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Businesses are increasingly trying to find ways to become more “green”.  The goal is usually to improve efficiency and reduce energy, but it’s also an advertising opportunity to express community goodwill.  “Going green” is now one of the largest cause marketing opportunities of our time in terms of dollars and scope.

Our project, called The Pledge, will improve the way companies share their green initiatives to the public.  It will centralize and streamline the green campaign, which will save companies advertising costs, increase the exposure of their goodwill activities, and invite more businesses to contribute to the green movement.  Similar to how Fundable.com is bringing together entrepreneurs and investors around the world, The Pledge seeks to do the same thing with green marketing to improve the greater good.

The Problem: Green marketing has now hit a roadblock where “greenwashing” is diluting the message and millions of dollars in advertising dollars are being wasted. 

Some of the challenges facing businesses and the green campaign are:

1) Every company shares their green initiatives in a different format.  If you want to compare the green initiatives of one large box retailer to another, it’s often a lengthy and confusing process.

2) Green Certifications.  Obtaining certifications from professional organizations is valuable to any business.  However, the consumer is often unaware of their meaning because there’s a lack of proper communication of their meaning.  If there is a green seal on more products without knowledge of the purpose, that seal becomes less valuable to the business and consumer.

3) Greenwashing is now rampant and is effectively diluting the green message. Greenwashing is a form of spin in which green PR or green marketing is deceptively used to promote the perception that an organization's aims and policies are environmentally friendly.  Because there’s an “everyone on your own” attitude on how to market green initiatives, there’s a lack of accountability.  We believe having a lack of accountability encourages greenwashing.

 
With your support, The Pledge seeks to solve some of these issues.  The Pledge will be designed as an online social media site where businesses create a simple profile outlining their green initiatives.  Individuals can use the platform to compare initiatives and lend support to existing environmental causes.  We hope The Pledge is the go-to platform when you say, "hey, I wonder what the market down the street is doing to green the world!".

I hope you continue to learn more about our project.  Your questions, feedback, and support are invaluable.

Thank you.
Phil Jubert, Co-Founder

philthepledge@gmail.com

• The Pledge is a web database and social media platform that allows a business of any size to create profile displaying their green initiatives.  
• There will be a searchable tool for the consumer to find businesses, to compare between competing businesses, and to lend support and feedback to the intiatives a business has undertaken.
• If a small business doesn't think creating a green initiative is feasible, the business can donate to an environmental organization on the website, which will be publicized; similar to the publicity of 'liking' something on facebook.

At a coffee shop one day, two friends, who work in the enviornmetal sector, asked another mutual friend if they knew what the green seal on the coffee cup meant.  His response was "well, it's green in color and I see a frog on it, probably something to do with the environment."  Our friend was correct that it pertained to the environment, but his answer exposed a flaw in green marketing campaign. His response made us realize that there's a flood of green messages hitting the consumers that it dilitues the message.

We quit our day jobs and over the last few months we have modified our minimum viable product (MVP) by listening to business leaders, scientists, and teachers.  We have now reached a point where the feedback can be translated into a usable web database.