LOHAS Blog

LOHAS and the Spa World
4.10.08

I have just returned from a conference in Thailand called the Turning Point and was an executive spa conference. I never thought I would be entering the spa world but there I was - robed with slippers and ready for cucumbers on the eyes. What was interesting is the fact that the typical spa goer profile is on par with the LOHAS consumer. And rightly so as many LOHAS consumers feel a stronger connection to mind/body/spirit than conventional people. They are also looking for experiences that will enhance their well being. What better way to do this than some of the spa resorts that are around - especially in Asia. For those that are in the spa world - pay attention to LOHAS consumer characteristics and what they are looking for - especially when it comes to green spa products and sustainable destinations. Some spas that are doing a great job with this are Six Senses and Chiva Som. Both are luxurious destinations but are putting their best foot forward in social giveback and environmentalism. Six Senses owns a chain of amazing luxury spas but have a very comprehensive sustainability program. I was impressed with thier cooling system of thier property in Phuket Thailand. They circulate air through hoses that are connected throughout the resort and placed along the ocean floor and get cool in which they then cycle cool air throughout the property. Cool! Chiva Som is another excellent resort that provides some amazing social give back programs to the local communities. They organize beach cleanups, marathon races that benefit the local schools, and they teach literacy and nutrition classes to underserved in the area. 

So if you are planning a getaway vacation and you really want to get away yet maintain LOHAS values - I highly recommend looking at these two locations.
 

So Where Did the LOHAS Consumer Come From?  - Part I
3.22.08

To understand LOHAS, one must understand the development of sustainability and environmentalism; the precursors to LOHAS.  I feel there are several prominent leaders who had notable impacts on the evolution of modern day sustainability concepts According to Andres Edward’s The Sustainability Revolution, the foundation of modern sustainability is in the human connection with nature, expressed first in United States through the New England Transcendentalist movement of the 1800s.  Many Transcendentalist thought that leaders, such as Henry Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson emphasized the importance of nature as a mystery full of symbols and spirituality.  I think Emerson articulated this best when he said,
 
“The Transcendentalist adopts the whole connection of spiritual doctrine.  They believe in miracle; in the perpetual openness of the human mind to new influx of light and power; they believe in inspiration and ecstasy”. - Emerson

Sounds familiar to the ideals that LOHAS embraces today doesn’t it?  Emerson’s buddy, Henry Thoreau, wrote Walden in 1854 and described his experience of living a simple life in a small hut next to Walden pond in Concord, Massachusetts.  Thoreau emphasized the virtues of libertarianism and individualism. 

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived”. - Walden

Sounds very Zen eh? The works of Emerson and Thoreau helped establish the transcendentalist movement and the view of nature as a teacher and was enhanced by other writers and naturalists in the 20th Century.  One of these was John Muir who was a U.S. inventor, writer, naturalist, and conservationist.  He played a large role in bringing attention to the importance of conservation of the U.S. wetlands in the early 1900’s.  But Muir had a different take on things. Unlike transcendentalists who saw nature as a way to reflect divine aspects of self, Muir emphasized the crucial need to protect vital resources such as water and forest supply.  Also, he emphasized the crucial role of wilderness for recreation and to uplift the human spirit. I think we can all relate to this as we tend to get that rocky mountain high when camping or interacting with nature is some way. I certainly do! No substance abuse needed!

 “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike”.  - Muir

Muir traced the environmental impact of sheep and cattle ranching and ultimately influenced President Theodore Roosevelt to establish a series of conservation programs that included the creation of some inconspicuous parks you may have heard of such as; 

(a) Yosemite National Park
(b) The Petrified Forest 
(c) Sequoia National Forest
(d) Grand Canyon National Parks

Muir was instrumental in the development the Sierra Club that has had a long lasting influence on conservation issues. He once said, “Do something for wilderness and make mountains glad”. Translation  – happy mountains are good mountains.

