Building A Great Green Partnership:     An Interview With GreenPepper

A recent survey conducted by GreenPepper and Media-Screen of nearly 500 consumers and corporate executives showed that seventy-five percent of respondents indicated that efforts seem more credible when endorsed by environmental groups that have programs designed to have a direct impact on local communities. Yet, most companies that are interested in going green have not figured out which environmental groups they should partner with or how the partnership should be structured.

Enter Peppercom, a strategic communications firm headquartered in New York and Hospitality Sponsor of this year’s Good And Green™-The Green Marketing Conference. To meet the needs of both legacy companies and green start-ups, Peppercom launched GreenPepper, a green communications practice that develops comprehensive communications strategies for their clients that includes helping them develop and implement successful NGO partnerships. Ann Barlow, president, and Sandy Pfaff, director of Peppercom's GreenPepper practice recently spoke with Good And Green™ E-ssentials editor Patti Minglin about why such partnerships are so beneficial to corporations, environmental groups and consumers.

Minglin: Why did you decide to launch GreenPepper?
Barlow & Pfaff : The forces behind the launch of GreenPepper were the same as those behind our other service offerings:  client need and employee passion.  
 
Minglin: Having been in the green space for awhile, what insights have you gained that you could share with brands looking to now connect with eco-consumers?
Barlow & Pfaff: You have to be genuine in making changes for the sake of the environment.  I don’t mean that profit shouldn’t be a motive – we’re all in business – but if you just window dress, people will see right through you and you will be worse off than when you started.
 
That doesn’t mean you have to be perfect.  Even multinational industrial companies are learning that as long as they have a roadmap to improvement, they will find support in the environmental community and with their key stakeholders.
 
Minglin: Why is it important for companies to seek partnerships with NGOs?
Barlow & Pfaff: Environmental NGOs have been at this much longer than most of the rest of us, so first and foremost, we can learn a lot from them.  Secondly, they can help us to create meaningful, breakthrough programs that not only help the environment but have a positive influence on our most important audiences.

Finally, NGOs can help companies be recognized for the strides they make – many of them have huge followings and great visibility – and are much better as partners than adversaries.
 
Minglin: What tips do you have for brands looking to find the right partner?
Barlow & Pfaff: You need to know which NGOs are supporting which issues, what they are open to, how they work, etc.  That takes either time or relationships, or both.
 
Minglin: What new and exciting things are happening with GreenPepper right now?
Barlow & Pfaff: Thanks for asking.  Next year will be a challenging one for most businesses, but we’re excited for what lies ahead in the way of opportunities.  We expect to see more government emphasis on the environment, and with that comes opportunities in clean technology and needs for more traditional businesses.  We are about to conduct a survey to get at what those opportunities and needs will be, so stay tuned.

Minglin: Thank you, Ann and Sandy. I look forward to seeing the results of that survey and seeing you doing Good And Green(TM).