What are you doing with that old dust-covered Atari you have sitting in the basement? That useless printer? Or the Zenith TV you got as a graduation present that’s been replaced by your 52″ flatscreen?

If you’re like most consumers, chances are you will dispose of your electronics, and all of the toxic material inside, someplace rather than a recycling center specifically designed to handle e-waste. These are the findings from a Rocky Mountain Poll released this morning by Behavior Research Center.

According to the study, here is how consumers typically dispose of electronics:

* 39% would donate to charities such as Goodwill Industries
* 25% would palm it off on a friend
* 15% would simply put it in the garbage destined for landfills
* 4% said they have no clue what to do with their electronic stuff

The primary challenge to recycling e-waste is the relatively low consumer awareness of how and where to recycle. The study found:

* Awareness declines in rural areas
* Awareness declines among younger consumers (who are the most likely to own and update their electronic equipment)
* Awareness “falls off” in middle and lower income groups
* It also appears that a special public
 information campaign may be needed for Hispanic consumers who are among
 both the most likely to have unused equipment at home (59%) and are the
 most likely to believe that it is okay to dispose of such material in
 the garbage (34%).

Earl de Berg, Chairman, Behavior Research Center

According to Earl de Berg, Research Director at Behavior Research Center, “There are private companies in Arizona that specialize in receiving, recycling, and otherwise disposing of used electronic equipment, but they appear relatively invisible to consumers. These companies are principally oriented to providing services to business, industry and government, even as much of the toxic e-waste problem is in the basements, garages, and homes in our neighborhoods. A clear need exists to increase consumer awareness of specific recycling options.”

Private companies like West-Tech Recyclers target commercial accounts, even though they are a great resource for consumers.

de Berg added that it may be reasonable to conclude that much 
material that is currently stored in garages and closets will still end 
up in city trash barrels unless specialized collection centers do more
 to make the pubic aware of their services and locations.

One option for consumers is Earth911. This is a terrific online resource to find out where to conveniently recycle just about everything, including electronics. But it still requires them to take their old electronics to a specialized facility.

To read the entire study, click here: rocky-mountain-poll

I was lounging in our backyard pool this past weekend when my six year-old son caught sight of the bottoms of my feet. “Mommy,  your feet need the Pedi-Egg,” he said. “You can get it at Walgreen’s. You better go today!”

Besides being shocked and embarrassed, I was surprised and rather impressed that my son recalled not only the name of the product, but what it was for and where to buy it. Why a six year-old would pay attention to a Pedi-Egg ad in the first place, I will never know, but that weekend, I went to Walgreen’s and purchased myself a Pedi-Egg. And I am happy to report that my feet are now baby-bottom smooth.

So what did this experience teach me as someone in the marketing profession for over 15 years? I’m now sold on the fact that while I may tune out a TV ad that is truly directed at me, the brand is still reaching me through the power of my children. It’s a bit scary.

And I am not alone. Friends of ours lamented how their five year-old son is obsessed with TV ads promoting Oxi-Clean. My friend Lisa said she was complaining about not being able to get the soap scum  off her shower door. Her son came in the room and said, “Mommy, that won’t work. You need the power of Oxi-Clean to get that soap scum off.” You can guess the rest. Lisa went to the store (I bet it was Walgreen’s) and bought  one of the many products containing some fun-to-say Oxi-Clean ingredient to clean her shower. And it worked. She was bombarded by TV ads for Oxi-Clean all the time, but it took her five year-old son to get her to actually go out and buy it.

The moral of the story is to never underestimate the TV advertising messages your children are not only exposed to, but truly processing and proselytizing. You never know when a timely pitch from your brand-loyal bambino will send you straight to the “AS SEEN ON TV!” aisle of your local Walgreen’s.

I was blessed with the name Park. It gets attention. No, I’m not Korean. And in some future post, I’ll tell you where it came from.

For now, I thought I’d give you a little more background on the guy behind the name. The following are my responses to the Phoenix Business Journal’s “2 Minutes With” section that just ran.

Does that mean I only have 13 minutes of fame left?

And of course, all of my best lines ended up on the cutting room floor (I guess you can be the judge of that), so I’ve included my entire  interview here.

What advice do you have for entrepreneurs just starting out?

I like the famous photographer’s line, “F8 and be there.” You don’t have to be an incredible business mind to be successful, just like you don’t have to be a world renowned photographer to take great pictures.  You just have to show up everyday, give it your all, and keep it simple.

What is one of your business goals for 2009?

We’re going to grow Park&Co by 10 percent this year due to our work in green marketing and sustainability.  We call it “Responsible Marketing,” and the timing couldn’t be better, given the growing economic and environmental sensibilities of the market.