Following in Muir’s footsteps during the 1940s and 50s, the American conservationist Aldo Leopold extended the notion that nature is not merely a mirror and teacher, but an ecosystem that is directly tied to human survival and the baseline of community. 

 “The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soils, waters, plants, and animals, or collectively: the land.” - Leopold

 Leopold’s vision and writings stand as a milestone in regard to concerns about the ethical treatment of the environment and how it relates to community. 

You can’t talk about LOHAS evolution without giving kudos to Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring. She was one of the first environmentalists of the modern era who wrote during a time when there was very limited awareness about the threat of industry on the environment.  She is particularly known for her 1962 writings on pesticides and more specifically the hazardous effects of Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane (DDT) that was commonly used as a pesticide against mosquitoes and commercial insecticide at that time.  If you look back at old photos during that time you can see pictures of tankers spaying DDT in neighborhoods while children follow closely behind frolicking in the spray. Carson believed that the leaders of industry and business were very narrow sighted and she suggested that DDT and other pesticides cause cancer.  She believed it was an era of specialists, each of whom sees his or her own problem and is unaware of or intolerant of the larger frame into which it fits.  Carson was one of the first to publicly state that the 1960s was an era dominated by industry, in which the means to make a dollar at whatever cost was seldom challenged. 

“When the public protests, confronted with some obvious evidence of damaging results of pesticide applications, it is fed little tranquilizing pills of half truth”. - Carson

  Her writings were some of the first to present how unregulated businesses practice can result in health risks, and she brought this information into the public view.  This raised awareness of industrial chemical usage and sparked a public outcry that eventually led to DDT becoming banned in the U.S. in 1972.   This was the beginning of a time when people began to question business practice and to develop additional consciousness of the connection between the environment and personal health.  The works of Leopold and Carson became iconic because of the powerful blend of environment and ethics.  The awareness raised by Carson and others environmentalist during the 1960s culminated in 1970 with the first Earth Day celebration that attracted 20 million people to enthusiastic and peaceful rallies throughout the U.S. Earth Day served to educate the general public about the impact of industrial society on the environment.  Also, it began the process of government to pass laws such as the Clean Air Act (1963) and the Clean Water Act (1972) to protect the environment and establish regulatory agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), whose purpose is to protect human health and the environment. I think there are many different factors that tie into the evolution of LOHAS. However I think these particular individuals influence has had a profound impact on the development of the current LOHAS concept.  In the next segment I will examine the more modern shifts that have occurred to establish the market segments within LOHAS.

The Largest Market No One Has Heard Of
3.17.08
Podcast Interview

Here an interview with FallingfruitTV.com with me on the LOHAS Market and the LOHAS consumer.
We talked about what makes up the LOHAS consumer and if the market is growing.

Click here to listen (Title - The Largest Market You Have Never Heard Of) Dated -3.12.08

Click here to listen (Title - How Green is Green Enough) Dated - 3.17.08




Connecting With the LOHAS Consumer
3.07.2008

The LOHAS consumers are the ones who are the innovators and early adapters to values based products and services. They have led the charge to what is now considered savvy marketing practices in mainstream marketing practice. This is particularly needed in the ever-greening of products. Today, consumers are getting bombarded with all kinds of ads of products promising to be green. Commercials with cars driving in green grass fields, or singing fish for a petroleum company, or soda growing from trees are all trying to hypnotize the viewer to believe they are a green, LOHAS company.  According to a survey done by Energy Pulse, consumers are experiencing green fatigue.  Sheldon Group’s CEO, Suzanne Shelton said, "People are becoming much more inquiring about the bill of green goods being sold to them -- not only in terms of 'is it as green as what they say it is?' but also 'does it matter enough to me to pay extra?...Marketers should take notice with respect to the content and credibility of their messages. Prices matter, and consumers may be growing weary of companies that appear to tout 'green' merely as a marketing ploy."

Greenwashing is a big issue that muddles up the consumers decision making process and makes promotions of an authentic brand more challenging.  Here are some basic tips for those who want to demonstrate they are not just in it for the green but that they value authentic green practices.

