Comments on: Messaging 101c: Energy efficiency and sex

By: Craig ONeal

Craig ONeal — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:03:33 +0000

I’m really glad you liked my tree hugging photo! Craig ONeal aka mindseye.

By: Seth

Seth — Fri, 08 May 2009 07:44:43 +0000

You might try “waste elimination.” It’s more scatological than sexy, but as long as people remember it that’s what counts.

By: Pangolin

Pangolin — Wed, 06 May 2009 22:09:10 +0000

I once insulated a house so well on a remodel that if we fired up the wood stove you had to open windows or take clothes off. I was a young newlywed at the time……

Believe me, a well insulated house with good thermal mass is sexy.

By: Greg N

Greg N — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:09:32 +0000

I like “win-win energy savings” – save money, save CO2.

By: John Stanley

John Stanley — Wed, 06 May 2009 08:57:10 +0000

A few more startpoints? Energy Intelligence, Smart Energy [cf. 'smart grid'], Smart Use, Energy Elegance, SuperEfficiency, Maximum Use

By: Gail

Gail — Wed, 06 May 2009 01:29:47 +0000

My impression is that Joe the Plumber is not the least attracted to slogans that contain words like “smart” or “intelligent” for the simple reason, he is smart enough to know he is dumb.

POWER on the other hand is appealing. I myself admit to a covert fondness for drag car racing.

Vroom Vroooooooommm!

By: Steve Bloom

Steve Bloom — Tue, 05 May 2009 21:34:17 +0000

The Berkeley Ecology Center crowd has in the past promoted (and probably still is) the “5 Rs”:

Reduce, reuse, recycle, rot and redesign.

By: oxnardprof

oxnardprof — Tue, 05 May 2009 20:59:34 +0000

It does seem strange that we have to think of marketing to sell using a resource carefully. The concept of frugality does seem associated with doing without things, and that is perceived of as ‘bad’. I remember the ‘Frugal Gourmet’, who was popular a while back. He argued that his frugality was relative to the use of food and food products – to get the most out of what you buy. This did not mean the same thing as ‘Cheap Gourmet’ or Inexpensive Gourmet’, however. His menus and recipes were not necessarily inexpensive.

To the topic at hand, I think the name “Smart Energy Grid” or “Smart Grid’ goes a long way to selling a modernization of the electric distribution grid. It is a good thing to be smart about how you distribute energy.

How about ’smart consumption’? We could even promote smart consumption of smart energy. Even coining a term on this blog, it is difficult to spread the word. I wish I knew how to do smart marketing…

By: Deborah Fisher

Deborah Fisher — Tue, 05 May 2009 20:46:45 +0000

Excellent point, Rockfish.

It’s really important not to think that you have to talk down to JTP’s level, but to elevate the conversation in a way that brings JTP along for the ride. The word “intelligence” is a great way to do that.

By: Rockfish

Rockfish — Tue, 05 May 2009 20:32:34 +0000

The problem with “Productivity” “Efficiency” “Economy” and “Management” is that you are not thinking like a marketer, but a business consultant or geek. If you want to usurp a term in common usage, you have to find a term that is MORE appealing to more people than the term in use, not less.

I happen to agree that “intelligence” has more aspirational connotations than any of the analytical terms above. Most people would aspire to be more “intelligent” about something because that makes them feel better about themselves in a way that is more positive than the discipline or denial implied by “economy” and “efficiency,” which generally mean “less” in some way or another. You can argue all day that “doing more with less” leaves you with more in the end, which I fully understand. But the explanation includes “less” and people don’t want to be badgered about doing less or having less or using less. Convince then they are being “intelligent” and they’ll come to the less part on their own.