Nevertheless, my presentation, titled “Digital Shops Turning Green- How We Got Here & Where We’re Going” reveals an optimistic picture of digital shops and their shades of green, and by contrast, points out the roadblocks presented when sourcing information or products. As I chart the progress of Sustainability within the predominantly digital sign arena – typical shops with 5 to 6 employees, revenues of a half-million on up per annum – we have come a long way. Farther than some realize….
First, a little background: The ‘eco-cops’ of the ’90’s are now the backbone of the environmental movement in the US…
These headlines were from March of 2008. We’re three years into the Broccoli Diaries…
Though it’s not always a bed of lettuce…
It still translates into a small amount of tangible work relative to the hype surrounding this type of project. A recent survey of 300 supply chain managers by Capgemini puts the disconnect between interest and projects into perspective: From 2009 to 2010, the percentage of respondents who felt sustainability was an important business driver almost doubled.
The percentage of projects respondents planned to undertake in 2010, on the other hand, increased by only 4%. InfoTrends reports that 40% of printer clients in the UK are requesting sustainable products, vs. only 20% in the US. The numbers are growing, however.
I made a point at the SGS conference: I described what I call a “Participation Curve.tm” This is the measure of the amount (%) of participation - and over time the rate of “enrollment” – of the members of a group in a cause, program, activity or initiative. A curve implies a tapering off. I contrasted this with the movement to sustainability, which I termed a “migration.” Ultimately, this eco-consciousness will not be a point of differentiation. It will be the water we swim in.
Think of this overall climate for sustainability as The Responsibility Era. We’re finally “owning it” – our green initiatives, our need to adapt, become nimble, sustainability-focused entities. Not so good news: This focus is still blurry, for many.
You are busy. Projects and clients demand your attention. You want to move in this direction, but the task seems overwhelming. Here is your natural green footpath:
Select a “champion” of green – your “eco-cop”
Surprise! Many follow! Operations Improve!
Turn a product “green”
Walk the talk, tell your clients
Clients now seek your green expertise
You are now offering MANY green products!
This new sustainable mindset from within the company fosters an environment where employees now challenge everyday operations and actually look for alternative ways to build and design projects. The carbon-reduced systems and products grow!
These are then, naturally, the “organic” steps – seems appropriate 
– for digital sign shops, in their most simple form.
Translation: Don’t segregate sustainability from design.
When Turning Green,
the #1 Challenge for the Digital Sign Shop is…
Finding the stuff.
Here’s some interesting news about the Current Reality: Sign companies are looking outside the usual sign company relationships to find green products. They are buying direct from manufacturers, sourcing oversees, finding on-line, and buying from construction trade resources.
This creates a misleading impression among sign industry suppliers and distributors that demand is marginal.
One of our shop owners had to research for the appropriate product, found something new, and is using it — a new “green” product from DAP – from the construction trade suppliers. This is, in his mind, a large beta test – he’ll report results back, every few years.
We conducted a recent poll – in preparation for the presentation. We asked, of their needs for environmentally friendly products, what percent were purchased from their regular supplier – 25%. What percentage (total) was purchased from a sign industry supplier – only about half! The other 50% were from on-line resources, Home Depot type facilities, and direct from manufacturers!
And that is how it goes, right now, in the industry. The search is on, the need is prevalent, but the purchases are going outside the industry in many cases. But shift happens!
In the last few days, a supplier jumped on board the green wagon with both feet. Check out the “Broccoli Files” at Interstate Electric!
Denco Sales added a “Green page” on their site with an interesting selection, and Ecosignage.org attempts to catalog products and information- (though you can’t order products there)…
ISA is building a database of products and case studies…
SGIA offers a wealth of information and certification …
SEDG is a leader in sustainability initiatives …
And leading sign manufacturers are building the knowledge bank and share all of this, but we need the missing link…
We need the supplier-distributor link as well. That’s the missing piece for digital sign businesses.
Resources easily accessible, for purchase today and delivery tomorrow.
Information, for sign business owner and their clients.
Together… with our clients. With Fortune 500 companies. With the local green grocer. With national chains, with WalMart, with GE, and with our sign industry partners. Partners like all of you.
Economists view environmental damage as a classic “externality”—a cost that impacts society but isn’t imposed on producers or consumers. But with scientific consensus that carbon emissions threaten our climate, there’s growing political will to curb them, particularly with the global powers set to meet in Copenhagen in December. The Obama administration is pushing for a cap-and-trade system that would turn companies’ emissions into a bottom-line cost. Smart companies are working to better understand—and cut—those emissions ahead of new regulations.
There are approximately 30,000 sign companies in the United States. Of these, roughly 20,000 offer digital sign products such as photographic images on banners, vehicles, store windows, interior walls, building wraps, and more.
