Global warming is a hard sell. For New Yorkers digging out of feet of snow, global warming does not sound threatening. If we are going to get action, we need a sexier name. I like Al Gore’s ‘Inconvenient Truth’ BUT it does not stand out like a purple cow does. Seth Godin, the marketing Guru who wrote the ‘Purple Cow”, says marketing must be emotive and outstanding.

I went to an industry function this evening and a fisherman I deeply respect, an industry leader, was telling me of his doubts about global warming still. Seth Godin is right, we do not have the marketing right yet and people are still confused. We are not clearly explaining about the insulating blanket of greenhouse gases, mainly CO2, Methane and nitrous oxides (largely from fertilizers) that is wrapping the earth preventing heat escaping. This is totally different to the climate changes due to solar activity in the past. These atmospheric changes are caused by human activity and are different from anything we have had in the past.

What can we name it to market it well? Global warming, greenhouse effect and climate change are un-emotive scientifically correct terms. It desperately needs “re-badging”

Here is what Seth said

“Global is good.
Warm is good.
Even greenhouses are good places.

How can “global warming” be bad?

I’m not being facetious. If the problem were called “Atmosphere cancer” or “Pollution death” the entire conversation would be framed in a different way.”

He went on to say that “people want:

• totems and icons
• meters (put a real-time mpg or co2 meter in every car and watch what happens)
• fashion
• stories
• pictures

95% of the new ideas that don’t spread–even though their founders and fans believe they should–they fail because of the list above.”

I like Atmospheric Cancer and we need more good marketing including logos, icons and picture of people suffering. We need to be reminded about the future of our little ones and of the other species that are becoming extinct.

I am not worried about the planet- it will survive, it did after the dinosaurs became extinct, my bet is cockroaches and ants would fight it out to be the next dominant species.

I am worried about the problems, both environmental and political that my grandchildren will face. I love the diversity of nature and hope that they grow up in a world where they can appreciate the joy of nature and the joy of the birth of their own children.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 18th, 2007 at 8:03 am and is filed under Global Warming, Climate Change & Energy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.