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May 2007 - Strategy Magazine
strategy's first cause + action awards

Winner
Home Depot: The DIY Advocate
Home Depot's tools for eco-consumerism score top honours

by Natalia Williams
page 42

With sales of $5.5 billion, 155 stores (each with about 50,000 different kinds of building materials, home improvement supplies, and garden products) what Home Depot does has impact. So it stands to reason that president Annette Verschuren's bold decision to launch the Eco Options line - before it became trendy - would seamlessly marry cause and action with big results.

Inspiration

Canadians are more concerned than ever about environmental issues such as air and water quality, deforestation, electricity shortages, and climate change. But these concerns have to be translated into action to achieve positive, long-term change.

In partnership with its manufacturers and environmental partners such as Summerhill Group, Home Depot Canada created the Eco Options brand to merchandise and market better environmental choices to consumers. Eco Options is designed to draw consumers' attention to best-in-class products that benefit both the consumer and the environment, making complex issues surrounding the environment understandable and actionable.

Execution

The brand's merchants actively identify and procure innovative environmental products to bring into the mainstream home improvement market. To ensure that each Eco Options product meets these standards, suppliers must answer a series of detailed questions regarding environmental product attributes as well as company policies and practices. Supporting documentation must be provided to verify each product's compliance with the "eco-friendly" criteria.

Furthermore, the brand provides a comprehensive training program for all store associates on the environmental and cost benefits of Eco Options products.

And to complete the circle, the Eco Options brand also includes in-store signage and reference materials for customers to learn more about innovative environmental products if an associate is not available. An Eco Options sticker on the price tag of each qualified product includes icons which indicate the main reason the product qualified for

Eco Options branding.

Marketing

Website

Homedepot.ca/ecooptions provides consumers with a series of how-to articles explaining environmentally friendly home improvement projects.

Magazine

Eco Options, which launched last fall, includes articles and useful tips on natural gardening, energy-saving appliances, and clean air alternatives, all to help consumers create a healthy home. The free publication, which is currently published twice a year, is distributed in-store.

In-store seminars

Seminars are conducted by staff or external experts to increase consumers' awareness and provide information on the benefits of purchasing and using the products. They also offer guidelines on environmentally friendly home improvement projects and increase awareness of environmental issues.

Cross-country campaigns:

• Power$aver Tour

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