(This blog entry is the second in a series titled “An Exploration of Ethanol.” If you missed the first part, you can get caught up here.)

Refining ethanol is undoubtedly a more complicated task than creating a marketing campaign to sell it. However, getting folks on board with the idea of making food for cars instead of people is an incredible challenge. Let’s take a look at three marketing musts for ethanol producers and also some examples of ethanol marketing done right.

Be Simple.

Ethanol has been shown to be less efficient than more widely used fossil fuels, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other benefits. The best way to communicate these perks (renewable, American made, conflict free, etc.) is to talk to consumers in a very direct, uncomplicated way. Take a look at these spots from Growth Energy’s “America’s Fuel” campaign.

The ads were just one part of a $2.5 million effort by Growth Energy—a corn-ethanol trade group— to keep Brazilian sugarcane ethanol out of the country and to extend tax credits for corn-ethanol. The spots manage to do that while also bolstering ethanol’s brand presence, all in fifteen seconds.

Be (Positively) Aggressive.

Great advertising presents a conflict that lends itself to conversation amongst consumers. Ethanol marketers have to “draw a line in the sand” in their advertising so that consumers know that there’s the “old, stinky gas” and then there’s the “new, cleaner corn gas.”

Ethanol marketers can benefit by emphasizing this conflict in their advertising.

You may remember these spots from POET. POET is one of the country’s largest producers of corn-ethanol and launched this campaign for the same reasons that Growth Energy launched their “America’s Fuel” promotion. The conflict in these ads is evident: ethanol vs. fossil fuel; farmer vs. businessman; rural vs. metropolis; America vs. everyone else. Put simply: the ads strike a perfect balance between aggressive and effective.

Beware The Biofuel Backlash

The final must for corn-ethanol marketers: be weary of the growing resentment towards your product. You know people are upset when even a NASCAR endorsement deal doesn’t sway public opinion. Push the positives: job numbers, foreign oil displacement and reusability.

Guessing the future of corn-ethanol in America is probably as easy as making your way through one of those creepy corn mazes. But while uncertainty continues to surround the corn-ethanol industry, you can be sure that ethanol marketing campaigns are going to work that much harder to sway flustered fuel users.

Corn used to live a simple life. The vivacious vegetable we know as corn today originated around 7500 B.C in the wilds of Mexico. Back then it was known as “teosinte.” Teosinte later became corn, which was raised and eaten, sometimes right off of the stalk, sometimes mashed into cornmeal to make tortillas or a mushy corn pudding. Corn used to just be food. Now corn is also fuel, which means corn is busy. Very busy.

In a method called the “dry-grind ethanol process,” corn is sent through a hammer mill to turn it into corn flour. The flour is then slurried (or “mixed”) with water and given a heat-stable enzyme before going into a liquefaction process that requires jet-cookers to steam the flour to above 212°F. Next is saccharification—where another enzyme is added—followed by fermentation, and finally by distillation and recovery (you can find a more detailed explanation of this process and others here). Ethanol fuel has made corn a lot busier. Good thing there’s a lot more corn.

The USDA released data in May that projects corn production for 2011-12 to be around 13.5 billion bushels—the third highest harvest on record. That’s a lot of corn. And a lot of it’s going to making corn-ethanol, the controversial bio-fuel that, according to a story from Forbes, used 38.4% of the total U.S. corn crop in 2010 (up from 5.9% in 2000). But is corn-ethanol worth the effort and investment? It depends who you ask.

Taxpayers might be displeased to hear that the Congressional Budget Office places the total taxpayer cost of corn-ethanol subsidies at about $16.2 billion dollars for the year. Flex fuel vehicle (FFV) owners are also getting the short end of the stalk, as the Federal Alternative Fuels Price Report shows that ethanol gets less mileage than regular fuel. ConsumerReports.org claims that “there’s no financial advantage to consumers in buying an FFV.” So, who’s benefiting from the production of ethanol? Are there any positives?

In a word: yes. The benefits of corn-ethanol are enough to justify the continued development of the fuel. Consulting firm AUS released a report wherein they showed that communities where distilleries are located see their economies expand by roughly $110 million a year. Also, estimates show that nearly 700 jobs are created in the area near an ethanol plant. Local and state governments see about a $1.2 million a year increase in tax revenue. Finally, ethanol production has the power to generate an additional $19.6 million in household income. You can see that the question isn’t “Does corn-ethanol have any true, non-contentious, unique selling points?” but rather “How can we market corn-ethanol to a skeptical, subsidy-soured public?”

To find out the answers to this corn-fuel marketing conundrum, check back for the final installment of “An Exploration of Ethanol” entitled: “Part II: Buy My Corn Gas.”

