Michael Grossman

NOVEMBER 27, 2023

How Mind-Numbing Emails Hurt Your Brand I’ve come up with a marketing take on the old camp song, “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” after today. It’s called “99 Black Friday Emails In My Inbox.” Every year at this time, we get subjected to the email marketing version of this sing along as every company on the planet churns out endlessly repetitive, capitalized and exclamation point-filled headlines announcing their short windows of opportunity for you, the consumer, to take advantage of their once

Waste 162

Waste Waste Technology 162

Michael Grossman

NOVEMBER 12, 2023

In the fiercely competitive landscape of cleantech, the success of a marketing strategy often boils down to the art of positioning. In the realm of sustainable solutions, being better, faster, and cheaper might seem like the golden ticket to success. However, in reality, this conventional positioning could actually be the brand’s worst enemy. This article delves deep into the nuances of cleantech marketing, uncovering why relying on the “better, faster, cheaper” mantra can spell disa

Ethics 147

Ethics Sustainability Innovation Startups 147

Michael Grossman

OCTOBER 12, 2023

Cleantech companies typically require a certain amount of scientific sophistication to comprehend, and therein lies the conflict with defining its value for an audience. A well-produced video is one of the best ways to bridge that gap. A Cleantech Company Is More Than Just It’s Science Ask most cleantech scientists why their idea is destined to scale, and they will likely tell you “because the science works.” Unfortunately, as millions of broke patent holders have discovered ov

Patents 147

Patents Climate change Cooling Pollution 147

Michael Grossman

OCTOBER 2, 2023

Marketers Won’t Bite You It’s a difficult task for most startups to determine when they need to bring marketing help to the team–and when I say marketing, I don’t mean sales. I’m talking about a vehicle to give your audience a better understanding of what problem the company solves and why the audience should care. This kind of marketing has a targeted audience, usually made up of investors, institutions, industry media and established players.

Startups 130

Startups Patents Investment Technology 130

Michael Grossman

SEPTEMBER 19, 2023

Simplifying Complex Cleantech Ideas With Story From the dawn of the cleantech era, the environmental movement, really, complex language has been a constant stumbling block to widespread understanding and acceptance of good ideas. It’s not anyone’s fault; distilling multi-faceted and jargon-laden ideas is hard to do, and there’s always been a giant chasm between those who see the limitlessness of science and engineering, and those who are trying to distill it for the rest of us.

Startups 130

Startups North America Blockchain Sustainability 130

Michael Grossman

AUGUST 22, 2023

Focus Is About The People You Serve Ask an climate tech engineer or scientist what the focus of their start up company is, and you’re likely to hear a statement beginning with the words, “we make…” That shouldn’t be surprising because scientists and engineers invent things. Ask a CFO what the focus of the company is, and you’re likely to hear the company’s vision and goals, and strategy for generating a specific amount of revenue or even the eventual sal

Waste 130

Waste Waste Pollution Sustainability 130

Michael Grossman

AUGUST 2, 2023

Is it All About Your Invention? Over the course of my career in the climate tech industry, I’ve had the opportunity to judge the pitches of early stage cleantech companies. I love getting to participate in these events because of the pastiche of promising ideas which continue to pour out of engineers and entrepreneurs in the sector, and also because of the knowledge I get to absorb from the savvy finance people who are sitting next to me and offering their perspectives on the companies’ po

Blockchain 130

Blockchain Startups Investment Cooling 130

Michael Grossman

MAY 4, 2023

Does Elon Musk's Twitter Care About Climate Tech Companies? You'd think a guy who founded an electric vehicle company and a company that builds solar panels would be all in on helping promote companies pursuing clean technology solutions on one of the world's largest social media networks, right? But as the saying goes, "Business is business." With "Verified Organizations," Elon Musk is twisting the arms of Twitter companies to the tune of $1,000/mo to help diversify his revenue stream in exchan

Building Energy Monitoring 195

Building Energy Monitoring Business Energy Monitoring Logging Solar Energy Monitor 195

Michael Grossman

APRIL 10, 2023

Here’s the situation: You’re the CEO of a climate-focused startup, and money is always tight. You’re looking for that first customer to prove your concept, but you need to hire another engineer (or two) to finish your prototype. You know you need a website built to market the company, but you can’t afford to hire a marketing agency or even a mid-level market manager.