How have you changed your business strategy to reflect current economic conditions?

We took a page out of the survival manual from Arizona Mountain Rescue: “High speed, low drag.” This perfect economic storm is an IDEAL environment for our agency – and our clients – to capture market share that is often more difficult and more expensive to do in bull markets. We are more efficient and nimble than ever with our staff, operations, and bringing campaigns to market. We look for and work with clients that are driven by realistic opportunity and not fear.

What resources did you use to help develop your business and marketing plans?

Fortunately, this cobbler’s kid has shoes, and pretty nice ones too. We rely on our brilliant staff for our own marketing strategy and creative. We also work with outside consultants, like Pete Walsh of Peak Performance Coaching, to test our assumptions and plans.

How do you use technology, i.e., social media, Internet marketing, etc., to promote your business?

Technology and internet marketing is a tactic, not a strategy. We always tie our online digital footprint – Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Pay-per-click campaigns, organic search, Ning groups, etc. – to tangible, in-person marketing so customers can experience us real-time, not just virtually. I also write this blog called “A Brighter Shade of Green Marketing,” at ParkHowell.com. This is a great way for potential clients to get a better understanding of how I, and the agency, approach sustainable, responsible marketing.  You’ll find a lot of free advice there.

How do you recruit and retain quality employees?

We recruit quality employees by a very selective word of mouth and referral program.  We retain them by respecting and appreciating what they contribute to the team.  And we challenge them to do their finest work here; in an accountable environment that promotes their personal and professional growth.

What is a significant goal you achieved in the past 12 months?

We have dramatically increased our online marketing and social media capabilities, and have experienced tremendous results combining this virtual world with real world word of mouth marketing for our clients.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve overcome in growing your business?

Getting out of the way of our talented team. I love rolling up my sleeves and diving into strategy and creative challenges for our clients. But I am surrounded by an insanely talented group of pros, and I need to give them the freedom to do what they do best.

Do you have an exit strategy or a succession plan for when you retire? What is it?

Besides driving my business into the ground through a series of ridiculous and avoidable blunders and waiting for the government to bail me out, I haven’t found a succession plan I like yet.  Too young, I suppose.

Did you ever want to call it quits? If so, why, and what stopped you?

No, I can’t say I ever wanted to call it quits. I don’t have enough dough to retire, and I can’t see myself in a corporate environment. I tend to be a free thinker and like to push our clients beyond their comfort zone to help them grow. These are qualities that often go unappreciated as an employee.  Plus, I can’t color inside the lines very well.  Never have.

What do you know now that you wish you had known when you started your business?

Numbers and Little League coaches often lead to unrealistic expectations. It’s actually impossible to give 110 percent. Ninety percent effort with concerted thought is typically 20 times more than what most businesses offer 60 percent of the time.

How do you market?

We market our traditional and nontraditional advertising services through social media, online marketing, and in-person workshops and presentations. We seek out and ignite the growth of those people, products, services, and businesses that are having a measurable positive impact on our planet.

What mistake have you learned from?

When I started Park&Co in 1995, I tried to be all things to all people. Then we began doing a lot of work in sustainability and cause marketing long before green became cool. This focus is a reflection of the first of our seven operating tenets: “Run a profitable, socially conscious company.” Given the current global economic and ecological meltdown, the market has found us in a big way. Find your niche, and if you don’t, sometimes it finds you.

What’s the best piece of business advice you ever received?

Actually, I have two “Best pieces of business advice” that came from my Dad: “A deal is only good if it’s good for both parties,” and “Make more than you spend.” which is pretty good advice these days.

Do you have a question for me? Please ask in the comments form below, or shoot me a note from my contact form.

Imagine a casual but elegant evening under the stars where you can mingle with the community as well as your friends and family. You’ll sample gourmet cuisine and watch a champion horseshow while supporting educational opportunities and scholarships for disadvantaged Arizonans!

This year’s Evening of Goodwill has been revamped into a casual night at a new location, Los Cedros. It is a world-class equestrian center and houses some of the most talented, beautiful horses in Arizona. Los Cedros is an actual citadel and its unique architecture lends itself to a casually elegant atmosphere.

The Evening of Goodwill is a wonderful and enjoyable way to help one of Arizona’s oldest and largest nonprofits build a foundation of self-sufficiency for those in need through the power of education. The proceeds are used for both post-secondary scholarships and education initiatives for at-risk youth attending their ecademie Charter High School. Casual wear, including denim, western wear and sundresses are all acceptable for guests. This year, ticket prices are $100 – with $40 of that being tax deductible. Park&Co is a proud sponsor of this event.