Energy companies have a unique problem. It actually doesn’t even sound like a problem at first. You see, energy companies are continually developing new technology that is making consumers’ energy consumption “smarter.” These smarter technologies include improved power grids and more efficient methods for delivering electricity. The availability and development of smarter energy technology puts consumers in a position to pocket significant savings while the energy companies are in a position to provide more reliable service for a lower price. When the energy companies save, consumers save.

It seems that we all benefit from smarter energy technology. So what’s the problem? Well, while the technology maybe labeled smart, many of the consumers (this writer included) aren’t, at least when it comes to electrical engineering. What can these energy companies do to educate their consumers about the newest tech?

 First and foremost, make it simple.

Like I said before, for dimwitted (Get it? Dim? Energy?) consumers like me, it’s easy to get lost in a jungle of technological jargon. Energy companies need to bring their message down to our level. For example, take a look at GE’s “Smart Grid” website. The site is engaging, informative and anything but cumbersome. Instead of flooding the visitor with wordy explanations of the technology, you are given a brief explanation of the Smart Grid and then shown the benefits: carbon out of the air and money in your change jar. The site even utilizes Augmented Reality to let you “hold the Smart Grid in the palm of your hand.” How’s that for accessible?

The Second Way: Emphasize the Benefits.

Placing emphasis on the technology will only get you so far. Instead of telling the consumer about how “advanced” something is, explain to them how this “advanced” technology translates into savings. Telling consumers about savings is fundamental, and it never hurts to revisit the basics. In fact, this may be a good refresher for the American Petroleum Institute. API is the oil industry’s largest trade group and they are currently looking for a new agency to handle its latest advocacy campaign. With plans to spend up to $20 million on the campaign, there should be plenty of cash available to get a message out about how the trade group is using technology and new methods to help consumers save.

Tell us how we will benefit and help us make sense of your business. Those are the two biggest ways energy companies can get through to consumers. Sure, new technology is neat to read about and consumers are happy to hear their energy company is making strides toward cleaner energy. In the end though, consumers like me just want to hear about how your efforts and technology are going to lower our energy bills. That’s what really flips our switch.

Renewable energy technologies, as well as green energy start-ups and industries, suffered a massive setback when the economy buckled a few years back. Projects that seemed lucrative or life-changing were abandoned as companies pulled out of innovative industries and headed for safer ground. However, it seems that some markets are slowly starting to shift their attention back to these briefly deserted technologies.

FastCompany.com writer Tracey De Morsella outlines some future clean energy trends that are worth watching for. Companies are working on everything from increasing offshore wind power efforts and harnessing tidal and wave energy to reinvesting in geothermal power. More good news for clean energy comes in the shape of a statistic from the Economist, which states that “worldwide demand for primary energy will increase by 36%” by 2035. A greater energy demand means a bigger market for green energy technologies. And so, just when you start to think that green energy is wilting, it springs back to life. But while green energy technologies may be resilient, they still face challenges.

The biggest threat to this recently renewed interest in green industry may be the general public’s growing skepticism towards climate change science. Americans, including a number of publicly elected officials, have grown more skeptical of what would appear to be unanimous scientific fact. A recent PEW poll found that only 58% of people believe there is “solid evidence” of climate change, down from 77% in 2006. This lack of urgency and interest may hinder clean energy efforts from growing as quickly as once thought. Also, a report from Reuters predicts natural gas produced from shale will inevitably undermine increasingly accessible renewable energy. The report claims that as long as natural gas remains cheap, “always-on” fossil fuels will always be preferred. So what can green industries do to bolster its presence in the fuel market?

Green energy companies will have to aggressively market to the general public if they hope to pull ahead of fossil fuels. Informing customers of the benefits of opting for renewable fuels will help increase awareness and will encourage consumers to act. Most importantly, these industries must let the customers know what’s in it for them. “Green Marketing Maven” Jacquelyn Ottman suggests “To be successful, green marketing must satisfy two objectives: improved environmental quality and customer satisfaction.” Renewable energy companies must position their product as a value to customers while at the same time educating them.

Green energy still has an opportunity to flourish, even in an increasingly unresponsive marketplace. Informative and engaging marketing has the power to convert those who have soured on green energy, but the uncertain future of renewable energy has left this energy consumer wondering: What happens to an energy source deferred? Does it sag like a heavy load?

Or does it explode?

As digital media and highly defined metrics become a larger part of delivering marketing messages, advertisers are looking for ways to relate the metrics of digital media to traditional media.

There are digital ways to track traditional media, but the over-arching metric among all media is still  impressions. This leads to the question, if digital metrics are more detailed, is digital better than the traditional? Not at all! They are meant to work together to target consumers throughout the purchase cycle. This makes knowing when and how to reach your audience essential.

