The Gort Cloud: The Invisible Force Powering Today's Most Visible Green Brands [Hardcover]

Richard Seireeni (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 17, 2009

"Green" has gone mainstream, and for many companies caring for the environment is not just a philosophy, it's a marketing strategy. So how does a company that's genuinely committed to green principles differentiate itself from its greenwashing competitors?

Brand expert Richard Seireeni interviewed more than 30 "eco-capitalists" from a broad range of industries--home improvement, transportation, household products, food and beverage, energy, real estate, finance, and fashion. The collective experience of leaders such as Gary Hirschberg of Stonyfield Farms, Jeffrey Hollander of Seventh Generation, and the grandsons of Dr. Bronner, as well as other green experts, are a rich source of wisdom for green businesses getting off the ground or for any business aiming to improve its environmental performance.

The result of these interviews is the "Gort Cloud"--a term coined by the author that describes the vast and largely invisible network of NGOs, trendspotters, advocacy groups, social networks, business alliances, certifying organizations, and other members of the green community that have the power to make or break new green brands.

Integrating the Gort Cloud into brand development and marketing strategies is critical to the success of any aspiring green brand. This "green community" can supply technical assistance, venture capital, the first line of core customers, and tremendous "echo effect" in getting the word out quickly and inexpensively. Creating a cause, building credibility, developing a simple and compelling message, identifying core customers and sales channels, deftly playing the green alternative media, and fending off second-to-market competitors are all required to build a green brand. How these skills are put into practice will vary for each business, but Seireeni's research points toward a set of shared characteristics and basic tenets that every business can use to build a credible and successful green brand.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this detailed market report, veteran brand consultant and creative executive Seireeni maps out the network of experts, activists, tastemakers, special interests, consumers and others who guide the fate of rapidly proliferating "green" businesses. Meting their influence online in clusters of similarly-concerned Web sites, these disparate sources of opinion and information-from government organizations to bloggers to green shopping sites-form a "simultaneous source of credibility, endorsement, and echo effect" for an ever-growing audience. In 12 case studies, Seireeni examines the cloud's make-or-break abilities, particularly to reject, fairly or not, claims of eco-utility as "greenwashing"-as happened to the Swiffer disposable mop in 2007, when "people simply weren't buying the trade-off between less water use and more landfill waste." Seireeni's focus is on "exactly how others have built green brands" with loyal followings; among others, he covers Seventh Generation cleaning supplies, Tesla Motors electric cars, Stonyfield Farm dairy, the financial institutes "creating Green Street," and Southwest Windpower. Though textbook-like in style, Seireeni's clear thinking and compelling examples will prove valuable for anyone looking to make hay in the growing green movement.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"With The Gort Cloud, Richard Seireeni has brought out the emotional and human perspective that often lacks in most green programs. Ecopreneurs in his book are not just branding opportunists but visionaries who believe that ideas--when endorsed by people--are more powerful than money.

By understanding that a powerful change has happened in how younger generations are seeing the world of commerce, The Gort Cloud focuses on lost values such as trust, responsibility, imagination and the positive role businesses can have on our society."--Marc Gobe, designer, photographer, filmmaker, and author of Emotional Branding: The New Paradigm for Connecting Brands to People, Citizen Brand: 10 Commandments for Transforming Brands in a Consumer Democracy, and Brandjam: Humanizing Brands Through Emotional Design

"Seireeni's clear thinking and compelling examples will prove valuable for anyone looking to make hay in the growing green movement."--Publishers Weekly

"Creating a successful green product is equal parts art, science, and persistence. But it also requires a depth of market insights that separate the leaders from the rest of the pack. The Gort Cloud offers a wealth of knowledge, digging deep into the iconic green brands and pulling out insights that can help entrepreneurs and marketers create the next generation of authentic, market-shifting brands."--Joel Makower, Executive Editor, GreenBiz.com, and author, Strategies for the Green Economy

"Richard Seireeni navigates a emerging and largely uncharted economic world with infectious enthusiasm and keen insight. Readers will emerge with renewed appreciation for entrepreneurs who effectively combine business acumen with stewardship commitment, to the enduring benefit of humanity."--Ralph Cavanagh, Energy Program Co-Director, Natural Resources Defense Council

