Have you seen this image before? Do you know who this is? None other than Che Guevara — a doctor by training and a hero of the Cuban revolution. That single one image: of Che in his black beret and tangled beard, with a red background has been reproduced a million and one times over. This image can be found throughout Latin America, painted on the sides of buildings and emblazoned on T-shirts and trinkets. You’ve probably also seen his image in the West, from Andy Warhol’s famous technicolor print to college campus icon and other modern interpretations.

No doubt, Che was a complex man - and his biography is littered with his penchant for brutality and violence. After the Cuban revolution, he traveled across Latin America and Africa in the 1960s supporting liberation movements for countries still struggling under colonial rule. He was by no means a saint, yet he has become a culture hero, embraced by consumer chic.

For one, he died an early death in 1967, and was soon immortalized into a mythic figure. But more importantly he came to symbolize the counter-culture rebel - willing to sacrifice everything in the pursuit of his ideals.

Now forty years later, a recent article by the BBC interviews the artist Jim Fitzpatrick who produced the original emblematic Che image, now one the most recognized icons of the 21st century. It’s a fascinating glimpse inside the creation of this widely adored and reviled culture symbol. For more on the history of this image, also check out this Wikipedia entry.

So a recent corporate survey says that most U.S. retailers are going green. Great news right? On the surface yes, until you find out the main reasons why: image to consumers, image to shareholders, and tax incentives. Should we as consumers be content that its happening regardless of the reasons why? Does this really improve our brand perceptions of a given company? I call it the latest example of greenwashing. (For more examples of greenwashing, visit CorpWatch and their BiMonthly GreenWashAwards).

How about implementing environmental friendly practices simply because “its the right thing to do”? Over time we will all reap a more sustainable economy, climate, and culture. Not to mention, that many companies do find a range of relatively short-term gains from the process. I continue to be amazed how far “green and sustainability” practices are being rationalized and co-opted by less than sincere motivations.  All I can say is buyer beware!

What is the responsibility of brand agencies, marketers, and consultants to hold their clients accountable? There is nothing worse than telling the right story for the wrong reasons. Eventually, if not immediately, your audience will discern the difference, and punish you for betraying them.

From Sustainable Business News

Oct. 2, 2007 — Two out of three leading U.S. retailers say they have implemented environmentally friendly practices and, among the top 100 largest companies, the percentage jumps to 83%, according to a new survey of chief financial officers in the retail sector.

Corporate image was the main motivator for going green (54% of CFOs cited “image among consumers” and 13% cited “image among shareholders”). Just 15% of respondents said tax breaks or tax incentives were the greatest motivator.

“Retailers are focused on the importance of implementing environmentally friendly and energy efficient business strategies,” says Catherine Fox-Simpson, a partner at BDO Seidman LLP, which conducted the study. “These businesses reap a two-fold benefit from pursuing green practices — consumer appeal and substantial tax breaks.”

Nearly half (44%) of those surveyed say they have upped their investment in green practices during the past two years. Sixty-two percent of the “top 100” have increased their green investments over the same period.

Imagine buying a car direct from the factory where it was built. Or more often the case these days, getting on a plane and flying thousands of miles to see where your car was crafted and assembled. My uncle did this a few years ago, traveling to Gothenberg, Sweden with his wife and daughter to visit the Volvo factory floor and enjoy an unforgettable car-buying experience. This sure beats a “certificate of authenticity”.

Other car makers have recently followed suit including BMW, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz — all long accustomed to devout customer champions. European car companies are creating museums and brand experience showrooms that celebrate their history, culture, and prestige of the brand, including a peek for customers to see where the magic happens. A recent New York Times article, describes a visit to the BMW factory in grandiose religious terms, and the economic impact of BMW’s brand strategy:

Starting in October, about 170 vehicles a day will be delivered to the cathedral-like showroom at BMW Welt (BMW World, in English). Rather than picking up a new car at a local dealership, drivers who pay a little extra for the privilege come here to receive delivery of their vehicles, finding them bathed in a spotlight and rotating on a turntable.

Even in a country famous for its worship of the automobile, rarely has so elegant a form been harnessed to so mundane a function. “Our dealers are like local churches, while BMW Welt is St. Peter’s Cathedral,” said Michael Ganal, BMW’s director of marketing.

BMW’s new service will be similar to that of Mercedes. German customers will buy their cars through a dealer and, for an extra charge of 457 euros ($630), will be able to pick them up at BMW Welt. (Americans can also pick up cars here; the price for European delivery will increase somewhat.) The owners will get a tour of BMW’s Munich assembly plant — its oldest, which produces the 3 Series compact — as well as vouchers to eat at restaurants in the delivery center.

But BMW Welt has grander ambitions. Its architect, Wolf D. Prix of the Vienna firm Coop Himmelb(l)au, said his model was not Volkswagen’s Autostadt but the Acropolis in Athens. “It’s a kind of covered plaza, where things can happen which are not necessarily connected with buying a car,” Mr. Prix said.

Nowadays, that competition turns as much on heritage and image as on horsepower and handling.“These buildings are an attempt to re-create product differentiation on a different plane,” said Garel Rhys, director of the Center for Automotive Industry Research at Cardiff University in Wales. “As the cars become almost homogeneous in technology, the battle is on the marketing side.”

…At a time when Detroit’s Big Three are retrenching and selling off assets, the German edifice complex also attests to the much healthier state of the auto industry here than in the United States. Still, with Toyota’s 18-year-old Lexus line outranking BMW and Mercedes in quality and reliability surveys, analysts say the Germans have little choice but to promote their pedigrees.

…Other German carmakers apparently feel the same pressure. Last year, Mercedes opened a sparkling, futuristic Mercedes-Benz museum in its home city, Stuttgart. Across town, Porsche is constructing its own ultramodern museum, whose construction makes it appear to hover above the ground. The granddaddy of such facilities is the Autostadt, a seven-year-old complex adjacent to Volkswagen’s factory in Wolfsburg, which features a museum and visitors center where customers can choose new cars that are then fetched from the factory and parked in a pair of circular glass towers.