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Many of us have been struggling to find the ultimate example of brand utility, something that goes beyond the cliche that Nike Plus has become, but now I think I have found it.

Created by an enterprising design company in the UK, Wattson and Holmes (the Brits are good with naming puns) are an elegant solution to measuring your home's energy consumption.

Wattson is the sensor unit and Holmes is the software that allows you to see snazzy graphs and data.



Utility companies have some of the worst brand reputations in the world, they get no respect because people feel they are being gouged, a tool like this could help repair their broken reputations and image.

The beauty of the device is that it makes people personally accountable for their consumption and gives them data in an easy to use and understandable format.

We need more tools like this to show people how their individual actions can make a difference.

All Wattson and Holmes now need to do is to hook themselves up to a networked community so the cumulative impact of users energy savings can be measured.


Posted by Ed Cotton Wal-Mart has launched a number of green initiatives in the last 24 months, but all of them have been internally focused.

A couple of days back, the company went further than it's even done by bringing its suppliers into the mix. It's picked some categories and is asking suppliers in DVDs, toothpaste, soap, milk, beer, vacuum cleaners, and soda to look at their greenhouse gas emissions. It looks more of a carrot, than a stick, allowing suppliers to benefit from its own learning, rather than an accounting system to punish those that don't achieve targets. In fact, there are no targets for individual suppliers, Wal-Mart only has its own goal.

The net impact of the initiative will be to raise the profile of green measurement across a broad range of categories in consumer products. Obviously, the benefits for those that jump on board will be two-fold.

1. Cost savings- the accounting system will identify areas where companies can save money- as well as greenhouse gases

2. PR- There's the potential to publicize your efforts, but tread very carefully here.

Overall, it looks like its a smart step in the right direction with obvious benefits for Wal-Mart and its supply chain.

However, it's toothless and without serious targets in the program, one has to question how much impact it's really going to have.


Posted by Ed Cotton