Back in March of 2007, Nielsen Online (then BuzzMetrics) sought to bring understanding to a term that was just starting to get traction online – sustainability. My colleague Emily Sobol and I – and a team of fearless analysts – navigated millions of blog posts (227+ million to be precise) to help clients understand whether or not consumers were talking about going green with any substance or vigor, and if so, which brands and marketers might be implicated. Bloggers – by nature an opinionated bunch – gave us all sorts of insights to work with. We were able to advise clients that yes, in fact, this was not a blip on the radar screen (buzz shot up well over 100%). And no matter how left-of-center they thought some of these constituents were, they had a not insignificant following (TreeHugger stood out as a big driver of buzz and inspired considerable follow on).

In early 2008, we wanted to tell a new story. Simply telling clients that green buzz was on the rise seemed not only obvious (buzz continues to climb; up 54% in Q1 2008) but also to trivialize how much the discussion had matured. (For those who still need convincing, check out the chart below.) Instead we wanted to identify and quantify all the underlying tentacles of the online debate. How does discussion of alternative fuels compare to say, fair trade? For anyone who has studied sustainability, you know this is messy stuff. There are few definitions of what does and does not constitute “sustainability” and there is certainly no rubric for quantifying such a nebulous concept online.

Through an exhaustive process that required reading scores of online conversations (fortunately we happen to love what we do) we were able to define sustainability within 25 key topics, covering everything from climate change to packaging to greenwashing. We are certain that the list of 25 will change and we probably got some wrong, so I hope you use this forum to help us refine our approach and integrate new issues that perhaps aren’t as apparent today.

From my viewpoint, sustainability buzz has matured considerably in recent months. Bloggers are no longer only talking about broad issues like global warming. In fact, while global warming constitutes more discussion volume in aggregate than other topics, it is actually trending down. At the same time, buzz about renewable energy and resource conservation (think taking shorter showers) is rising. For every mention of what the government (energy bill), corporate America (greenwashing) or brands (packaging, organics, toxins, and on and on) are up to, there is another that indicates it’s high time for consumers to make some changes of their own. Community Supported Agriculture and the local food movement are just two examples of the measures consumers of all stripes are taking to reduce their footprint.

NOTE: Issues are empirically derived. Top 10 topics are ranked by total message volume among Sustainability bloggers in Q1 ‘08. Buzz*Trend calculated as percentage growth in Q1 ‘08 over previous quarter.

So what does this mean? And how should marketers react?

First, I believe strongly it means this is a long-term trend. Consumers describe being on a journey – a path towards a greener life. Moreover, they recognize – as do many companies who have dipped a toe into these waters – “going green” doesn’t happen overnight.

Any company with a green platform or related messaging needs to be cognizant that the bloggeratti is watching and listening and ready to pounce. Discussion about greenwashing rose significantly in 2007, and is up again another 64% in Q1 2008. It’s not a top 10 topic yet but the groundswell of blog reaction to marketing activity should warrant any marketer to pay close attention.

With recent gas prices nearing $4.50 in some towns, auto manufacturers and their media partners should understand how rising prices are potentially fostering greater interest in alternative fuels, hybrids and electric vehicles. Close analysis of CGM can help to surface some of these insights. Later this month, we’ll be hosting a webinar on how consumers are affected by rising prices at the pump. Details to come.

Social media will continue to play an important role in shaping how the sustainability trend evolves. Trust that we’ll be at the forefront, monitoring the discussion as it does.

Tags: buzz, cgm, global warming, sustainability