Vermont was green before green was cool

Though we normally blog about changing habits, great sustainable businesses and organizations that are making a difference – this is a little human interest entry from the office of D2E.

Like all small business owners, we never stop working. Even while we are relaxing over the weekend we will be reading up on the latest sustainable topics or reviewing blogs and talking to people about our mission. On Sunday Oct 5, during the 50 states in 50 days tour, Good Morning America came to Killington, VT. Ted and I spend a lot of time up in Vermont, so when we heard that this was happening we decided to try our first attempt at Guerilla marketing. What the heck? Right? My grandfather's voice was in the back of my head saying "There aint no free lunches Missy" but I shrugged if off for the excitement and rush of my smiling face and our website being on the screen while America watches the weather report.

So we made a sign - a simple sign - that had the D2E website url on it, and nothing more. I figured that if someone was going to get a glance of it, it should be clear and to the point. I don't watch much TV myself, so I was not sure what size the sign should be... I realized upon arrival that we had made the muthuh of all signs. It was big.



I was able to get into the front row of people that would be standing behind Marisol the weather woman. I decided to use the small sign, since I was up front - and Ted took the big sign to the back. I could see my sign in the monitor that was facing us, so I was sure that I was successful. I strategically put my sign right next to the little girl next to me, thinking the camera would be attracted to her cute face. Reveling in my success, I easily ignored the pain in my knees from kneeling on jagged rocks for an hour while we waited for the two minutes of live TV that we had.

After the weather report, I met up with Ted again only to learn that he was in the back of the crowd with our big sign, holding it above people's heads while they were filming. Apparently he was doing this while they asked us to keep our signs down, so he was scolded and asked to leave. Ted started to really like this guerilla marketing stuff.

In the end, we did not get on national television. They cropped us out! The nerve. But all was not in vein, we did make it to the front page of the Rutland Herald in VT. : )

Considering this was our first attempt we felt that it was a success and it definitely was good fun. The whole crew at GMA was great and Wendy, the producer of the Vermont segment, did a great job. I think they enjoyed their time at the peak as well.

On another note, one of my fellow sign holders was wearing a beautiful IBEX jacket.