Tara Payne Mueller, digital & media strategist, and Laura Mitchell, digital strategist, discussed how goals and messaging are important in evaluating your campaign metrics in May’s L&S Boot Camp Webinar – Message Delivery: Metrics Across Digital and Traditional Media.

The Internet and social media have fundamentally changed the pace of business, compressing time and rewarding speed. News breaks over minutes, not days. Companies can develop or refine products and services instantly based on customer feedback or events in the marketplace.

As a result, public relations has changed forever. Traditional media outlets are no longer the inpenetrable gatekeepers. Citizen journalists (whether they think of themselves that way or not) are reporting more updates from more locations than professional journalists could ever hope to cover. And businesses have an unprecented freedom to share their stories directly with key audiences – customers and potential clients.

This shifting landscape provides business with an opportunity never before seen. It’s called Real-Time PR… the mindset of finding and engaging with emerging story lines before they become old news.

Real-time PR was the topic of April’s L&S Boot Camp Webinar. Lawrence & Schiller’s Dave Haan, Director of Public Relations, and Lindsey Philips, PR Coordinator, presented the three “D”s at the foundation of real-time PR:

• Detect conversations about your brand
• Deliver the right messages to the right audiences
• Decrease your response time

When rebates and tax incentives are being kicked back to you, there is no reason not to buy green. But now that those incentives are being reduced, it looks as though consumers might need some other kind of push to make environmentally friendly purchases.

New tax laws are slashing incentives from 30 percent down to 10 percent of costs for certain improvements. Energy efficient purchases that once totaled $1,500 in rebates are now capped at $500.

A national poll conducted by the Shelton Group shows that 25 percent of respondents would not have acted without an incentive. This proves that customers are not buying energy efficient products solely to benefit the environment. In today’s economy, something more has to be done to foster environmentally conscious purchases.

The study also states that about 30 percent of respondents who have undergone improvements have not seen bill reductions like they had expected. A large portion of this can be attributed to not making enough energy efficient improvements – it takes about five to make a difference in an individual’s overall bill.

In the future, marketers are going to have to be even more inventive in marketing energy efficiency. The question ‘Why buy green?’ is what consumers are asking when it comes to these purchases. We have to give hard and fast answers beyond the incentives to sway decisions.

Green thinking has evolved in the last year from a niche trend to a growing consumer mindset. With supermarket shelves filling with clean, sustainable goods and brands, like Unilever aiming to grow 100 percent of raw materials for their products from sustainable sources within the next 10 years, it’s clear that brands are evolving their corporate philosophy to match consumers’ new values.

It’s not good enough for a company to just endorse green thinking any more. They must live out their philosophy by using renewable energy and re-purposed materials, like Staples carrying nearly 2,000 eco-friendly products.

Even the government is jumping on board by offering incentives to businesses opting for energy saving modifications to commercial buildings. The program, which was renewed this month for another year, has doled out $5.7 billion dollars in incentives so far.

As consumers change, so too will their buying choices. Businesses like Staples understand they must align themselves with what consumers expect from their brands–more visible action in the green sphere. By showing consumers you’re willing to invest in a program they care about you make them more loyal to your brand and more willing to invest in you.

With just one week left until the nation lights up with voter stations in local gymnasiums, churches and other non-partisan locations, now is the time for candidates to get in front of the public, hone in on the issues, and campaign in a final effort to win their seats. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund (NRDCAF), to secure their seat, politicos may want to focus on energy and clean energy legislation to win over undecided voters.

A recent poll by NRDCAF showed voters are increasingly concerned about their elected officials’ stance on clean energy, and more are willing to support a candidate who endorses such legislation in office. For marketers, this increased focus on green legislation is just another branch in the tree of the growing Green Trend marketers started seeing a few years ago with green products and organic foods.

But, why are more people concerned about green legislation and the green trend lately? According to a recent study by Cone on consumer behavior, consumers may be seeking more socially responsible government officials and brands as consumers themselves are becoming more socially minded and thinking more about how the choices they make affect the world around them. For example, the Cone study found 52 percent of people feel companies should support more social causes, and note that they would be more willing to choose companies and brands who give back over those who do not.

Cone also noted that as people, specifically women and mothers, become busier and take on more responsibilities in their day-to-day lives, they rely more on companies, brands and politicians to help them with their social contributions and community responsibilities. Women may not have time to research and donate to specific causes or people who share their values, and are thus relying on others to help facilitate this process.

In a way, the products we buy and candidates we choose are becoming badges of honor that not only promote our own set of values and the type of person or society we hope to be or create, but also represent our desire to see a shift towards a more socially and ethically active society.

The changing attitudes towards greener options and energy-conscious candidates are an evolution of values within in society, and most importantly, the way to reach consumers. Marketing effectively now means understanding what consumers expect out of their brands, which seems to be increased presence in social causes and global improvement initiatives.