Startups 242

Startups Patents Technology Innovation 242

Michael Grossman

MARCH 27, 2023

Financial panics aren't rational. They are just another demonstration of how numbers alone are an insufficient motivation for investors to act. Spreadsheets Are No Match For Human Nature Since the Dutch tulip bubble and crash in the 17th Century, financial markets have ebbed and flowed for irrational reasons. It underlies one of the foundational elements of marketing I share with clients when mapping out a marketing strategy: People are not rational actors.

Startups 246

Startups Real Estate Demand Fashion 246

Michael Grossman

MARCH 16, 2023

Once upon a time, the Greeks created content, but it was known as lyric verse. The Egyptians created their content on papyrus while the Romans called content epic poems. Today, we lump all of these communication forms together under the guise of "content creation." Exceptional oratory, poetry, music and art have defined kingdoms through the ages, but perhaps none have been defined by their content as much as in our current era.

Startups 130

Startups Education 130

Michael Grossman

MARCH 16, 2023

Once upon a time, the Greeks created content, but it was known as lyric verse. The Egyptians created their content on papyrus while the Romans called content epic poems. Today, we lump all of these communication forms together under the guise of "content creation." Exceptional oratory, poetry, music and art have defined kingdoms through the ages, but perhaps none have been defined by their content as much as in our current era.

Startups 130

Startups Education 130

Michael Grossman

FEBRUARY 9, 2023

Last year, investment in clean energy technologies topped a trillion dollars for the first time. What’s the secret to tapping into it if you have a cleantech startup? For starters, get your story straight. Your Story Needs An Answer For This… Because so many cleantech startups are founded by scientists and engineers, they naturally lean towards focusing their story on their technology.

Startups 130

Startups Technology Fossil fuels Education 130

Michael Grossman

AUGUST 15, 2022

If you're a cleantech startup, you need to understand why search engine rankings matter so much. It's not just about having a good website; it's also about making sure that people can find you when they type in specific keywords. Why Do Search Engines Matter For Cleantech Companies? You can apply the age-old philosophical question about observation versus perception that asks, "If a tree falls in the forest, and no one hears it, did it fall?

Startups 130

Startups Solar Power Energy Energy 130

Michael Grossman

JULY 6, 2022

Why Cleantech Marketing Can't Be Overlooked In Today's Market. We've already discussed the influx of investment dollars into the cleantech sector over the last couple of years. And though savvy cleantech investors understand the patience required for their dollars to yield dividends, that patience isn't unlimited. The green economy is still capitalist, and investors know your cleantech business is still a business.

Startups 225

Startups Technology Packaging Investment 225

Michael Grossman

JUNE 21, 2022

Nascent cleantech companies can no longer rest on their altruistic intentions to build market share. They need savvy marketing strategies to attract some of the $56 billion in venture capital investment poured into the cleantech sector in 2021 if they hope to scale. "Because we care about the planet" is not a mission statement, a unique value proposition, or a point of differentiation.

Startups 130

Startups Carbon-neutral Investment Technology 130

Michael Grossman

JUNE 5, 2022

Companies spend massive amounts of money worldwide to increase brand recognition. But what if your brand isn’t recognizable, or worse, what if your brand name makes it difficult for end-users and customers to find you? I often see this problem in the cleantech/climate tech startup world where the lack of attention to the brand name detail holds great ideas back from their full potential.

Startups 246

Startups Patents Organic Technology 246

Michael Grossman

MAY 4, 2022

What’s Redefining A Category? The banjo wasn't a new instrument when comedian Steve Martin started playing it as a kid. It had been around for 100 years. Players in the genre became virtuosos, and you can hear it in everything from bluegrass and country to pop/rock. Likewise, Martin hardly invented the genre of stand-up comedy. But Martin was the first to use the banjo as a comedic prop.

