In case you haven’t noticed, all that green/environmental/sustainability marketing that dominated the advertising of nearly every major corporation and many small and mid-sized businesses has all but disappeared.

It seems that most marketers have jumped from ecology to economy as the focus of their messaging. They’ve shelved their sustainability pitch to quickly deploy ads touting economic value and cost reduction.

Does this betray what was actually a shallow commitment to environmental sustainability to begin with? Or is it a common sense response to the deeply felt needs of consumers and businesses trying to navigate new economic realities? Probably a little of both.

It’s certainly interesting to see how suddenly so many companies’ marketing presence can be re-adjusted all at once—like a flock of birds that simultaneoulsy change course mid-flight to take on a whole new direction.

Marketing executives might take a cue from our new president, who happens to be the greatest political marketer of our time, and maybe of all time.

Example: In pressing for stricter emissions and fuel efficiency standards during a down economy, Mr. Obama has successfully fused together the trifecta of economic stimulus, environmental responsibility and national security.

It’s rare to be able to address so many concerns in one tightly formed policy, so there is a great lesson for marketers here. It’s what the cable companies call “bundling” when they try to sell you cable television, telephone and Internet access all at once. Mr. Obama has figured out how to bundle three crucial ideas into one “product.”

Thus, while many companies are bouncing around between which consumer sentiment to appeal to, the really smart ones will figure how to address multiple concerns in one big bundle. In our new value-driven economy, this skill may be an absolute necessity.

This week’s Super Bowl, as the exception to the rule, is a reminder of the decline and fall of mass media. The Super Bowl is one of the remaining few mass media events that earns the right to be viewed by its audience all at one time. As an institution reaching near holiday status in America, it is a byword that folks watch the Super Bowl as much for the commercials as the game.

But it is the exception to the rule. Media consumers now have far more control on the timing and format of the entertainment and information they use.

For example, Hulu (interstingly enough, a Super Bowl advertiser) enables visitors to watch movies and television shows with “limited commercial interruption” on their own time. The commercials are far less intrusive, fewer in number and shorter in duration. Good for the consumer. Good for the advertiser. Good for Hulu.

Compounded by the recessionary economy, mass media has perhaps met its demise. I live in a media market (Denver) where the two major daily newspapers are struggling for financial survival. Page counts of other publications are thinning like runway fashion models. Many are disappearing altogether or going completely digital. Broadcast media outlets are also losing audience numbers.

Meanwhile, search-enabled ads (e.g., Google AdWords) and context-driven banner advertising on the Web are doing quite well, with pricing going up as competitors outbid one another to be where the interested searchers are.

One notable exception to the media demise is trade media advertising. Because trade publications are focused on a clearly defined audience, advertising there still makes sense. Most trade pubs have a solid online presence as well, including email alerts and digital versions of their print magazines. This integration of online and print means that these trade publishers can reach folks that still like to hold and peruse a magazine in their hands but periodically want instant access online to the latest developments in their industry.

Oh yeah, one more note on Hulu: The site is re-running Super Bowl ads…sponsored by other advertisers! In one instance, a Bud Light commercial is actually sponsored by Coke Zero!