As Kermit the Frog taught an entire generation, “It's not easy being green.”

Clorox’s Green Works is a case study in the steep learning curve of green branding. The line of environmentally friendly housecleaning products launched in 2008 with an endorsement from the Sierra Club, which helped boost its market penetration and credibility. 

That $1.3 million contract ends in December and the brand chose Earth Day to announce a strategic marketing revamp, including a new tone of voice (embodied by its new manifesto, posted on Facebook and its website) and the removal of the Sierra Club logo from all Green Works packaging, a clear sign of the times as green cleaning products have been forced to reduce their premium prices and re-position the sell to deflect declining sales.Continue reading...

Dirce Navarro de Camargo, Brazil's richest woman and owner of Havaianas, dies at 100.

Apple faces criticism over Siri's long memory as market expects it to report profit drop.

Nutrisystem joins forces with Walmart in retail push.

Amazon asks viewers for help in selecting which pilots to turn into original TV series.

Ahold donates a half-million dollars to Boston fund.

Boeing will see timeline of Dreamliner return to skies vary widely around globe.

Chipotle sees expansion of US investigation into its hiring.

Clorox aims to expand market for Green Works beyond niche.

Coach fights to keep its cachet as competition rises.

Comedy Central plans to use Twitter to host comedy festival.Continue reading...

In a bid to outdo last year's April Fool's Day jokes, a few April Foolin' Around branded fake gags today include:

• Richard Branson's next adventure, Virgin Volcanic, will take the intrepid billionaire to the center of the earth with Tom Hanks;

• in addition to really advanced search and Google TV Click, perennial prankster Google brings its self-driving car to NASCAR racing (above) and, below, announces Morse Code-based Gmail Tap (double your typing speed!) with LL Cool J, plus 8-bit Google Maps for the neglected Nintendo Entertainment System, and more:Continue reading...

For decades, Procter & Gamble has been pitching laundry detergents, promoting a dizzying array of different brands that all basically do the same thing — get clothes clean. Typically, detergent advertising concentrates on the features of the product and the benefits the consumer derives from using it.

So how does a niche detergent brand break through, especially when it doesn't have the luxury of the ginormous promotional budgets of a Procter & Gamble? For Method, the answer is simple: Be quirky.

Method, a pioneer in earth-friendly detergents and cleaning products, has fought against the Tides of the world since its founding 12 years ago. But it is only in recent years that the brand has faced its toughest competition.Continue reading...

There's a battle being waged in laundry rooms throughout the world and it's all about environmentally friendly laundry products. This product category has seen significant growth recently, and the fight among brands isn't always friendly. 

Witness the dispute last year over the use of a yellow daisy — that's right, a daisy — in product packaging. Clorox, maker of Green Works, took legal action against Method, the manufacturer of non-toxic laundry and personal care products, because Green Works wanted the exclusive right to use the yellow daisy in its product packaging. Method, it seems, was displaying a yellow daisy in some of its promotional material, claiming that a yellow daisy couldn't be owned by anyone, since it was a product of nature.

That's old dirty laundry. This month, Method sprouted a new campaign called "Laundry Love" that has nothing to do with flowers.Continue reading...

Global sustainable packaging market will exceed $142 billion by 2015 according to new projections.

P&G releases study (under news, here) showing gap between businesses' green intentions and actions.

Apple's iPhone 3G leads the 10 most recycled phones in the UK.

Boeing's vision of its future aircraft includes hypothetical SUGAR Volt that will use less fuel, reduce noise and take off from short distances.

Chevrolet's 2011 Cruze Eco is billed as a "shape-shifter" that can become more fuel-efficient on the fly.

Clorox is aiming to make its Green Works line "all-natural," new products director Michael Ott tells the SF Chronicle.

Dreft detergent highlights recycled fashion in print campaign.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters' K-Cups raise questions about packaging waste.

Greenpeace shifts focus from BP to nuclear power industry with new logo redesign contest.

HBO and Planet Green star Adrian Grenier is lobbying to get plastic bags banned in the state of California.Continue reading...

Seventh Generation Inc. co-founder Jeffrey Hollender has been quoted as saying "hell would freeze over" before his environmentally friendly household products would be sold in Wal-Mart's stores.

Good thing his words are non-toxic, as he's now eating them. Starting in August, Seventh Generation's eco-friendly laundry detergent, dish soap, all-purpose sprays and disinfectant wipes will be available in 1,500 Walmart-branded stores. And by September, additional cleaning products, diapers and baby wipes will be available on walmart.com.

Why the sudden change of mind?Continue reading...

Today marks the official launch of IV-7 Ultimate Germ Defense, which bills itself as a non-toxic disinfectant with the lowest EPA-toxicity rating possible: a 4 ("practically nontoxic") on a scale of 1-4. Its tagline: "Living safely. Saving lives."

Its formula is the first new disinfectant active ingredient to be registered with the EPA in 30 years. The product kills germs on any hard surface - homes, offices, schools, hospitals, medical and dental clinics, restaurants, hotels, animal shelters, public facilities and more.

With controversy swirling about the effectiveness of sanitizers and disinfectants, how does it support its claims?Continue reading...