible ways; for some, it means consuming less.

The idea of sustainable marketing is, therefore, sort of suspect. The marketplace is greener now than ever before and will become even more responsive to products and services promising environmental responsibility well into the 21st century. The reasons are many. People are worried. In the 1980’s, environmental calamities dominated the news. Almost daily, headlines trumpeted oil spills, toxic-waste dumps, and nuclear meltdowns. A hole punctured the ozone layer, a garbage barge searched in vain for a dumpsite; apples were not considered safe to eat. The issues were no longer in someone else’s backyard far-away, but in our own. The environment rose to the top of the public’s worry list.

 

 

MARKETING INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABLE MARKETING

 

Nowadays, businesses that fall short of developing effective value propositions have difficulties in taking advantage of market opportunities that are characterized by uncompromising market forces such increased competition, shortened product lifecycles and more sophisticated and variable customer demands. It is a disconcerting fact that many, if not most, businesses struggle to develop sustainable, innovative value propositions that help them sustain their market positions.

Marketing innovation and sustainable development are today’s hottest topics of our planet among intellectuals. Why not harness the creativity and innovation of one of the oldest professions there is to move forward our societies onto a much more sustainable footing? Humanity has been known to tackle far more challenging tasks, anywhere from placing a man on the moon, to persuading people to buy aloe vera toilet paper, as Steve Hilton from Good Business often illustrates. Surely, therefore, bringing together these innovators and persuaders needed to make the world more sustainable should also be possible.

Will we assist to less growth with marketing sustainability? Not really. I think if it is well done, it could mean better, smarter and much more efficient ways of buying and making stuff. What if marketing sustainability is just a pipe dream when consumers are largely ambivalent about the green credentials of the products and services they buy, and certainly find it difficult to pay ‘green premiums’? We don’t think it will be. If done properly, it will appeal to personal values and allow that twinge of “I would really like to do something”.

However, I have to notice that efforts by the odd responsible company are not nearly enough to make producer and consumer change stick. A much wider collective effort is needed if we are going to be successful at reversing unsustainable patterns of consumption and production, considering most of us are not willing to sacrifice Aloe Vera toilet paper for banana leaves. If marketing can turn “lead into gold”, then it has the potential to make sustainable development a household word, a universally recognised way of adding both social and economic value. Marketing can create, influence and change target audience attitudes, beliefs and perceptions. In a nutshell, marketing works; that’s why companies do it. A more interesting question is how can it be used to reinforce sustainable development?

I have to mention that although sustainable development and marketing innovation are the 21st century most discussed topics, they are conflicting concepts. Today’s evolution about these topics is to set a challenging sustainable development benchmarks for every element of the marketing mix and build intrinsic brand value in and through sustainable development. Through engaging companies from a range of sectors that are both already active in sustainable development and have high brand awareness, as well as leading media and communications agencies open to new opportunities, we hope to build wider competencies in sustainable marketing within the profession and more broadly in businesses. 

 MARKETING INNOVATION

Much of the discussion about marketing and sustainable development focuses on developed markets; on the levels of consumption amongst the world’s richest people and the changing nature of their preferences. Companies face fierce competition for growth in developed countries whilst, in contrast, the most disadvantaged people in the world represent a market with enormous potential. And if the world’s population expands in line with current predictions, over 90% of people will be living in (what are now) developing countries within 30 years. It is no surprise, then, that marketers are increasingly interested in the opportunities amongst the world’s poor, which may involve addressing their basic needs. But is this wishful thinking, or are there compelling commercial reasons for business to pay attention to developing markets? As the term sustainable development enters the business mainstream, the responsibility for managing social and environmental issues is slowly shifting from the corporate fringe to an important business function.

The implementation of communication strategies is a marketing innovation. Not only does the company inform the general public of its efforts to reduce its environmental impact, but in addition, it listens to its clients and tries to gain acceptance of its employees. A sophisticated form of the communication strategy consists of taking part directly in the development of restrictive measures (emission standards, branch agreements, etc.). This effort seems to show a proactive approach to companies on the environmental question, but on the other hand, it could be a way to impede environmental progress by means of a lobbying policy.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a company in possession of a good (or poor) fortune must be in want of innovation. Yet, by all accounts, some 40-90% of innovations fail in the market. In this elective we examine the drivers of market adoption, taking the perspectives of both ‘objective reality’ and the ‘perceived reality’ of the players in the decision. We then offer some suggestions for bringing innovations more successfully to market.

Invention and innovation have proven to be crucial components for the development of modern societies. However, 1.3 billion people who currently live on less than a dollar a day do not enjoy the benefits that many modern inventions have brought. At the same time some key new technologies are known to have caused enormous damage to the global environment.

SUSTAINABLE MARKETING

Increasingly, business is investing in sustainable development strategies, often not fully embraced by their marketing departments.

The result of this means that mixed messages are being transmitted to shareholders and stakeholders alike. There is a real need to join sustainable development business strategy with the marketing departments that drive that strategy forward.
Because marketing influences the development of products and services, as well as the communication methods used to influence consumer behaviour, it is at the axis of one of the most challenging issues facing business today: addressing the current unsustainable levels of production and consumption in an uncertain world.