Lithium 246

Lithium Batteries Waste Waste 246

Michael Grossman

APRIL 26, 2022

Websites Demonstrate The Friction Between Climate Science and Marketing. The creativity manifested through science and engineering in the climate sector is truly remarkable. Yet, the creative inputs of these solutions often stifle the success of all of that work when placed online. Over the years, I've had a ringside view of the pursed expressions on the faces of PhD’s as they see the online results of synthesizing years of their work into what some derisively describe as a digital Happy Meal.

Climate change 49

Climate change Waste Waste Technology 49

Michael Grossman

MARCH 8, 2022

Your Climate Tech Science Still Has To Sell. What's the most critical reason your climate tech company has a website? A. Brand Recognition. B. Credibility. C. Raise Money. D. Become The Acknowledged Lead In Your Sector. E. Sell Your Product Or Technology. The answer is the letter "E ," and here's why. The Purpose Of Your Climate Tech Business Is Profit.

Technology 245

Technology Cooling Sustainability Waste 245

Michael Grossman

FEBRUARY 8, 2022

Make Your Eco-Friendly Marketing Sprout By Taking These Four Steps. Perhaps the most transparently disingenuous and self-delusional lines I hear when I encounter startup CEOs in the climate tech space is, "We're in stealth mode.". News flash: your flight of fancy isn’t fooling anyone. Beyond the initial friends and family list, your climate tech startup is going to be applying for government grants, pitching for venture capital, and looking for subscribers for your early-stage funding.

Startups 231

Startups Education Government Organic 231

Michael Grossman

DECEMBER 12, 2021

The Science Alone Won't Close The Sale. Would you honestly try to win a competition in the running shoe market against Nike by comparing the amount of sustainable rubber? How about throwing your lower energy use smartphone against Apple? Climate tech companies face this dilemma every day because so many of them offer similar products and services that already exist in the market, with better energy efficiency, less waste, zero toxicity, or advanced materials.

HVAC 246

HVAC Technology Startups Construction 246

Michael Grossman

NOVEMBER 21, 2021

New Survey Provides Guidance. Is Twitter for selling or shouting? It's a question I hear from mission-driven companies in the climate tech sector, especially from executives born before the first web browser. “We’re a science-based company,” says the typical climate tech CEO. “Why jump in a pool teeming with partisan sharks and lifestyle influencers on a platform with an oily sheen of misinformation floating across the top?”.

Logging 245

Logging Education Politics Sustainability 245

Michael Grossman

NOVEMBER 7, 2021

Lessons From Facebook’s Meta Announcement. Meta means both transcendent and transcendently self-aware. In that sense, Facebook has come up with the perfect new name. >Why they did it, and the timing of the announcement has stirred up a great deal of cynicism due to the company’s litany of problems. It does, though, help distinguish among the 50 shades of grey when it comes to rebranding.

Health 130

Health Government 130

Michael Grossman

OCTOBER 1, 2021

> Sabermetrics didn’t see this coming even though the story is thousands of years old. The underdog. David vs. Goliath. The 1980 U.S. hockey team vs. the U.S.S.R. Erin Brockovich vs. Pacific Gas & Electric. Our brains are wired for this archetypal story, and the reward is a massive dopamine hit. Even though science can't explain the outcome, neuroscience explains the reaction.

Electricity 246

Electricity 246

Michael Grossman

FEBRUARY 14, 2021

On the FX television show "What We Do In The Shadows," the audience meets a familiar character: the energy vampire. His name is Colin Robinson, an unassuming, spectacled man whose incessant droning small talk slowly sap those around him of their life force. Colin is a vampire who doesn't have to bite anyone; he just has to explain mundane details of existence in a stifling monotone until his victims drop.

Soil 130

Soil Climate change Carbon Investment 130

Michael Grossman

DECEMBER 16, 2020

If It Walks Like A Duck And Quacks Like A Duck, It's Bad Branding. Whether you call them Stories, Reels, or Fleets, all represent the same idea: short-form video. In the grand tradition of success and repetition that defines the internet landscape, every social platform has now come up with its own version to grab just a few more seconds of user attention.

