Some would say that the "green" movement has been going on for a long time. But most would disregard that. And that’s primarily because while it has been going on for a while on the consumer side, it hasn't quite caught on until recently on the professional side. For the informed careerists amongst us, the green movement is only now becoming visible. Recently, a colleague asked me, "Do you think the green economy is real?" While being completely earnest, the question brought home the belief that most people continue to see "green" as a personal choice, and not necessarily an economic consideration.

 

Personal belief aside, blogs, news aggregators and mainstream media have jumped on the opportunity to cover the green, whether it is the do-good aspect of it or the jobs part. Regrettably when you expand green to the umbrella of sustainability, understanding looks turn to bafflement and interest changes into ignorance. And here is where the advent of social media has been a boon for advocates and some proactive practitioners. Beneath the intense glimmer of Twitter, Facebook and other media is the real purposeful medium available for the loudest amongst us to create change and communicate it without needing to write editorials that fight for room in mainstream media or conduct public sermons.

 

Fantastically used to its hilt can bring grass roots movements to the forefront of any economy. A great example is the very recently launched Pepsi Refresh Project. PepsiCo as a company has been highly vocal about embracing sustainability as a cultural change, pioneered most prominently by CEO Indra Nooyi. (Read: Putting the "Social" in CSR", where Pepsi's Global Director of Digital and Social Media, Bonin Bough discusses performance on purpose) Not surprisingly then their first project aimed to use the power of social media to not only subtly change their brand image but also to drive their internal message of corporate responsibility, externally through their consumer base.

 

Another great example is Dell with their recent project, Dell Go Green. A similar concept to Pepsi, Dell approaches the concept a tad differently by offering prizes for the best ideas. Another difference: The project started as a way of soliciting ideas on environmentally-friendly product improvements and green initiatives in the tech world. However, today the project has undergone metamorphosis to becoming an active community of green-minded individuals who not only debate on the posted ideas but also take the simple task of "voting" for a green idea much further by engaging in an opinionated and candid introspection of the idea.

 

And this is where these two global companies hit the nail on the head. Because let's face it: they're both multinational behemoths that didn’t need to do this outreach. People would still continue drinking soda and buying Dell laptops. However, it was not just the attractiveness of their products or their necessity. It is that increasingly market share is being dictated by much more than traditionally simple factors of performance, price and benefit. Jeffrey Hollender, founder of consumer products company Seventh Generation put it best, although he wasn’t just talking about green efforts: "Take the 'S' when discussing CSR because it isn't just a social or environmental issue." It is all business.

 

Aptly, there is a common joke about conducting business in India: If your idea is good, it will do well because of the sheer number of Indian consumers, with little or no marketing or PR efforts. Keep your prices low and you'll see your profits grow just from the absolute volume. It is these sheer numbers that makes social media a force to reckon with. Participants in social media can transform a fledgling idea into a successful campaign in a matter of days and without any of the traditional (and often, expensive) public relations or marketing exercises.

 

So, while there are risks to nursing an obsession with social media and the opportunities that seem just a click away, the benefits far outweigh them. And there is a real meaningful method to the madness. For all you know, you might be one significant conversation away from aligning your career with sustainable business, by which I simply mean a responsible way of decision making. Sounds simple right? Go ahead, try it. Going green has a business case, and you don’t need Gandhian ideals to realize the potential.