Prove It – get recognizable third party certifications on your products. These certifications are independent and have their own screening process. Additionally, any other seals of approval will provide better buy in from the consumer. Some of these include USDA Organic, Fair Trade and Energy Star.

Validation From Others – word of mouth is the best form of marketing. Get the word out about your product. Make sure your staff is well educated and understand they are part of the product sell. Remember that all employees are ambassadors of your products. If they represent you well then you don’t look good.

Audits by Third Parties – getting eco-audits or providing transparency on your business practices will demonstrate to customers you don’t have anything to hide. If there are instances where you can’t exclude a non-natural component to your product, such as some ingredients found in cleaning products, then come clean with it and let people know you are aware of the situation and that you are working on it.  Consumers will appreciate this much more than the stone wall policies some corporations use. They want you to be honest and real with them.

Partner with a Non-Profit that Makes Sense – Providing community give back through a charity or nonprofit is ideal to demonstrate you are a caring company. It is important to remember that partnering with the appropriate nonprofit is necessary.  For example, if you are a company promoting and eco-friendly product it makes more sense to partner with an environmentally oriented nonprofit that consumers can see the logical connection.

Let the Detectives Work – Provide access to in-depth information about your company and your products. Place a website link on your packaging that allows those that are interested in learning more about your product to do some research.

Come Down from the Mountain – people relate to people better than they relate to brands. Tell your story. Tell the story of those in your company. This gives your company personality and faces that people understand and relate to. They want to have conversations where they can speak ‘with’ and not spoken ‘at’.

Walk the Talk – look into areas of your business that can be improved upon to demonstrate you are an authentic LOHAS company. Get a focus group of employees to concentrate on areas that they collectively see they can improve upon. It could be greening your office, looking into SRI based 401K plans, or other projects.

Keep on Truckin’ – Remember this is a work in progress and is not something that is done and then forgotten about. This is a continuous work in progress that needs to be constantly adapted with the ever changing market. LOHAS consumers will let you know when you slack. Keep up on the latest happenings in the LOHAS space to know how best to position your brand.

Changes in Business 
02.24.2008

It is truly amazing to see the growth of consciousness in the general public regarding LOHAS values. It seemed like only yesterday when we had to shove common logic on environmental awareness and social injustices as they related to corporate practices. Well my friends it seems that times have changed. If you are a multinational corporation that has a website and you don’t have a space dedicated to social responsibility, then people think you are hiding something. Good social responsibility means good business and companies are finally realizing that. This is proven in many studies that have come out. A recent article claimed that almost 90% of the U.S. population state that it is important for companies to not just be profitable, but to be mindful of their impact on the environment and society. Another study showed that more than four out of five organizations in seven countries are participating in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices.

Why is this happening now? What has caused the transformation in corporate America? I see a few reasons.

1.    The consumer is becoming more educated.

Today’s consumer is looking for the best options for them and their families. In the era of the information revolution there is no place to hide poor business practices. And companies need to manage their reputations more than ever. Consumers are looking for companies to speak to them in a personal way. They want the big corporations to come down from the mountain and have a conversation with them. Those that don’t will continue to have a limited understanding of the market and their customers.

2.    As society progresses so does technology.

Becoming sustainable is not just another way but it is becoming a BETTER way. Creating waste is expensive. You have to pay someone to haul it away. Then you have to pay someplace to put it. Energy is expensive. Businesses are always looking for smart ways to cut costs. Efficiencies developed for the sake of bottom line costs help both the environment and expenses. Modern technology is helping companies with these issues.

3.    Up and coming leaders driving new internal changes

The next generation of business leaders has a different mindset when it comes to sustainable business practices. They are typically the ones who are driving the change from within a corporate culture and are the ones who are also now becoming the new leaders of the business world. What was once considered radical and unorthodox practice such as organic foods, office greening and sense of meaning in the workplace, is now more sought after by a growing number of new and vocal staff.

These are some of the key points that I see that have contributed to the new change that is being accepted as good business practice from the business world that I hope continues and evolves.

