Go-Green of corrupted 錦繡江山 (the land of beautiful scenery)

Ummmm,
Yet, we're not accustumed to posting here,
(We understand you, Derrick^^p)
Especially, it's hard to copy the tables of MSword -.-;
Our materials would be modified, made up for somethings, go on..

1. Korean consumers’ perception toward to go ‘green’ is fast changing
In early 2000, the notions and perception to go ‘green’ wasn’t settled in Korea. But the impulse to go ‘green’ is spreading fast than ever by the quality of life is getting higher since the economic growth after getting over the IMF crisis. This led to evoke the demands on naturalism and to develop the perceptions towards green. In earlier, consumers pursued about ‘green’ for their individual beauty and heath care, this consumer lifestyle called ‘well-looking’. However, the recent trend has been extended to the environmental concerns and this trend developed another consumer lifestyle called ‘LOHAS’.

(EXHIBIT 1)

-Well-looking
A group of people who are pursuing beauty and diet to show off others. Those are willing to purchase products in a line of natural look and feel such as unstimulating beauty products.

-Well-being
A group of people who are pursuing happy life through harmony of body and mental health. Those are willing to purchase the products whatever the products packed as well-being style even though the products actually were produced under against environment.

-SLOBBIE
(Slow but better working people)
A group of people who are pursuing quality of living. They care about body health as well as mental health and life-satisfaction for their individuals and families. Those are willing to purchase traditional products produced based on naturalism.

-LOHAS
(Lifestyles of health and sustainability)
A group of people who are pursuing sustainable living, green ecological initiatives, and generally composed of a relatively upscale and well-educated population segment. Those are willing to purchase environmental friendly products.


2. Green Marketing Cases (Lotte Department Store)
Lotte is one of the biggest department stores in Korea. They established an environmental management team in marketing department in 2003 and is performing their green marketing communication widely from their internal level of campaigns to external level of campaigns by now. The case is known to one of the best examples toward ‘going green’ in Korea.

● Green marketing with consumers
Lotte is performing diverse green campaigns that encourage local consumers to join their activities. To meet demands on safe foods, Lotte launched its private brand for organic foods, Purum (which mean green), and sales 100% organic and environmental friendly foods through all Lotte department stores in nation. Lotte also introduced ‘using shopping basket’ campaign by developing and distributing Lotte eco-bag to customers. The consumers who brings with Lotte eco-bag will get certain amount of mileage. Since 2004, all the leaflets which are distributed daily with newspaper (approx. 800 mil. sheets a year) are printed on recycled papers with soy ink and this activity has been well received by consumers.

● Lotte department store, the environmental museum
The department store sometimes can be a place to experience the importance of the environment. On Earth Day, Lotte, co-op. with Environmental Foundation, conducted ‘Eco product exhibition’ which introduced and gave a chance to experience environmental friendly products. Lotte offers to experience real environment by making ecological parks on their rooftop or in empty places in the stores.

l Divers experience programs and events
Lotte also performs divers programs which offer environment experiences for consumers from outside of the stores. ‘Lotte Children’s School’ and ‘Club for Green Lady’ are those. Consumers can experience environments such as visiting wetlands and organic farms.

l Co-op. with local environmental NGOs.
Lotte joined ‘the one-ten thousandth club(Companies donate 1/10,000 of their yearly sales)’ in 2004 and have donated certain amount of yearly sales figures of selling gift card. Further for the donation, Lotte cooperates with local environmental foundation and performs most environmental campaigns. So they do their best to keep connection with local environmental NGOs.

● Other environmental works
Lotte makes various efforts beyond the sight of public. To reduce carbon footprint, Lotte removed all the lights under the handles of escalators and changed to indirect lightings from direct lightings. To save water, they use recycled water which was once used. Since 2002, all 23 stores in nations are performing a campaign called ‘1 store for 1 mountain’ which each of Lotte department store selects one mountain nearby and devotes times for planting and cleanup regularly.

l A series of print campaign under the slogan of ‘Think Tomorrow’
- Apr. 2004 1st – 2nd Print Ads


- Sep. 2004 – 2005 3rd – 4th Print Ads


3. Mr. Green Goer VS Big Greenwasher

●Yuhan Kimberly,
being the pioneering Green Goer & most respected foreign-invested company in Korea

Yuhan-Kimberly was ranked as the most popular foreign-invested company among young jobseekers in South Korea, elbowing aside Google Korea, which had long been in the top place. Yuhan-Kimberly, a joint venture between U.S.-based Kimberly-Clark and South Korea-based Yuhan, is well known for its benefits package, which covers a flexible work shift system, lifetime education and family-friendly management among others.

Clean production that does not waste resources and efficient transparent management" is the concept of Yuhan-Kimberly.A company with no "confidential money" used to bribe public officials, no "secret funds" and no internal "auditing office."

Moon, the former CEO of staple product maker Yuhan-Kimberly, is known for his image of a corruption-free business leader thanks to his stable management of the company.
Moon explained the company imported pulp to cover only 5% of its production while 95% was produced from re-cycled paper. Moon has played an active role in the "Forest for Life" (FFL) movement since 1983 and is called "Chief Environmental Officer" by his staff. His efforts for FFL are shown in the environmental group's catch phrase which was devised by Moon: Keep Korea Green.

