Paper Mate has introduced a new biodegradable pen as well as a mechanical pencil. They cost a bit more and are designed to be nicer- to help justify the increased price. However, a significant portion of the devices can be recycled in nature and represents a good start to the back-to-school season.
Gil-
Monday, July 26, 2010
Longhorn Energy
Are consumers ready for Texas Longhorns Energy?
Collegiate sports brands plug into unique marketing effort By TERRY LEFTON Staff writer Published July 26, 2010 : Page 01 SportsBusiness Journal July, 2010.
For years, marketers have been employing the power of sports affinities to sell goods and services. Now there is a new and unique demonstration of sports marketing's clout — it's being used to sell electric power.
The University of Texas has signed a six-year deal with Dallas-based Branded Retail Energy, which will likely be the first of a number of deals with the company that will see some of the country's most powerful collegiate sports brands sell consumers electricity and natural gas in deregulated markets. Consequently, Texas Longhorns Energy will be available to consumers in mid-August.
The electricity will be supplied by Champion Energy Services and is being touted as 100 percent renewable energy to alumni and fans in deregulated regions of Texas. Every new account will generate funds for the University of Texas and consumers will receive Longhorns merchandise, memorabilia, access to events, ticket discounts and other benefits as incentives, including likely co-promotions with other UT sponsors.
UT has around 280,000 alumni in its home state, and 450,000 across the country. Its licensed merchandise produces the most royalties of any of Collegiate Licensing Co.'s college programs, and its Bank of America affinity credit card and associated banking program is one of the country's biggest.
While the passion is there, this is a test to see how deep it will run.
Wrapping the program around collegiate affinities and a green message of supporting sustainable energy efforts is what will make it work, said Larry Weil, a longtime sponsorship consultant, who joined Branded Retail Energy as CMO late last year.
"This is not a gimmick. This is renewable energy at a competitive price,"
Weil said. "But when you combine it with the depth of passion people have for their university, it should be a powerful marketing platform, because you can give something to your school and do something green at the same time."
UT was attracted by the promise of reducing its carbon footprint. "We don't have an energy partner, but what really appealed to us was the opportunity to fund renewable energy at our school," said Chris Plonsky, UT's senior associate athletic director. IMG College helped negotiate the deal for UT.
As a hybrid licensing/sponsorship arrangement, the deal took almost a year to complete.
For fans, changing energy providers is akin to changing telecom carriers.
The program will be promoted via in-stadium signage, program ads, as well as Web, TV and radio advertising.
"There were a lot of moving parts from a legal perspective," said longtime sports and entertainment attorney Matthew Pace of Herrick, Feinstein, who handled contracts for Branded Retail Energy on the Texas deal. "Power, just like credit cards, are tough to distinguish in the marketplace and I can see college and pro sports opportunities in the years to come."
Electric power has been deregulated in much of Texas, though curiously not in UT's hometown of Austin, since 2002. Fierce competition in major metropolitan markets (there are 50 meaningful competitors) is evident by the fact that an NFL stadium (Houston's Reliant Stadium) and an MLS jersey (Houston Dynamo/Amigo Energy) are tied to energy providers.
Branded Energy CEO Jason Helms, who conceived the idea, had seen the deregulated Texas energy market change from one that was entirely price-based, to one filled with claims of superior customer service, all supported by heavy media spends to the point where electricity providers became some of the larger prime-time advertisers in places like Dallas and Houston.
"What was needed was a stickier message," Helms said. "Everyone loves their college experience or at least has a favorite college, and here UT is at the top of the heap, so that's where we started."
Where the program goes from here is an intriguing question. There are 14 states with some form of power deregulation and some of the larger ones, like Illinois, Pennsylvania and Ohio, all have large state universities with huge fan bases.
Energy companies have been spending on sports sponsorships for some time.
Could this hybrid approach be the creation of a separate category? Anyone ready for Packers Power or Consolidated Yankees?
"Energy is a commodity just like credit cards, so it should work," said Rob DiGisi, a former NBA and Bank One credit card marketer, with expertise in affinity marketing, and now a consultant. "But just like credit cards, there should be rewards attached, because the appeal of a vanity plate can be short-lived. There also should be some kind of badge to demonstrate your support to your school. With a credit card, you had something to carry all the time that demonstrated that affinity tie."
Collegiate sports brands plug into unique marketing effort By TERRY LEFTON Staff writer Published July 26, 2010 : Page 01 SportsBusiness Journal July, 2010.
For years, marketers have been employing the power of sports affinities to sell goods and services. Now there is a new and unique demonstration of sports marketing's clout — it's being used to sell electric power.
The University of Texas has signed a six-year deal with Dallas-based Branded Retail Energy, which will likely be the first of a number of deals with the company that will see some of the country's most powerful collegiate sports brands sell consumers electricity and natural gas in deregulated markets. Consequently, Texas Longhorns Energy will be available to consumers in mid-August.
The electricity will be supplied by Champion Energy Services and is being touted as 100 percent renewable energy to alumni and fans in deregulated regions of Texas. Every new account will generate funds for the University of Texas and consumers will receive Longhorns merchandise, memorabilia, access to events, ticket discounts and other benefits as incentives, including likely co-promotions with other UT sponsors.
UT has around 280,000 alumni in its home state, and 450,000 across the country. Its licensed merchandise produces the most royalties of any of Collegiate Licensing Co.'s college programs, and its Bank of America affinity credit card and associated banking program is one of the country's biggest.
