You’re right… the strategy of targeting a market and delivering a message that resonates is a basic, time-tested marketing strategy… and really nothing new.

Interesting how small businesses are figuring this out, yet big businesses and old line media like Business Week are as clumsy as ever.

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I have no problems with this approach as long as you can “walk the walk”…  and know up-front, the long term price of  your decision.

As a business owner, is your passion consistent, transparent, and honest with your ACTIONS?

For example, my “Green” contractor friend… probably wants to make sure no one shows up on a job site slurping coffee outta a styrofoam cup… plus it probably takes him out of the Trex deck business.

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Thanks for planting the seed of this post with your Tweet, and coming back and responding. It’s a subject worth kicking around.

“Anti-preneur”? The term makes no sense to me. If you’re “Anti”- “preneur”… get a job and sleep easy. That’s the lame, linkbait tactic that BW, New York Times and other “old-school” media tends to adopt. In fact, it’s an “old-school” advertising ploy also. Cute and clever vs. actually using and testing direct response techniques that actually DO sell.

Yeah, the radio guy’s Business Model made the most sense, and seemed the most feasible and genuine to me. But, nothing new considering Sirus, last.fm…

Are people cynical about big business? Sure. Nothing new there either. Some of it’s deserved due to bone-headed corporate thinking and irresponsible short-term tactics driven by the quarterly earnings mentality. Few corporations have a long-term view, and few have a corporate ethic that rings true with their customers.

So the young demo is more likely to buy a “cause” product? Sure, they are more idealistic, but the ultimate vote is where the dollars are spent. They’re still buying lots of “soul-less” corporate stuff like mobile phones, cars, TVs, etc from large multi-nationals. Is the percentage of “cause” purchases increasing? That’s the key question.This means a shift in attitudes and buying patterns.

The Vegan thing rubbed me the wrong way. Why? Too preachy with an elitist air about it. Hey, I love animals, but I happen to value my relationships with other humans above my concerns about whether my belt is leather. While I’m sure there is a niche that drinks the Vegan Kool-Aid, I personally feel the movement lacks perspective… but that’s me.

Funny, as I’m writing this comment response, a client in Phoenix asked me if I’d be interested in doing some ads, Press Release, and Case Studies on “Green” construction. Hummm… am I conflicted?

Thanks for sharing your take on this. I got a similar reaction from J.P. Micek at TribalSeduction.com, and judging from the comments on the BizWeek article, others were not too thrilled either.

The term “antipreneur” seems to be a goad that pricked their sensibilities.

Being a former radio guy, my attention was caught by the guy & his wife who started an internet radio station with a passionate following and no advertising. What I found interesting, with this guy and the others, is “their marketing strategy is targeted toward consumers who have grown cynical about buying products and services from larger companies, whose methods they deem irresponsible.”I have found that this cynicism is a growing trend, especially among young people, and is influencing buying decisions.

A recent study by the American Marketing Association found:One out of every three consumers said they would be more likely to buy a product or service if they knew that a certain amount of the purchase price was being donated directly to a cause or campaign.Young people age 18-24 and women are most likely to buy a product or service connected to cause-related marketing.40% of women versus 30% of men were more likely to buy a product or service if they knew that a certain amount of the purchase price was being donated directly to a cause or campaign.46% of respondents age 18-24 versus 31% of respondents 45-64 were more likely to buy a product or service if they knew that a certain amount of the purchase price was being donated directly to a cause or campaign.

I agree, Walt, that by giving a percentage of your profits to a local charity, you are not less socially responsible than the businesses in this article. I thought the statement that “Antipreneurs are quick to differentiate their efforts to reform capitalism from social entrepreneurs’ attempts to harness business for philanthropic ends” was utterly ridiculous.

I also agree that the “antipreneur” label inflames the issues unnecessarily and that BizWeek’s framing of them didn’t paint the picture with the proper brush.

However, I don’t know that I agree with your statement that these businesses “exploit word of mouth with a targeted group of wealthy, and guilt-ridden, environmentally-conscious hypocrites”. Maybe it is overt exploitation. Or, maybe they’ve just made a strong emotional connection with a constituency that resonates with their message. This is what I find intriguing. I can’t judge whether there’s hypocrisy involved. I can say that having that kind of intense connection with your customers is, now more than ever, a critical component of your marketing strategy and should not be discounted.

Thanx for fueling the conversation!