On December 8th,2009 I interviewed Shel Horowitz, a green marketing expert, on my Blog Talk Radio Show “The FireWalker Flare, an Environmental and Renewable Energy Solutions Radio Show”.
Shel has been involved in environmental and social change movements his whole life. A veteran of the 1977 Seabrook occupation, his first book, written when he was only 22, was about why nuclear power makes no sense. His award-winning sixth book, Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First; and forthcoming eighth book, Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green: Winning Strategies to Improve Your Profits and Your Planet (co-authored with Jay Conrad Levinson) demonstrate to the business community that environmental and social responsibility, high standards of ethics, and a cooperative attitude are not only the right thing to do, they're also profitable strategies for business success. Shel is the author of 8 books and the principle owner of his company, Frugal Marketing.
1. What are your chief areas of expertise?
My areas of expertise are finding/developing marketing advantages from a company's environmental commitment, creating marketing materials that tell "the story behind the story" with a green focus, and identifying and contacting potential strategic partners for your business who can help you reach much broader audiences at little or no cost.
2. What other services are available from Frugal Marketing?
We can walk you through the path from unpublished writer to published author; help you develop strategic marketing plans, and copywriting.
3. What projects are you working on now that you’d like to mention?
My eighth book, Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green: Winning Strategies to Improve Your Profits and Your Planet (co-authored with Jay Conrad Levinson), which Wiley will publish next year. My sixth book, Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First, which has been showing people eco-friendly ways to build their business since 2003. A consumer e-book, Painless Green: 111 Tips to Help the Environment, Lower Your Carbon Footprint, Cut Your Budget, and Improve Your Quality of Life-With No Negative Impact on Your Lifestyle.
4. What inspired you to become an environmental advocate?
I've been in the environmental movement since at least 1972, started the sustainability section of Down to Business magazine probably around 1999 and wrote my first book on an environmental topic (1980). I live and work in a 266-year-old New England farmhouse, where we put in both solar hot water and PV. If we can do it in cloudy, cold New England, it could be done in many parts of the world.
5. What are some of your other books?
Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First; Grassroots Marketing: Getting Noticed in a Noisy World; Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers. Coming in 2010: Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green: Winning Strategies to Improve Your Profits and Your Planet (co-authored with Jay Conrad Levinson)
6. Describe some of your environmental successes.
I've been in the environmental movement since at least 1972 (as a high school student) and in marketing since 1974. I’ve achieved several significant victories, including defeat of a mountaintop luxury housing development when all the "experts" were wringing their hands and saying variations on "this is terrible, but there's nothing we can do." This will be my eighth book--six on marketing, one on an environmental theme (why nuclear power is a really dumb idea), and one (with a significant sustainability message) on how to have fun cheaply.
7. What are some of the steps companies can take to reduce their carbon footprint?
When you go to re-roof the building you can use a new roofing shingle called “rubber shingle” which cuts down your heat loss, reducing your heating costs by 15%; replace old water pipes (which leak) with new pipes, reducing water usage; use the newer, post-consumer toilet paper from Marcal, which comes in minimal packaging; make sure your major appliances are Energy Star certified, guaranteeing your appliances will use the minimum of energy to get the job done.
8. How can people get in contact with you?
My website addresses are: www.FrugalMarketing.com, www.PrincipledProfit.com, www. GuerrillaMarketingGoesGreen.com; my telephone #413-586-2388 and my email is shel@principledprofit.com.
To listen to the entire interview, go to: The FireWalker Flare, an Environmental and Renewable Energy Solutions Radio Show, Dec 8th with Shel Horowitz.
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