While the passion is there, this is a test to see how deep it will run.
Wrapping the program around collegiate affinities and a green message of supporting sustainable energy efforts is what will make it work, said Larry Weil, a longtime sponsorship consultant, who joined Branded Retail Energy as CMO late last year.
"This is not a gimmick. This is renewable energy at a competitive price,"
Weil said. "But when you combine it with the depth of passion people have for their university, it should be a powerful marketing platform, because you can give something to your school and do something green at the same time."
UT was attracted by the promise of reducing its carbon footprint. "We don't have an energy partner, but what really appealed to us was the opportunity to fund renewable energy at our school," said Chris Plonsky, UT's senior associate athletic director. IMG College helped negotiate the deal for UT.
As a hybrid licensing/sponsorship arrangement, the deal took almost a year to complete.
For fans, changing energy providers is akin to changing telecom carriers.
The program will be promoted via in-stadium signage, program ads, as well as Web, TV and radio advertising.
"There were a lot of moving parts from a legal perspective," said longtime sports and entertainment attorney Matthew Pace of Herrick, Feinstein, who handled contracts for Branded Retail Energy on the Texas deal. "Power, just like credit cards, are tough to distinguish in the marketplace and I can see college and pro sports opportunities in the years to come."
Electric power has been deregulated in much of Texas, though curiously not in UT's hometown of Austin, since 2002. Fierce competition in major metropolitan markets (there are 50 meaningful competitors) is evident by the fact that an NFL stadium (Houston's Reliant Stadium) and an MLS jersey (Houston Dynamo/Amigo Energy) are tied to energy providers.
Branded Energy CEO Jason Helms, who conceived the idea, had seen the deregulated Texas energy market change from one that was entirely price-based, to one filled with claims of superior customer service, all supported by heavy media spends to the point where electricity providers became some of the larger prime-time advertisers in places like Dallas and Houston.
"What was needed was a stickier message," Helms said. "Everyone loves their college experience or at least has a favorite college, and here UT is at the top of the heap, so that's where we started."
Where the program goes from here is an intriguing question. There are 14 states with some form of power deregulation and some of the larger ones, like Illinois, Pennsylvania and Ohio, all have large state universities with huge fan bases.
Energy companies have been spending on sports sponsorships for some time.
Could this hybrid approach be the creation of a separate category? Anyone ready for Packers Power or Consolidated Yankees?
"Energy is a commodity just like credit cards, so it should work," said Rob DiGisi, a former NBA and Bank One credit card marketer, with expertise in affinity marketing, and now a consultant. "But just like credit cards, there should be rewards attached, because the appeal of a vanity plate can be short-lived. There also should be some kind of badge to demonstrate your support to your school. With a credit card, you had something to carry all the time that demonstrated that affinity tie."
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Sheetrock that changes
Sheetrock has been created that can help make building walls more environmentally friendly for heating and cooling a house. The Sheetrock is made with microscopic capsules filled with paraffin wax that changes from solid to liquid when the temperature goes over 73 degrees. As the wax melts it absorbs heat and cools the room similar to how melting ice dissipates and cools water. At night when the temperatures drop below 73 degrees the wax hardens which releases heat back into the room. This new product called phase-change drywall is produced by national gypsum and might be produced commercially if there is enough demand.
Environmentalist Jerks
A recent article in Popular Science (August 2010)highlights a recent study that just being exposed to green products (seeing a green TV ad or going into a health store) created a halo effect that makes people more charitable. However this effect changed quickly. After a green purchase, the green consumers were more likely to lie and steal. Thus, the green consumers think they are receiving a license to do bad things since they have done good thing. The goal is for people to do the right thing without thinking they should receive something for it. Just do it for the environment without expecting to receive any "moral capital."
PSA from the Orioles
The Orioles have released a great PSA encouraging fans to recycle. Here is the link: http://www.fancans.com/.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Plastic Everywhere
Some interesting plastic facts-
every person produced 6.3 pounds of plastic that ends-up in landfills each year
Plastic accounts for 16% of all municipal solid waste in the US
50-80% of the waste littering beaches, oceans, and seabeds is plastic
In 2007 6.8% of the total plastic recovered for recycling- this represents recycling 37% of plastic soda bottles and 28% of plastic milk/water bottles
Reusing plastics takes 50% less energy then creating new plastic
300 million metric tons of plastic will be produced throughout the world in 2010
50% of all plastic is made for disposable purposes, 25% goes into long-term usage such as piping, around 40 million tons become textile fibers such as nylon and polyester
Four million tons of BPA are produced every year
A plastic bottle will take 450 year to degrade completely in a marine environment
every person produced 6.3 pounds of plastic that ends-up in landfills each year
Plastic accounts for 16% of all municipal solid waste in the US
50-80% of the waste littering beaches, oceans, and seabeds is plastic
In 2007 6.8% of the total plastic recovered for recycling- this represents recycling 37% of plastic soda bottles and 28% of plastic milk/water bottles
Reusing plastics takes 50% less energy then creating new plastic
300 million metric tons of plastic will be produced throughout the world in 2010
50% of all plastic is made for disposable purposes, 25% goes into long-term usage such as piping, around 40 million tons become textile fibers such as nylon and polyester
Four million tons of BPA are produced every year
A plastic bottle will take 450 year to degrade completely in a marine environment
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