Yahoo!’s audience of hundreds of millions of consumers provides a rich data set for understanding what consumers are responding to online today, and how this is shifting over time. A recently completed 5-month study, reveals significant insight into the kinds of green content people are responding to most. Erin Carlson, Director of Yahoo! for Good, discusses what types of story and advertising messaging, tone and voice resonate with different types of consumers. Interestingly, not only does it depend on who you're talking to, but also what type of product you’re advertising. It's all about progressing to an enlightened and audience-engaging form of communication on sustainability, that's meant to go beyond the yesteryear cliches of subjective, save-the-planet ideas which make people feel hopeful or warm/bad inside.

1. Speaking the Right
Language in
Environmental
Communications
Erin Carlson, Yahoo!

2. Talking green:
How to connect with consumers
Erin Carlson
Yahoo!
June 1, 2009
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3. Purpose of our Discussion
Yahoo! approach
What people are interested in
Where people look for info
Different people want different messages
Your messages depend on the industry
Future trends
Key takeaways
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4. Yahoo! Strategic Approach
Audience
Technology
Employees
Internal/External
Brand
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5. Yahoo! approach to green:
Inspire 500 million people in daily life
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6. One Stop Shop for the Conscious Consumer
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7. Weaving into daily life
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8. Audience engagement and empowerment
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9. Engaging Customers:
Insights from our Audience
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10. What doesn’t work: Preachy, “green,” and celebs
Preachy
Solely green
Celebrity
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11. What works: Practical and timely info
News
Answers to common questions
Save $$$ and time
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12. What works: Inspire and delight the audience
Surprises
Optimistic innovation
Drama
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13. Tips for messaging
Talk about what people are passionate about
Serve up the dessert
Listen to your audience
Recognize saturation & keep it fresh
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14. Where people look for info
More more more!
Online: 68%
Portal websites: 51%
Online search: 44%
User reviews: 40%
(Professional reviews: 24%)
Lowest: Company website (20%)
Blogs (21%)
Recommendation:
User reviews
Optimize online search
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15. Different people need different messages
Deeply committed: 23%
Positively impact the environment
Trendy: 24%
Everybody else is doing it
Hip, cool. Newest tech.
Practical: 13%
Save money. Improve health.
Recommendation:
Know who you’re talking to
Target your messages
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16. Your messages depend on the industry
Auto: Prevent pollution
Household appliances/renovation: Save money
Electronics: Coolest, newest
Retail: Healthier
CPG: Help planet & healthier
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17. The crystal ball
Policy
Science/Policy  consumer language
Awareness  action
Social networks
Mobile
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18. Monday Morning Take-Aways
Focus on practical, timely information
Spice it up with surprise and delight
Speak about what people are passionate about
Avoid preachy, solely green, and celebs
Focus on user reviews and optimizing online search
Tailor and target your messages by audience and industry
Think ahead to social networks and mobile
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