2010

Making a Difference: Cook for the Cure 2009. Sustainability: Here to Stay or Just a Fad? What Have You Done for Your Customers Lately?

2009

B2B Social Media:
Understanding its
Influences on Channels
and Communities. A Deeper Shade of Green: Building Industry Magazine Editors Delve into Details. Cook for the Cure. Demand Creation in a Down Economy. Giving Back to the Community with Habitat for Humanity. Integrating Online Social Media Into Your Media Plan. It Takes a Village to Build a Dream. Landscaping at Miller Brooks—A Green Perspective. Miller Brooks Symposium Gives Manufacturers Valuable Insight for Marketing to Architects. New Year’s Resolutions for Your Marketing and Branding Efforts. PR Pros “Tweet” On Clients’ Behalf, How Sweet. So, what should I do on Earth Day 2009? Social Media Perspectives.

2008

Give Your Brand a Full Spa Treatment. Good Words. And Great Names. Green Lipstick and the Environmental Pig. Hammers, Nails, and Heart. How it Feels to Live in a 650-year-old Wooden Home. The Key to a More Productive Workflow. Marketing that Makes a Sustainable Difference. New Year’s Resolutions for Your Marketing and Branding Efforts. Out to Lunch: A Video Postcard. A Slow Cook for the Cure. Social Responsibility Marketing: Brand Builder or Brand Distraction? Sweet Successes. What We’re (Re) Reading

2007

2007. The Perfect Time for a Road Trip Alcoa CSI “Uncorks” a New DVD to Introduce its Unique Wine Seal. Cook for the Cure 2006: Record-Setting Sauces Cook for the Cure—Spoil Your Dinner! Green What? Integrate, Segregate, Reformulate? Measuring the Effectiveness of PR: Thinking Beyond the “Thud Factor” Miller Brooks Builds with Habitat for Humanity. Online Media Measurement See What’s New at Miller Brooks! The Shock of the New. What is a Brand Touchpoint? What We’re Reading: Made To Stick Word of Mouth Marketing

2006

Brand Washing. Branding in the Blogosphere. Cook for the Cure: A Souper Time Cook for the Cure Invite How Does Your Brand Speak to Multiple B2B Audiences? June Blitz: Largest in Habitat History Making the Most of Your Online Advertising New Look, Easy New Access. New Year's Resolutions for Your Marketing and Branding Efforts. Peter Drucker: Thoughts on Business from "the Man Who Invented Management." Trade Shows. Afterthought or Forethought? Why Marketing Matters

2005

Are Employees Speaking Your Brand Language? Conducting a Brand Audit: An Energizing Experience. How to Justify Your B2B Budget. How to Watch TV for Your Brand. You Can Learn a Lot. Less is More: Refining Your Brand's Print Materials. Patience. Is it the Missing Ingredient in Marketing Innovative New Products? Personal Accountability in Branding. Taking a Cue from Reality TV: Is It Time to Pimp Your Brand? The Sound of Branding. Triangulation: Three Views into Your Brand. Value Proposition. Positioning Statement. Are They Really Different? What's an Elevator Pitch?

2004

Are You Over-Hyping your Brand? Brand Understanding: Developing a Great Positioning Statement. Brand Warfare: 10 Rules For Building The Killer Brand. Good News/Bad News: Your Brand Made Headlines. How to Recover from Bad Press. Marketing B2B, Products vs. Services: Is There a Difference? Media Management: The Value It Brings to a Brand. Measuring Marketing ROI: Holy Grail or Myth? Mosaic Branding: A Way of Thought? The Right Media To Drive Your Brand. The Value Of Market Research For B2B Brands. Trade Show PR: Remain True to the Brand. Writing a Marketing Plan: Taking the Hassle Out and Putting the Value In.

2003

Brainstorming: How To Get The Most From Your Ideation Sessions. Brand Crisis? What Crisis? Brand Messaging: Why You Need It, And How To Develop It. How Do Customers Touch Your Brand? Understanding What's Important Can Make All the Difference. How To Get Your Brand Into Show Business. Is Your Brand a Product, Organization, Person, or Symbol? Keeping Your Brand Look and Message Consistent. Project Management: Working Behind The Scenes To Synchronize Your Brand. Putting The Web To Work For Your Brand. The Art Of Innovation: What Every Brand Can Learn From Inspired Product Design. When Do You Need Another Brand? Who Cares About Paper?

2002

A Brand's Functional Benefits vs. Emotional Benefits. An Electronic Brochure? What Is It and When Is It Needed? Collaborative Branding: When Agencies and Other Suppliers Work Together, Brands are the Big Winners. Creating A Direct Response Campaign? Think Like a Fisherman. Expand Your Brand: How to Make Your Brand Speak to Media and Analysts. How Long Should It Take to Produce a Brochure, a Website, an Ad? The Purpose Of A Corporate Brochure. The Softer Side Of Branding: Understanding the Nuances of Brand Personalities. What Color Is Your Brand? What's The Personality Of Your Brand? Try This Simple Brand Association Exercise. What Is The Value Of Your Brand? When Does A Brand Need A Logo?

2001

All Aboard: How to Get a Greater Return from Your Direct Mail. Brands, Channels, and Customers. Building Your Brand in a Tough Economy? Give Your Brand A Spring Cleaning. Is Your Brand Ready for the Internet? Get a Clue from the Cluetrain. It's A Brand New Day. Branding with Strategic Public Awareness. Justify Your Marketing Budget. Lights, Camera, Action! Tips for Launching Your Brand on TV. Photography: To Stock or Not to Stock? Is This Really a Question? SIC vs. NAICS: Understanding the Difference. What Business Are You In? What's an Elevator Pitch? Wolverine: Building A Brand That Works.

