As consultants in green marketing and brand development, we have an admitted bias that a green commitment is good for business. But nowhere is that more evident to us than in the recent bankruptcy of General Motors.

No, we're not suggesting that the problems at GM are a result of not being green enough, it's far more complicated than that. The consensus of opinion seems to be that GM's demise has been decades in the making. But we can't help but note how seemingly serendipitously positioned green-leader Toyota is to pick up the business not going to GM right now. And we can't help but note how Toyota's green focus successfully positions them as forward-thinking and respondent to consumers' desires for fuel efficiency and a green focus.

Was Toyota so visionary as to predict any of what's happening now to GM? No. But what they did do right was look toward the future sooner than GM did, and they prioritized fuel-efficient technology higher and with more immediacy in mind.

"Toyota has a headstart, and it's always a challenge to catch the guy in front,'' said Eric Fedewa, director of powertrain forecasts for consulting firm CSM Worldwide in Farmington Hills, Michigan, in an article according to www.bloomberg.com. "Toyota dedicated themselves to hybrids much earlier."

Toyota got the Prius out into circulation, being used by real people every day, establishing themselves as an initiator brand. And as the initiators, they also positioned themselves to receive valuable consumer feedback -- feedback that's invaluable to refining hybrid technology.

The lesson here we think is don't sit on the sidelines. Green business initiatives are about engaging in the process of making innovative improvements to products and services, so they can become more efficient and therefore more environmentally responsible. Good brand positioning is about listening to consumer needs and responding with products and service that address those needs. Toyota did that. Toyota did that better than GM, and really, better than just about any other car company. And now they're in an enviable position to benefit from it. ~