Let’s take a walk down memory lane.

A few years ago, Al Gore and his cherrypicker inspired North America to turn the tide on climate change. Movie stars, politicians, heads of corporations all lined the barricades. We thought this was the dawn of a shiny green era.

How did we move from this to today’s reality -- where climate scientists are under attack, green products are still underwhelming in their market penetration, and green communicators are cutting budgets?

As disturbed as I am about our seeming lack of progress, I am fascinated by our inability to translate sound thinking (buy this product, make difference to planet) into communication that inspires consumers to shift behavior and hit that tipping point.

I wanted to parlay my own experiences, and learnings from three people I believe have keys to the puzzle, to provide some insight into what doesn’t work -- and what may work very, very well.

Hint: Advertising Isn't the Answer

I was trained as an advertising copywriter in the glory days of TV, print, poster and radio.

I loved creating ads. But strangely, I didn’t like looking at them. They simply didn’t ‘get’ me, or where I was coming from. Nor did they appeal to my family, my friends, or folks I met who wanted to know what I did for a living.

I thought it might have had to do with lackluster insights. Which was why I was so excited to move into green advertising a few years back.

Finally, I had a message that would inspire action. Make a better purchase decision, and do your part to save our skins.

Did it work? Yes … and no. What we’re discovering is that the green message is dandy to rationalize a purchase, but it still doesn’t drive sales. In fact, as OgilvyEarth’s new Mainstream Green study highlights, green communications is still missing the mark when it comes to motivating consumers.

Social Media? Nope.

A few years ago, I gave a talk about social media’s negative impact on the environmental movement. 

The gist of my talk was that social media creates shallow bonds. And the environmental movement needs deep commitment to push forward.

This frustrated me. I saw the power of social media in information gathering, in gaining a deeper understanding of human nature, of subtly influencing stakeholders (and allowing them to influence you right back).

What I realized was that social media, like advertising, was simply a tool. It produced the results it was designed to produce. The missing link was our ability as marketers to program these tools for meaningful connections.

That’s when I discovered three new pieces of the puzzle. Utilizing them has given me fresh hope that we may yet be able to crack the green marketing gap.

Answer 1: Belief

Simon Sinek speaks about why some leaders inspire action, while others do not.

He illustrates his point with what he calls the golden circle -- an illustration that moves us through three concentric circles from rational communication to the emotional, movement-creating world of beliefs.

Sinek’s theory demands more explanation than this column can provide. But suffice it to say, it helped me understand why some messages make us nod in approval, while others make us jump into action.