Cooling 228

Cooling Organic 228

Michael Grossman

NOVEMBER 30, 2020

The Battle for Cleantech Funding. A recent spate of stories in green media suggests a second climate funding boom is in the offing for startups in the cleantech sector. It’s a nice change of pace after funding dried up for almost a decade after the first wave of cleantech investment in the aughts. Although the curve for cleantech companies might not be as steep in the coming decade for reasons that run the spectrum from public opinion shifting on man-made climate change to maturing technologies,

Startups 147

Startups Incubators Incubators Investment 147

Michael Grossman

NOVEMBER 14, 2020

“The public is the only critic whose opinion means anything at all.”--Mark Twain. Reality Bites…Hard. One of life's ultimate paradoxes is the nearly impossible task of changing a person’s mind while at the same time public opinion is never static. When it comes to climate change, we exist somewhere in the middle, painfully awaiting large swaths of the general public to accept proven facts.

Climate change 173

Climate change Carbon-neutral Global warming Education 173

Michael Grossman

OCTOBER 28, 2020

Greetings fellow two-dimensional creatures: With all of our interactions flattened into a rectangle, you may find yourself, like me, missing the human interaction that accompanies marketing and networking. “Adapt or die,” said Oakland A’s General Manager, Billy Beane, in one of my favorite sports movies, “Moneyball.” And, whether you like it or not, you’ve had six months to build a bridge and get over your trepidation about online marketing to replace your three-dimensional routine.

Climate change 190

Climate change Organic 190

Michael Grossman

SEPTEMBER 7, 2020

Does Every Size Company Need A Brand? Recently, the CEO of a growth-stage cleantech company told me branding and marketing wasn't something his company needed to do because their niche was so small that they already had relationships with most of the companies in their industry. "Decisions get made on price and engineering," he said. "Nothing else matters.".

Startups 130

Startups Law Politics 130

Michael Grossman

JUNE 24, 2020

Does your green brand meet its mission if it doesn't appeal to all races? . Dear Michael's Marc: I've always considered myself an ally for equality, regardless of a person's color, religion, gender, etc. All human beings deserve respect, regardless of the color of their skin. But as I've been taking stock after the murder of yet another black man by a white police officer, I'm feeling like a guilty, over-educated, white liberal more than ever.

Organic 130

Organic Climate change Sustainability Education 130

Michael Grossman

JUNE 10, 2020

"It takes two years to learn how to speak and sixty to learn how to keep quiet." --Ernest Hemmingway. As the COVID-19 crisis has played out, I've been watching with increasing unease how some in the climate action community are uncomfortably close to cheerleading for the pandemic because of the unintended consequences of reduced global carbon emissions.

Climate change 130

Climate change Carbon-neutral Carbon Pollution 130

Michael Grossman

MAY 11, 2020

In times of crisis, people show their true colors. At the outset of my state's coronavirus shutdown, I headed to my local Target to do what most Americans did--stock up on supplies. In the household cleaning aisles, I got a focus group worth of information about how we view green brands and why mass adoption continues to be slow. The Word 'Clean' Doesn't Necessarily Mean 'Green.'.

Packaging 147

Packaging Sustainability Transportation Organic 147

Michael Grossman

APRIL 27, 2020

And What Happens When Everyone Shows Up To The Party Wearing The Same Outfit? A month ago, I was scrambling to produce an ad for a client before Washington shut down due to the coronavirus. The client knew COVID-19 was going to cause a dramatic downturn in sales (especially on higher-end products) based on their experience during the 2008 banking meltdown.

Health 130

Health Logistics Packaging Government 130

Michael Grossman

FEBRUARY 15, 2020

The Cleantech Brand Is A Failure If No One Knows What It Means. Invariably, it happens. I'm out at an event with professionals. Maybe it's a business awards dinner like last week or at a convention. Someone will ask me what I do for a living, and I explain, "I'm a branding and marketing strategist with a focus in the cleantech sector.". Wait for it.the blank stare and nod.

Climate change 130

Climate change Pollution Waste Waste 130

Michael Grossman

JANUARY 10, 2020

Two words no CEO of a seven or eight-figure company ever likes hearing from me are "market research," as in, "I feel it would be helpful to clarify our value proposition, our strategic advantage, and our audience if we conducted some market research.". It's so toxic; I keep those two words in my back pocket at all meetings like an emergency fire alarm in case I want to cut the session short.

Technology 100

Technology Retail Education Investment 100