There are two key approaches to marketing and sustainability. One seeks to embed sustainable development within a company’s core marketing strategy from innovation to the market. The other aligns opportunities for marketing and advertising with the values of sustainable development, either overtly or covertly.

Why is it now that people think about sustainable marketing?

As mainstream marketing is changing and as we enter a ‘third age’ of branding, the context for brands is changing irrevocably. The first age of branding was the age of functionality, where product purpose was legitimised through trademarks. The second age was the age of aspiration, meaning brands served a self actualising purpose. The third age of branding is the age of reconnection, that is, solutions-oriented branding. Empowering consumers to make the world a better place through the products they buy.  For example, if we take the case of the refrigerators, we can say that in 1950’s, somebody could easily be convinced to buy a refrigerator just because it looked cool in his/her eyes, but in today’s uncertain world, we might ask ourselves about the impact of the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that our refrigerator is emitting and demand a more environmentally friendly refrigerator.

So, if today’s successful marketing is about appealing to personal values and delivering consumer empowerment, then surely the time is right to inject sustainable development into the marketing mix to help address some of the gritty issues currently facing our planet.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Today’s fast technologies innovation and invention have made people worry about their living environment. Although they need improvements for the household equipments they are daily using, they started asking themselves about the future of the world. Based on this, we have to mention that marketing innovation is developing with consequences for humankind. In this 21st century, sustainable development remains a term which many marketers have become accustomed to hearing alongside jargon such as stakeholder engagement and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Sustainable development is a compelling idea for many people. It is concerned with how business can contribute to some of the most significant challenges that the world faces today; from climate change and biodiversity, to working conditions and health amongst the poorest in the world. But marketing managers have struggled to translate these ideas into viable commercial propositions into marketing strategies that create competitive advantage, build trust or develop new business opportunities.

Moreover, marketers have often faced criticism for being part of the problem for pushing the consumption of unsustainable products and lifestyles.

Sustainable development is becoming a key strategic issue for companies. With growing pressure from global warming, natural resource depletion, widening social gaps, legislation, societal pressures, and the evolution of consumer expectation, the role of marketing within an organization is changing dramatically. Consumer demand for “ethical” products and services is increasing and the marketing is a lever for innovation to answer to this new demand. Social and environmental values are now elements of a brand, marketers need to tackle these issues. Sustainable development is the practice of protecting the environment while improving living standards for all, and invention and innovation is key to its success. Invention and innovation for sustainable development isn’t just about developing new technology, but includes new processes and new ways of solving old problems. Creative thinking is the rubric. Creative thinking has always been integral for improving well-being.

Despite the fact that people everywhere have an innate ability to be creative, rich countries are not doing enough to stimulate and harness invention and creative thinking, and poor countries tend to stifle innovation and creativity outright. This is typically due to a combination of factors: insufficient financial resources, lack of role models, education systems that don’t inspire or value creativity, and social/political environments that discourage creativity, invention and entrepreneurship. Sustainable development has different meanings and implications in different parts of the world. Julia Marton-Lefèvre, executive director of LEAD International, an organization dedicated to leadership for environment and development in a workshop on “invention and innovation for sustainable development” held in November 2003 said to understand the challenges and ramifications “not only in London and Paris and New York, but also in tiny villages in Nigeria and Indonesia and China.” Sustainable development is for all countries, not just developing ones. Based on what she said, I can mention that while rich countries need to develop alternative sources of energy and other technologies that reduce their own impact on the environment, poor countries need to develop their own innovation capacity, in order to address their own particular needs.

CHALLENGES FOR MARKETERS TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Companies create competitive advantage by understanding the shifts in society; from technological innovations such as the 3G communication system to the unwinding consequences of events such as May 12th China earthquake. These trends are the foundations of marketing strategy, and the emergence of sustainable development as a matter of public and corporate concern is one such change in the marketing environment. In recent years, hundreds of companies have developed ethical policies or mission statements. These initiatives appear to be grounded in market realities. For example, a Weber Shandwick survey of 8,000 consumers in 2001 indicates that 80% of high-education/high-income people in the USA have considered switching brands when a company was negatively portrayed in the media in respect of social responsibility issues. But today, the question for marketers is: is there really an opportunity for them to use sustainable development as a lever of brand innovation, rather than the greenwash?

Marketers rightly insist that appealing to sustainability values will not overcome a fundamental weakness in product quality, yet with excellent products there is evidence that social and environmental aspects can be used to differentiate or create a profitable niche. For them, Sustainability values can be a successful differentiator; a key part of the functional and emotional attributes of a product or service. Many of marketers argue that integrating sustainability values into a brand can contribute to market growth. As one professional has commented, “As long as performance, price and place are right, then corporate responsibility can become a differentiator, although a significant price premium is not possible.”

Nowadays, a lot of businesses have tried to differentiate specific products on the basis of their social and environmental impacts. For example, Toyota has used celebrity endorsements to promote the environmental credentials of the Prius, their hybrid fuel car; it has also approved plans to use more distinctive badging on its hybrid Highlander and Lexus models. And niche businesses (increasingly joined by mainstream retailers) supplying fair trade coffee and organic products have targeted consumer concerns regarding working conditions and chemical pollution in the food supply chain, often using eco-labels and social labels to enhance the consumer understanding of their products.