Please purchase your tickets today. Through your support, you help Goodwill of Central Arizona put people back to work. And at this time, this is a critical service to many.

Goodwill of Central Arizona’s 9th Annual Evening of Goodwill

• Saturday, October 3, 2009
• 5 PM - 10 PM
• Los Cedros, North Scottsdale.

For more information about sponsorship opportunities, silent auction donations, tickets and more, please visit eveningofgoodwillaz.org today.

How long does it take you to act on an advertisement that strikes a chord within you? Less than a month ago, I saw an ADT TV commercial – a dog rescued from a house fire because her smart mum had an ADT alarm protecting their house. Take a look.

Several days later I saw an ADT van passing me in the street, a couple of days after that I saw two of my neighbors had put up ADT signs in their front yards and then just last week a colleague asked me if I had ADT installed at my house. Not an alarm system, but by the brand name ADT. Impressive.

It certainly felt like someone was trying to tell me something. I called ADT – a charming voice on the other end of the phone told me they could have a representative at my house within 2 days.

My sales rep couldn’t have been more helpful. He carefully advised me how to bring the existing equipment up to date and make it work for my family’s lifestyle. Yes! It couldn’t have been easier. Less than one week later a technician installed new additional equipment, serviced the existing system, replaced what needing replacing and reprogrammed the entire system.

The whole experience was quick, easy and much less expensive than I expected. I now have peace of mind that my home and pets are safe when left alone. Isn’t it great when an advertisement actually makes a difference in your life? Bravo to W.B. Doner & Company for producing such a compelling ad.

Do you think the fur industry is green?

Does Nestle Waters really care about conservation?

Can the Hummer possibly be more thirsty for adventure than gas?

If you’re leading with a message of sustainability, the shoe must first fit. In an earlier article, I wrote about our three-legged bar stool test for sustainable marketing. Is your green marketing “Approachable,” Believable,” and “Doable?” In that piece I covered “approachability.” Now let’s talk “believability.”

Believability is about congruity. The above green marketing claims are simply not believable extensions of the advertiser.

Clorox went to great lengths, including product testing by groups like the EPA and the Sierra Club, before they launched their much-applauded Green Works line of cleaning products. They knew that for Clorox, historically a bleach-producing company, to be believable with the eco-conscious consumer, that they had to be completely transparent and insure that their products were not only green, but worked well.

Click on the image to test your carfun footprint

Where Hummer puts the breaks on its sustainability believability, Mini Cooper completely outperforms in this brand position. The runabout’s “Carfun Footprint” campaign brilliantly attaches the brand’s engineering features to believable green driving attributes.

They put a nice spin on the notion of reducing your carbon footprint by selling the fact that you can have fun doing it too.

Kohler’s “Save Water America” campaign offers another terrific example of believable green marketing.

The water conservation education promotion donates $1 worth of water-efficient products to Habitat for Humanity for every person who takes the short water quiz on their site. Their goal is to donate $1 million in water efficient products that will outfit about 600 Habitat for Humanity homes.

Click on the image to take your toilet test

Kohler’s actions are stronger than their words. Here are the six things they’re doing that are really smart, AND believable.

1. Kohler is selling by educating: The quiz highlights the fact that nearly 50% of all toilets in America (about 100 million) are old school and waste at least two gallons of water with EVERY flush.
2. They found a fun way to talk about your toilet: How else do you engage customers about retrofitting their toilets than to literally have toilets rain down on you during the quiz. It’s kind of cool. Plus, they direct you to toilet rebate programs in your state where you can turn in your old toilet for a new, water-efficient one through your town or city.
3. They make water conservation interesting: Saving water isn’t always the most romantic subject. Kohler does a nice job here of engaging the visitor about the importance of water conservation throughout the home.
4. A tangible and relevant approach to cause marketing: Teaming with Habitat for Humanity is a natural extension of the promotion. Kohler started with $500,000 in seed money, and have had about 4,500 hits to their quiz.
5. Demonstrating industry leadership: Kohler products are inherently about water use, and now more than ever, water efficiency. By helping us all be greener (or bluer) through product demonstration, education, and cause marketing, Kohler is doing what an industry leader should: Providing the technology and education to make us all more environmentally sensitive consumers.
6. Singular focus on toilets: Too often marketers try to accomplish too much with any one promotion.  Kohler could’ve also promoted low flow shower heads and faucet aerators as other important ways to save water in your bathroom, but that would’ve diluted their message. It’s all about toilets.

Who do you think does a credible job of sustaining their green marketing with believable promotion and action? Who do you think doesn’t?

(This post originally appeared on ParkHowell.com, “A Brighter Shade of Green Marketing.”)