eBay Environmental Initiatives and Communications

In late 2008, eBay engaged Cone to develop a communications strategy and key messages aimed at raising awareness of its environmental commitment, policies and initiatives. Cone worked with eBay to create an integrated plan that would demonstrate and begin to establish eBay’s green credentials, lay a foundation for the “30 Days of Green” consumer engagement promotion, introduce the new eBay Green Team initiative and generate positive media coverage of the company’s commitment.

Cone developed an environmental communications strategy for eBay that included minimizing eBay’s environmental footprint and sharing progress, as well as promoting and enabling sustainable consumption among buyers and sellers. The partnership with Cone also helped highlight eBay’s key messages of commitment to support more sustainable consumer choices and shopping habits through business media, thought leaders, activists and corporate responsibility/environmental blogs.

Media outreach resulted in:

• 19.3MM media impressions in traditional and consumer-generated online media, as well as print media
• Coverage in major print and broadcast media, including The New York Times, The International Herald Tribune and CNBC
• Leveraged relationships with e-commerce and tech media, such as SiliconValley.com, Ecommerce Journal, Silicontap.com and online environmental publications, including TreeHugger, Environmental Leader and the San Francisco Chronicle’s blog, The Thin Green Line