HCMI Operation H.O.P Programs

	HARDLINES CONSERVATION MARKETING INITIATIVE Mission: To implement conservation marketing programs involving children, families and communities, designed to drive traffic into hardlines stores resulting in increased sales as well as an enhanced business image. Hardlines Industry+ Conservation Education +Marketing = a winning (and profitable) combination! According to reliable research, children and the environment are among the strongest themes in marketing. And involving children is a great way to involve adults. But, how do you involve kids with your store? With the new community program, Operation HOP! Operation HOP (Help Our Planet), is an umbrella program for many on-going campaigns that tie Hardlines retailers to their area schools, families, and communities using Bog FrogŽ and nationally syndicated conservation radio programs.
For more information on Operation HOP and how it can benefit your business, check our website at www.bogfrog.com/ophopretail.htm or call 1-800-944-3764 or e-mail your request for information to bogfrog@bogfrog.com.
The Flow of Community-Wide Conservation Programs

*Specific Operation HOP programs will include:*
	Rechargeable Battery Recycling: The RBRC program is a turnkey national program offered free of charge and backed by national advertising and celebrity endorsements. The recycling of Nickel-Cadmium batteries is tied directly to sales of tools, telephones, toys, and other batteries through Operation HOP.
	Fluorescent Tube Recycling: New EPA rules allow this to be a national effort - not state ruled. This program allows retailers to earn profits on recycling while working cooperatively with area utilities, waste haulers and manufacturers. Perfect for Operation HOP.
	Energy Conservation: Simple practical and money saving products are available in all hardlines stores which save energy. Promoting your products through Operation HOP gets parents to assess their home’s energy consumption and new product options.
	Water: Products to purify and save water are becoming more important every year. Children show parents how easy it is to have healthy water and reduce their water costs through Operation HOP
	Paint Recycling: Paint recycling programs have been conducted successfully in hundreds of communities. A primary focus of this initiative is to assess, evaluate, and refine existing paint recycling programs into a single replicable program for all states. Operation HOP will produce many case studies.

The WATER Foundation	The Tie That Binds Everything Together-- Marketing Conservation Marketing has never been easier or less expensive. Through a combination of broadcast, Internet and trade advertising vehicles, the Hardlines Conservation Marketing Initiative (HCMI) is positioned to reach all hardlines stores and virtually all Americans over the next decade. Initial marketing partners are The WATER Foundation (TWF), the National Retail Hardware Association (NRHA), and the Home Center Institute (HCI). Retailers, vendors and other stakeholders are being invited to join by these initial partners. See below for contact information. The WATER Foundation offers a backbone of national advertising conducted through its national radio network, serving hundreds of markets, thousands of stores and millions of daily listeners. The WATER Foundation offers regularly scheduled conservation programs and air time for participating local retailers. Research, case studies and in-depth information is available from them (see below). The NRHA and the HCI provide trade communication and services to over 44,000 hardware and home center stores. Their leading publications, ‘The Hardware Retailer’ and the ‘Do It Yourself Retailer’ will carry information and advertising, and their website will carry resources and services for stores to utilize. Contacts for more information: NRHA / HCI: 800-772-4424 The WATER Foundation: 218-764-2321 • E-mail: bogfrog@bogfrog.com • Š2002 The WATER Foundation. Bog Frog and H.O.P. (Help Our Planet), are trademarks of The WATER Foundation. All Rights Reserved.