"In his remarkable The Gort Cloud, Richard Seireeni details the intersection of two of society's most important forces: The Green Movement and the Social Media revolution. He shows how companies playing in that intersection can become terrifically successful, but only if they play by the unwritten rules."--David Meerman Scott, bestselling author of The New Rules of Marketing & PR and World Wide Rave

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 308 pages
• Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing (February 17, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1603580611
• ISBN-13: 978-1603580618
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,028,748 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shows You What You Know is There, but Never Had a Name For, March 5, 2009

By 

Chris Middings "CMiddings" (Burlington, VT, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gort Cloud: The Invisible Force Powering Today's Most Visible Green Brands (Hardcover)

Early in my career, long before the Internet, I assembled file folders on every environmental organization I had ever heard of -- their literature, fund-raising letters, annual reports, etc. Trouble was, the more information I got on environmental groups, the more there was to get -- looking at lists of board members always led to more organizations. I was unknowingly trying to assemble a portion of what Richard Seireeni is calling, in his new book, The Gort Cloud. The Gort Cloud is named after the Oort cloud, a field of stellar debris that orbits our solar system -- although its mass exceeds that of the earth, it is invisible to us.

If you've worked in the environmental field at any level, you're likely aware of this invisible network connecting millions of environmentally aware people. On one hand, it is the enforcer of credibility standards -- a watchdog against greenwashing. On the other hand, it is a partner, providing insights into consumer preferences, linking manufacturers to distributors to retailers, and being the ultimate sounding board for anyone marketing a product or service to the highly focused audience of the green consumer.

While huge consumer products companies rely on advertising (what Seth Godin calls "shouting at strangers"), start-up green companies reach out directly to the Gort Cloud, using one-on-one relationships with green academics, NGOs, certifying organizations, news outlets, trendspotters, distributors, and eco-conscious consumers to build their brands. Because everyone is connected by the common goal of sustainability and powered by the currency of transparency, start-up green companies can gain an edge over the titans whose advertising strategies are less effective every year.

The Gort Cloud has aspects of Web 2.0, viral marketing, crowdsourcing, and social media, but more than that, it is an amazing business resource for honest green companies. It delivers a market (and marketing partners) at a fraction of the cost of traditional advertising and with greater credibility.

In his book, Seireeni explains how 23 successful green companies built their brands using this invisible marketing force to reach the green community.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Green is the new Lean, March 21, 2009

By 

kdea473 - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Gort Cloud: The Invisible Force Powering Today's Most Visible Green Brands (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

A few years back, when I was completing my MBA, Lean was all the rage. While I do not discount its value, it is clear that Green has gained great importance in the business world. The Gort Cloud is a collection of case studies of the Green movers and shakers.

I was impressed with the collection of companies included in the book. Some I have used (Seventh Generation, Stonyfield Farms) and others I had never heard of (Portfolio21, Tesla). Each chapter is a case study of one or two related companies. I think that no matter what your business, you will find at least one idea that you can apply to your own life.

The book is an easy read, sure to capture the attention of business executives, business school students, and casual readers alike. My one beef (which may not bother other readers) was the repeated use of the f-word in one chapter of the book. The word relates directly to the company and its story, but its repeated use could be offensive to some readers. Be aware, if this issue may concern you.

The publisher has gone to great lengths to assure the reader that the book is published on post-consumer paper with soy ink. Do them one better, and borrow a copy from a friend or the library (or download it to your Kindle if you're lucky enough to have one!)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Insight for Eco Awareness., March 12, 2009

By 

The Lunar Staff "Moonlight Entertainment & Sales" (Hee Haw Land, KS) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Gort Cloud: The Invisible Force Powering Today's Most Visible Green Brands (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

The Gort Cloud is a perfect read for our company. Being that our company is geared toward the surplus and salvage industry. It was an eye opener with a refreshened insight of our industry and will give us the opportunity to reevaluate our current structuring.

Our main purpose is to reduce landfilling of retail goods, in which we can name several major offenders who claim to be "Eco-Friendly" or "Green". We're always on the lookout for new resources to network with, and Richard Seireeni gives us that opportunity.

If your a green conscious business or looking to become one, this book is a wonderful insight to this industry. 5 Stars!