 

LOHAS Gets Under the Skin
2.17.2008

A recent article in Skin Inc Magazine has focused on the LOHAS Market. I am very excited about this as I think the beauty industry needs some major work regarding developing standards for ingredients as it is unregulated now. This means I can put kerosene in my hair or spray motor oil under my arms and not know about it as many labels don't disclose ingredients or if they do you need a Ph.D. in chemistry to decipher the words.  The Skin Deep cosmetic database offers consumers a way to know exactly what is in a beauty product and know what exactly is safe and what is not. Skin Deep pairs ingredients in more than 25,000 products against 50 definitive toxicity and regulatory databases, making it the largest integrated data resource of its kind. I highly recommend reviewing this site to get educated on what typically people consider benign when it comes to health.

Because of the lethargy within the industry to improve standards, some states are taking matters into their own hands. The California Safe Cosmetics Act, which took effect on Jan. 1, requires cosmetics companies to tell state health authorities if a product contains any chemical on several government lists covering possible cancer-causing agents or substances that may harm the reproductive system. This is a good start to some changes that need to be addressed in the cosmetic industry. I see USDA organic certification as a seal of credibility and approval as it is used in foods to be used in the beauty care market. Here are some basic principles to note regarding companies that claim to be organic or use the USDA Organic seal:

- 100% Organic  It may bear the USDA Organic seal. The product contains ONLY organically produced ingredients. 

- The product contains at least 95% organic ingredients. The USDA Organic seal may be used.

- Made with Organic Ingredients Contains at least 70% organic ingredients.

- The product does NOT qualify to carry the USDA organic seal.

Because of the rise in popularity for organics and the opportunity for profits many large corporations are lobbying for a reduction in USDA regulations of organics. If you are interested in learning more about natural and organic skin care here are a few article links . I would also recommend visiting the Organic Consumers Association for information on organics. An article called'What's Lurking in your Cosmetics"is a good read.



Inital Entry
2.14.2008

Okay our new website is up and running. Horray! I never thought it would take so much effort but we have a new look that I hope all enjoy. Our goals with the website is to provide useful and updated information for businesses and individuals. While putting the website together it was clear from all the email inquiries and phone calls that many people are interested in learning more about LOHAS and what it all means. This is great to hear as I see LOHAS mentioned in recent magazine articles and other media more and more each week. At the same time I see new announcements of new products, new innovations and enhanced business practices that are in line with LOHAS values. I find that this is astounding when looking back only 5 years ago when people were celebrating the health benefits of bottled water. Now its a different story as the mountain of plastic grows in landfills. The Earth Policy Insitute website states that the global consumption of bottled water reached 154 billion liters (41 billion gallons) in 2004, up 57 percent from the 98 billion liters consumed five years earlier. Even in areas where tap water is safe to drink, demand for bottled water is increasing—producing unnecessary garbage and consuming vast quantities of energy. There are steps to curb this effort as stores have pledged to phase out plastic bags and even countries have announced commitments to eliminate plastic bags. I think this point however demonstrates the evolution of sustainability in society and is a classic example of thinking looking at things in one way and learning it is a much more complex issue down the road. Anyone who has ever tried to take apart a bike or home appliance may relate. (I've tried this myself and have failed to put either back together without having some parts remaining. To all of you mechanically inclined folks - I envy you.) As people become more aware of sustainable lifestyles and the challenges associated with 'living la vida LOHAS' and how thier actions can affect the size of a growing mountains of plastic, it causes some to reconsider throwing that empty bottle in the trash or recycling it. This is a micro example of the larger picture. There is also opportunity for clever entrepreneurs to capitalize on this. 

My point is that the LOHAS path is a journey and an evolution. There will likely always be challenges and unforseen circumstances when attempting to lead a LOHAS life or develop a LOHAS oriented business. As Bruce Piaseki put it, people are tinkerers rather than thinkers. As we evolve so will the movement and hence so will operations both personal and societal.