LOHAS: Growth of the Sheconomy

The below article is brought to you as part of elephant journal’s ongoing coverage of LOHAS Forum. For our complete coverage, be sure to follow elephant on Twitter and Facebook.

I was able to sit in on a panel of four impressive women:

Diane MacEachern – Founder & CEO, Big Green Purse (moderator)
Gretchen Bleiler – Olympic Snowboarder
Tina Wells – CEO, Buzz Marketing Group
Margaret McAllister – Co-Founder, Red Kite Business Advisors

I think we all can gather that women are a driving force in the consumer world and have an extreme amount of buying power within the green movement. They strive to “do it all” melding work, play, family, themselves, and all the while wanting to do it all in an eco-friendly way. Hints the growing sheconomy.

Statistics were shared such as,

• 70% of new businesses are started by women.

• Women over 50 are in fact dominating the world wide web and other social media websites (sorry Waylon).

• And the “mancession” has taken effect with 10.5% of men unemployed as of 2010, while only 8.6% of women were unemployed.

More than the information presented, I was completely enamored with the each speaker. They were all strong, succesfull, and smart women who never skipped a beat when speaking. They each had something different to say, their own flavor to add, and own personal style – especially Gretchen Bleiler decked out in her gray Tom’s wedges.

This panel, more than any other I attended that day, encouraged the audience to participate. It was more much more of an inclusive discussion, ranging from topics of marketing to women, how to market to different age segments, and even how men feel about taking more of the “women’s” roles.

It was great to experience, listen, and learn from a group a women, and men in the audience, that had first hand experience.

The Latest LOHAS Consumer Trends

The below article is brought to you as part of elephant journal’s ongoing coverage of LOHAS Forum. For our complete coverage, be sure to follow elephant on Twitter and Facebook.

I walked into the main ballroom at the St. Julien and scanned the dimly lit room for a seat while Steve French, dressed in a large paper bag, and Gwynne Rogers, covered in plastic bags, began speaking on stage. I knew right then this wasn’t going to be just any presentation.

Not knowing much about LOHAS until two weeks ago I was excited to learn more about who the LOHAS consumer is – and who they’re growing to be. French and Rogers took us through various statistics, facts and opinions with humor as well as knowedge.

The first topic on deck was the green movement. French gave the first point stating that green is as strong as ever and the recession has been a good thing in regards the green market.

He gave a number of great points including, that sustainability itself is not sustainable. Businesses must look at why consumers are buying in the first place. Even though he acknowledged it was “an oxymoronic statement,” French insisted we were shopping our way to sustainability.

The greenest product you can buy is the one you don’t buy.

On the opposing side, Rogers stated it was naïve to think that the recession hasn’t had an effect on the green marketplace. Showing that consumption of organic food and natural cleaning products, for example, have fallen at an average of 10%.

Most consumers are taking into account the price of the products and not acknowledging their carbon footprint. 70% of consumers base their purchase decisions on price.

It was great to discuss both positive and negative views, especially when it comes to the green movement. So much information and opinions can be extremely one-sided. And to get the info in costume made it that much better.

Some interesting facts about the LOHAS consumer:

• – Different segments: naturalites, drifters, conventionals, and unconcerned – but we didn’t talk     much about the unconcerned since, as French said, “we don’t like them.”
• – Generally the first ones that try new eco-friendly products
• – High interest and active in social media and gorilla marketing
• – Used to predict upcoming trends
• – Always looking for the “deeper green” – greener versions of existing products

French and Rogers also ran through the positive and negatives of operations for your business.

Is it better to have a green product or to run your operations in a green way?

On one side, the view was that the product itself doesn’t have enough impact and therefor how you make the product should be ethical and green. On the opposing side, the product should be green because that’s what consumers are paying for.

Rogers took both approaches – go big or go home, stating that if you’re going to make the effort to create a green product for consumers, you might as well go all the way in your production as well.

In the realm of how to market to LOHAS consumers, “Keep it simple, stupid.”

There has been an information overload when it comes to the green movement, but some still don’t even know what sustainability means – 15% haven’t even heard of it. Yes, you read that correctly.

The most important things to take away from French and Roger’s presentation:

• – It doesn’t have to be paper or plastic, we have to integrate new products, sources, etc., without alienating others – and people
• – Needs to practical and sustainable
• – Work towards producing green products and operations
• – Think beyond your current geography

Overall, find a balance.

The below article is brought to you as part of elephant journal’s ongoing coverage of LOHAS Forum. For our complete coverage, be sure to follow elephant on Twitter and Facebook.

A panel of four, along with a short video, and one semi-Jerry Spring moment, made up the Movement of Coalition Branding presentation highlighting Ecobonus.com.

The video showcased consumers that were “just like us” looking for the right brands, for the right price, and that had the right recommendations.

Even though it bordered on a slightly embarrassing infomercial, the points they made, as consumers, were valid and relatable – though I thought at any moment one of the actors would start banging a tin can on the counter out of frustration with their can-opener, or battling with 20 pieces of tupperware flying from the kitchen cabinet.

One of the main problems that the panel pointed out, as well as the video, was that consumers can’t find the information they’re looking for, or flat out don’t know where to look.

This is where ecobonus.com comes in – launching in the Fall – their website creates a hub of eco-friendly and environmentally sound businesses. The businesses are rated by users and scientists alike to give consumers the most accurate information.

One of the phrases I heard the most at LOHAS – word of mouth. This is one of the key ways to get your business, product, self, whatever, out in the open.

All of this was well and good. It sounded amazing and I would most likely log onto Ecobonus to check out what people were saying about certain businesses. However, my ears didn’t perk up until a business owner in the back raised their hand…

Calling out Good Guide immediately, you could hear the frustration in their voice when they asked why the company only catered to the big brands and not smaller owned businesses – a very valid question she backed with points as the audience applauded her.

As the tension in the room grew, resonating from the back right corner and spilling all over the stage, they continued to voice their frustration.

Good Guide speaker, Josh Dorfman, sympathized as well as he could but insisted that his company simply doesn’t have the man-power just yet.

This little spat went on for a good few minutes as I delighted in all the drama.

This furthered my respect and overall gratitude to be at such an event. Not only one that brings together like-minded people and business owners, but ones who will openly argue in front of you.

Without the disagreements you'll never find the agreements and LOHAS welcomes it all.