2000

Bingo Cards: Are They Dead? Creating a Harmonious e-Brand. e-Branding: How To Embrace It. e-branding: Sometimes Simpler Is Better. How to Strengthen Your Lead Management Process. Maintaining Your Brand's Image. Making Taglines Work. Managing Visual Assets In A Digital World. Mapping Your Web Site. Messaging: The Foundation for Good Communication. Miller Brooks: Growing with the Changing Times. Naming: Will It Play Around the World? Project Management: Necessary Evil or Strategic Advantage? Top 10 Steps to Taking a Brand Overseas. Why Every Brand Needs a Brand Architecture.

So, what should I do on Earth Day 2009? 2009 Qtr 2

So, what should I do on Earth Day 2009?

So, what should I do on Earth Day 2009?

By Tom Miller

I remember the first Earth Day—April 22, 1970. University of Detroit—a small university in urban Detroit and no stranger to controversy. The ’67 riots were still fresh scars on the city and in people’s memories. Vietnam was, shall we say, a contentious topic, given to heated debate in the university commons.

But, the small group of 40 or 50 gathered on that particular April day wasn’t engaged in noisy protest. It was interesting to stop for a few minutes and listen to the debate—passionate and intense, yet somehow reasoned, without the vitriol that seemed to be the main ingredient of other campus debates of the time.

I’d read Rachel Carson’s seminal book Silent Spring and had a keen interest in the environment and in the debate, but only stayed a few minutes and went on with the flow of the regular day. Reflecting on the state of the environment these 39 years later leaves me discouraged in the progress and upset with myself.

So, what am I going to do this Earth Day, April 22, 2009?

I decided to start with an honest assessment, and it’s not especially flattering. Sure, I recycle. I’ve installed compact fluorescent and LED lights in most of the fixtures. And, I’ve converted the landscaping to require no supplemental watering to what nature provides. Minimal water run-off, as well. Ditto for chemicals. But, it still doesn’t feel like 39 years worth of environmental progress.

So, I decided to see just how I was doing compared to all the other homes in metro Indianapolis… to see if my environmental progress is any better or worse than the average. Here’s what I found out:

Electricity: The average household uses 1,071 kWh (kilowatt hours) per month. I use 2,532 kWh per month. Yikes!

Natural Gas: The average household uses 184 therms per month. I use 175 therms per month. Better, but not great.

Water: The average household uses 5,000 gallons of water per month. I use 4,375 gallons per month. A little better than average.

Gasoline: Individual drivers use an average of 110 gallons per month.
I use 62.5 gallons for personal use. For business, it’s about 66 gallons, with more miles traveled, but better highway mileage. Considering that I have to drive a lot for business, being just a bit above average at 128.5 gallons per month feels better than where I thought I’d be. Still, there’s work to be done here as well.

This is clearly unacceptable. And, it makes me realize that it’s not just enough to think green—I have to act it, too. I’ve got to figure out a way to improve. Thirty-nine years later and I haven’t made a dent in the problem. How are we ever going to reverse the trend?

I’ve always assumed that because I live in a 50-year-old home, there wasn’t much I could do to make it more energy-efficient. Now, I’m not so sure. So, I’m going to do the following:

  1. Contact my HVAC company and have them conduct a “blower door test” to determine what the air tightness of my home is. Then, I can address air infiltration and make the home tighter.
  2. Have the HVAC folks do a duct pressurization test to identify and seal any leaks they find in the ductwork. It’s estimated that 25 percent or more of the heated or cooled air sent through the ducts never reaches the room register. I sure hope mine aren’t that bad, but I suspect they might be.
  3. Install new showerheads (specifically, models featuring Delta® H2Okinetic Technology® that feel so great, but use 36 percent less water).

    4. These three tasks shouldn’t be too expensive, unless they find something seriously wrong. But, the next items could be a different story.

  4. Find an insulation company to determine the extent (or even the existence) of insulation in the walls. Considering the age of the home, I wouldn’t be surprised if there is none. Based on what they find, we’ll see what can be done within a budget.
  5. Replace an old non-ENERGY STAR® refrigerator (the washer/dryer are a high-efficiency Whirlpool® Duet® pair, and the dishwasher is a KitchenAid® ENERGY STAR®, so we’re in good shape there).
  6. Replace a 10-year-old water heater. Take a real serious look at a tankless water heater to see if it can do an adequate job.
  7. Now, it’s time to address the fireplace. It’s a masonry-built wood fireplace that has been converted to gas. The problem is, most of the heat goes up the chimney, so all we get is a pretty fire and a higher gas bill. So, we’ll look at a fireplace insert from Heat & Glo™ that fits right into the existing fireplace and is direct vent, which means that most of the heat stays in the home. And, it’s as energy-efficient as a high-efficiency furnace.
  8. Finally, we’ll take a look at the windows and doors. I hope these are OK, because of the cost. I have my suspicions about two doors, but we’ll see.

I’m sure there will be more issues uncovered, but I’m determined to get this home in shape. You know, there are about 130 million homes in the United States. And, probably about 100 million of those were built before 1970 (the first Earth Day)—about the same time builders first started getting serious about energy savings in a home’s operation.

So, the bad news is that my home is not unique. There are millions of homes out there with the same problems or worse. I hope that people building new homes are building them to be the greenest, most resource-efficient homes possible. And, I hope that some of the stimulus money goes into helping make existing homes a lot more energy-efficient.

My goal is to make up for 39 years of lost sustainable opportunity. I’ll keep you posted.

Back to top