DiGi "Deep Green" Corporate Initiative

Summary:
Malaysian mobile operator DiGi aims to reduce the company’s carbon footprint by close to 50 percent, compared to the company’s 2011 projected baseline of 130,000 tonnes of CO2, within three to four years. (i.e. they're aiming to cut their carbon output to 70,000 tonnes)

As part of the company’s Deep Green program, it has introduced carpooling for its employees and better energy management of its buildings; provided default e-billing to customers and online delivery of services.

DiGi is also in the process of integrating suppliers into the Deep Green value chain by incorporating specific environmental requirements into procurement policies and procedures.

An internal campaign, themed “Feel the Heat, Time to Change,” was launched to create awareness about climate change. A community engagement program called Deep Green NOW (Nurturing Our World) was also launched to bring awareness and understanding to communities across Malaysia.

http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/08/27/digi-aims-to-cut-co2-emissions-by-almost-50/

Other notes:

• The Deep Green programme was launched 23 August 2008
  
• DiGi's CEO has said the company will spend about RM50mil to RM100mil on the programme over the next three years. (That's approximately USD17 - 33 mil, which is a pretty significant amount that shows DiGi is putting its money where its mouth is. I am not sure what percentage of overall revenue this would be, but the absolute numbers still sound good.)
  
• In an interview, DiGi's CEO admitted that DiGi does not have all the answers, but the company believes this initiative will help change the Malaysian environmental landscape.
• It is perceived as the "pioneer" Malaysian brand to address environmental causes. Excerpt from a Malaysian personal blog: "Well, I really like that they are going "Deep Green" as they are becoming the pioneer or the role model to promote environmental friendliness!"
• In Malaysia, DiGi is a challenger brand and is seen as "creative" and an innovator. The Deep Green initiative fits with the existing brand personality.
• DiGi is currently in the Top10 most valuable Malaysian brands, and it received coverage by a national paper as one of the best places to work in Malaysia. (It promotes work-life balance, practices hotdesking, etc.)
• In 2007, DiGi won the Prime Minister's CSR Award for best overall Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme in Malaysia. DiGi also won the categories for "Best Workplace Practices" and "Culture and Heritage".
• Interestingly, according to a McKinsey report on the environmental impact by different industries, the ICT sector is set to become the major contributor of CO2 emissions by 2012, surpassing even the aviation industry.

Some random observations of my own:

As far as I can tell, there is very little buzz in the blogosphere about Deep Green (I've found only 2 blogposts on the subject so far), despite the initiative receiving coverage in all the national newspapers. Possibly because the articles were invariably in the Biz section, not the Lifestyle one. Which in itself probably says something about how Malaysians feel about being green.

DiGi has not (yet?) marketed Deep Green aggressively. A corridor survey brought up nil people who have heard about it.

Just a brief summary. Watch this space for more.

Why this blog is here

We want to study “green” across Asia and develop an Ogilvy point of view on how companies should successfully manage “green” communications related to corporate reputation, and “green” marketing of brands.

The context
• Companies are rushing to be perceived as more responsible than in the past when it comes to their policies and actions related to the environment, sustainability, and climate change.

• There are pressures from all sides: from analysts who want to see the company’s carbon footprint, to regulators and consumer pressure groups that want all products labeled with their carbon footprints, to research pointing to consumer attitudes that imply they will favor responsible brands and punish irresponsible ones, to their own employees looking to work for a more commendable brand. Some see the need to become more environmentally responsible as normal CSR (corporate social responsibility) work, while others see it as a defensive move to fend off NGOs and activists, while others see it as a new growth opportunity in creating “green” lines of products or services.

• Meanwhile, it seems that as soon as a company takes any action toward becoming more responsible, they face attack as “greenwashers” for making less than fully comprehensive efforts. There are now websites and blogs that talk about the “Sins of Greenwashing” or even rate advertisements on a Greenwashing Index. This leaves companies confused about what their actions and strategies communicating those actions should be. Top executives sometimes say they may not subscribe to a zealot’s view of climate change but feel forced to be seen as sensitive to the issue. Many worry there is a big cost to “going green.” Others fear being accused of hypocrisy if their own company and employees’ actions don’t measure up first. And many feel they frustrated they do not get full credit for their hard work and improvements.


The objective

• To understand the degree to which companies, regulators, consumers and NGOs truly care about environmentally responsible actions versus mere posturing in your country.
• To determine the real link between a brand’s reputation for environmentally responsible, sustainable growth and consumer action. Is the threat of punishing brands that are not “green” enough real? Or just hot air?
• To understand the role of digital influence and social media in driving “green” reputations of brands.
• To understand what is working and what is not in communicating a brand’s responsible behavior. And to identify opportunities for brands in this climate.
• To recommend a strategy for successful “green” communications around corporate reputation and marketing of “green” products.


What is the scope of the project

From primary and secondary sources (published data, the internet and accessible syndicated data, blogs, social networks) understand the following:

a. Logging Cases: attempts at “green” marketing and communications and what has happened with them.

b. Segmentation of consumer and employee attitudes to “green” brand reputations. Identify different attitudes by traditional demographics and by social media micro-interest groups toward corporate reputations related to the climate, environment and sustainability. Have any led to consumer action against brands or on the other hand to champion them or promote them?

c. Green products: have “green” products or services been launched in your market, and if so which have fared well and why? Which have backfired or not gained traction and why?

Please do your best to cover the countries missing in AAC7 (Japan & Thailand) so we can have a regional picture