With fears over climate change and the damage we are doing to the world steadily increasing, businesses need to adapt. For businesses in the public eye, following environmentally friendly initiatives will mean you can contribute to saving the planet while also bolstering your reputation with customers and attracting top talent to your business.
With 62% of business executives believing that green strategies are necessary for businesses to remain competitive, going green can make all the difference. In this article, we will explain Green Marketing and how you can leverage its strategies, both for the benefit of your business and the world as a whole.
What Is Green Marketing?
Green marketing, also known as eco-marketing or environmental marketing, refers to the marketing of goods or services by highlighting their environmental benefits. Green marketing strategies involve brands demonstrating how they have adapted missions and processes to benefit the environment rather than only generating revenue.
Why Is Green Marketing So Important?
Being environmentally friendly can make or break a business. One study by Futurra found that 96% of people believe their actions make a difference, and you can imagine how that will affect their decision when choosing which company to buy from. Aside from this, there are several other reasons for going green with your marketing:
- You help the environment for the good of the world.
- Your business will be seen as progressive and forward-thinking.
- Your brand will quickly become more liked and trustworthy.
- You will attract a growing number of eco-friendly customers.
- You will have a new USP to help your business stand out.
Popular And Effective Green Marketing Strategies
Develop A Greener Offering
Depending on the goods or services your business provides, developing a new environmentally-friendly offering can be a great way to demonstrate your business’s Green-focused approach. Some elements you will need to consider in developing your new product or service include:
- How will it benefit the environment?
- What sources/materials/processes will you use and how are they eco-friendly?
- Can you adapt an existing product/service to make it more eco-friendly?
This list by the Federal Trade Commission is a great place to start when considering what you can do to make your products greener.
Become An Environmental Advocate
All businesses can decide to become environmental advocates, which can mean a huge positive impact on your business’s reputation by taking a few simple steps. Here are a few common choices for businesses looking to present themselves as a green advocate:
- Commit to donating a portion of your profits to charity: this will usually be for a particular product or service.
- Develop a new environmental goal for your business and share it in your campaigns and newsletters. This could be: reducing harmful emissions, reducing waste, switching to recyclable materials, etc.
- Switch to local or more environmentally friendly sources or partners.
- Implement internal green policies e.g. going paper-free in the offices, car-pooling or cycle-to-work initiatives, plastic-free lunches, etc.
These are just a few examples, but your environmental advocacy can touch all areas of your business.
Packaging Improvements
If you send anything to customers, whether that is marketing materials or products, it can be an easy switch to ensure that all the packaging materials you are using are eco-friendly. Here are a few methods to consider:
- Find paper and another packaging from recycled materials.
- Avoid plastics – these are a major problem when it comes to pollution.
- Stop using unnecessary packaging or try naked packaging.
- Be selective with packing and delivery partners – find an eco-friendly option.
Green Manufacturing
Unless you are manufacturing in-house it can be hard to fully understand the impact your manufacturing partners are having on the environment. To help limit the harmful effects of your business you should look into manufacturing options that:
- Limit wasted material/products.
- Don’t pollute the environment with chemicals/wasted material.
- Are local and require less transportation.
Offset Your Environmental Impact
Sometimes damaging the environment is unavoidable. However, even if you feel your business is always going to create some damaging effect you can still counter this through an environmental offset strategy. These involve decisions that – in time – can overcome your harmful actions, for example:
- Planting a tree for every product sold.
- Donating to certain charities.
- Sponsoring eco-friendly research and events.
Conclusion
Globally the market for green technology and sustainability is growing rapidly year after year, and it’s expected to more than double by 2025. Taking this as an indicator, we can assume that green marketing is also only going to increase in importance. Creating good processes, habits and partnerships now will mean your business has a better chance of expanding and remaining successful in the years to come.
The list above offers a valuable starting point for businesses looking to become more environmentally friendly. It is important to highlight that green initiatives should affect the whole marketing mix (product, price, place and promotion). Fortunately, with so many elements of your business involved in going green, it is easy to find new ways to improve the impact you are having on the environment and impress your increasingly eco-focused customers.
Author Bio: This article was written by Eloise Tobler of Wisetek Store. Wisetek Store was created to give our customers access to high quality, reliable and affordable refurbished tablets. Click here to learn more – https://www.wisetekstore.com.