The opportunity for differentiation is perhaps more significant in the business-to-business sector. Business-to-business companies are increasingly identifying opportunities to position their products and services in the wider context of their social and environmental impact as well as their cost and functionality. As one marketer has suggested: “Corporate customers are more interested in these issues than individual customers” Another marketer has confirmed the basis of this business-to-business market: “The challenge is what do customers care about: sometimes it is just price and delivery, but functionality can include aspects of sustainability, like reducing your customers’ waste so their operations run better, helping them deal with and/or eliminate regulatory issues.”

Today’s challenge for marketers to achieve their goals by integrating marketing innovation with sustainable development is to build trust with customers, consumers and society.

Reputation – the goodwill that an organization has acquired from its past performance – is the foundation of future success, the basis on which a business will be trusted in years to come. Companies remain among the least trusted institutions in society, with some businesses particularly vulnerable to pressure group campaigns and consumer boycotts. As a result, many marketers are asking themselves how to minimize the risk of criticism from stakeholders, and whether sustainable development has a role to play in these efforts. Perhaps more positively, they are also wondering what part their companies’ ambitions and achievements on social and environmental issues can play in building and maintaining trust with consumers, customers and society as a whole.

Some marketers are also concerned that reputation and trust may not be sufficient to preserve their brands in the longer-term: current patterns of consumption are not sustainable, and so customers and consumers must be educated in order to protect or secure the resources on which business is based.

Products with sustainability attributes will only appeal if they are clearly consistent with the values and activities of the company.

Many people care about the social and environmental impacts of business. Yet people trust companies when they believe they are acting according to their values, and not just because it happens to make sense in that particular instance. Credibility comes from the confidence that a business will continue to behave ethically in the future: a business will gain little reputational benefit – and more likely harm – from helping a community if local people see the contribution as a short-term ‘bribe’ that will be withdrawn as soon as its immediate objective is achieved. Marketers have a critical role in building trust. In particular, they can help to create inspiring communications, which are honestly based on the abilities of the organisation and the resources that it can realistically devote to enhancing its social and environmental performance.

However, reputation and trust may not be sufficient to safeguard a brand. To succeed, marketers must lead the path towards more sustainable consumption.

International policy makers are paying more and more attention to some of the greatest challenges to society and the environment. For example, UK previous Prime Minister Tony Blair placed poverty in Africa and climate change at the top of the G8 agenda for 2005. These issues are critical to the long-run success of business. In short, companies cannot operate effectively in societies and economies which fail to protect and support the production and consumption of their products and services. Business needs reliable access to sources of raw material, safe working conditions for production, storage and distribution, thriving consumer markets, and safe mechanisms for the disposal of product waste. There is much that governments must do. But if consumers aren’t switching to more sustainable products, then it will also fall to business to break the current patterns of consumption. And it is often the marketer who will be best positioned to create this connection between business and consumers.

CONCLUSION

Purchasing organic or fair trade produce is now very easy, but making purchasing decisions about other products such as mobile phones on environmental, social or ethical grounds remains difficult. Innovation for sustainable development would inevitably lead to new product-service systems. Current consumer culture with its emphasis on ownership as a status symbol creates significant barriers to the acceptance of these new product service systems.

Although new products and services may be essential for future growth and profit,

companies must survive today to be around tomorrow. Short term financial objectives tend to focus companies on making incremental improvements that keep sales up, keep customers happy and satisfy city analysts rather than the more radical approaches that would promote innovation for sustainable development.

Transforming today’s companies into sustainable innovation stars is not a simple case of creating a new sustainable innovation tool. Product and service innovation is part of a much wider innovation system and is affected by conditions as wide ranging as government leadership on sustainable development and organisational structures within companies. Addressing the barriers to integrating sustainable development into product and service innovation, therefore, requires change to take place across the entire system; from the introduction of new tools into the immediate product development process to the integration of sustainable development objectives into innovation policy.

Sustainable development specialists (and those with equivalent positions or responsibilities) are no longer just responsible for the management of philanthropic initiatives, community engagement programs or environmental impact assessments.

Instead, in leading companies, these managers are expected to act as agents of change: to develop the structures, systems, ways of working and personal values that will support the organisation’s sustainable development objectives; and to encourage others in the company to act as enthusiastic agents of change.

 

 References

 

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- Asselineau, A. and Pierre Piré-Lechard (2008), “Développement Durable et Entreprise Responsable : Une voie pour l’innovation de rupture ”, Communication présentée lors des 3èmes journées Neptune, 1ère université : Réalités et Prospectives du développement durable organisationnel, ERMES, IAE de Toulon, Observatoire du développement durable, Université du Sud-Toulon-Var, Toulon, 13-14 Novembre 2008

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About the Author

CISSE DAOUDA
International Trade Ph.D.Candidate
Zhongnan University of Economics and Law-Wuhan-CHINA
Tel:0086-13429878747
E-mail:cissedaouda2008@hotmail.com

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