| Everywhere you read, search, listen and watch, | | | | paper to read. Printing only occurs if the customer |
| green is king. Whether it's saving gas, electricity, | | | | chooses to. |
| paper or the planet - going green can mean | | | | Post your critical marketing and product pieces in |
| greener pastures and thumbs when it comes to | | | | PDF format on your resources or product page. |
| our environment and your company's bottom line. | | | | If the customer chooses to, they simply |
| Green is in. Green is good. | | | | download the file for a later read or print. PDF is |
| However, with the ever-present emphasis on | | | | easily saved in a protected or encrypted format. |
| "greenness" also comes the need for how to | | | | Numerous PDF conversion utilities exist so you |
| communicate the enviro message. Does | | | | can convert Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files into |
| environmental messaging sometimes sound more | | | | a PDF version. The finished file looks clean and can |
| like a fad than reality? Does your product line | | | | even be saved in standard, medium and higher |
| include features and benefits that are just waiting | | | | resolution formats. In standard format, large |
| to be communicated? Are you forcing green | | | | presentations become smaller for an email |
| features into your products that may not exist? | | | | attachment. The quality and resolution is more |
| Don't be green just to be green. It's more | | | | than satisfactory for most prints or reads. |
| important to be accurate rather than faddish | | | | Green marketing ethics |
| regarding what your product or service offers the | | | | Honesty, as in business and life, is the best policy |
| environmentally conscientious customer. | | | | when it comes to green marketing. If your |
| Here are some steps to recycle your marketing | | | | product or service is not environmentally friendly, |
| message so "zero waste" doesn't mean zero | | | | then be careful not to stretch your messaging |
| understanding. By taking the right steps you can | | | | beyond the ozone layer. |
| conserve your energy, the planet's energy and | | | | State your product benefits in simple and clear |
| your company's marketing resources. | | | | terms. Show examples of how your customer |
| Enviro features and differentiators | | | | and the community benefits. If you have case |
| Perhaps your product has green marketing | | | | studies, then by all means use them as |
| features you never realized. Ask yourself, "Are | | | | testimonials for your eco-friendly product or |
| there features in my products that saves energy, | | | | service. If your product just does not fit into the |
| natural resources and time?" If so, are you | | | | green marketing category, perhaps there are |
| translating those features into your marketing | | | | other ways you are moving toward zero waste |
| messaging such as your web site, white papers, | | | | or saving natural resources. |
| product packaging descriptions and brochures? | | | | If your company remanufactures 600 horse |
| For example, let's say a company sells a | | | | power motors for late-model muscle cars, well, |
| greenhouse controller technology that saves their | | | | you are out of green marketing luck. But hold on, |
| customers water and electricity. Both water and | | | | perhaps your company also has an accessory line |
| power are resources that everyone likes to save. | | | | of products and you changed the type of |
| In this company's marketing and sales sheets, | | | | packaging plastic you use on those products. Now |
| they must make sure phrases such as "decrease | | | | that might be a green marketing story to tell. |
| water and power usage while increasing your | | | | Your product or service does not have to be a |
| profits," were part of their green "marketing | | | | full-bred-hybrid-econo-friendly-ozone-decreasing |
| speak." | | | | product to tell a green marketing story. Just by |
| What about your product packaging? Sometimes | | | | changing, in small ways, how you do business and |
| it's as simple as changing the type of clear | | | | go to market can make a difference. |
| clamshell packaging that saves your cost of | | | | For example, Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water |
| goods and shipping fees, thus increasing profits | | | | Company recently redesigned an "Eco-Shape" |
| while still helping the environment. Since newer | | | | Bottle," as they call it. It has smaller waste to the |
| types of clamshell plastic (the clear, plastic cover | | | | bottle design, thus saving 30% of the plastic used |
| on many retail products) are easier to recycle, | | | | for the same bottle size. That's simple imagination. |
| then you can discover added benefits in | | | | That's green marketing and makes a great story. |
| something as simple as your packaging. Older PVC | | | | You may not have a big, jolly green marketing |
| plastic used in clamshell packing has been | | | | giant of a story, but I'll bet there are some areas |
| attributed to health risks and is not "recycle | | | | you can audit for efficiency and change. Look for |
| friendly." PVC is considered eco-unfriendly. | | | | your story. Tell it. And remember, every little bit |
| The alternative to PVC is called PET (Polyethylene | | | | helps when we change our products and our |
| Terephthalate). PET is easy to recycle and can be | | | | marketing to greener pastures. |
| sealed through RF or heat sealing. In short, PET is | | | | Green marketing audits? |
| eco-friendly and flexible. PET plastic has a built in | | | | Perhaps your products are about as |
| marketing story and speaks to environmental | | | | eco-unfriendly as you can get. That could be an |
| concerns. | | | | opportunity for a "green marketing audit." Rethink |
| In addition, even the type of paper and the design | | | | your raw materials, packaging, and process to see |
| of your packaging can turn an old packaging | | | | where you can both tell a story and save the |
| design into a lighter, stronger, revised design that | | | | planet -- not to mention your wallet! |
| brings your packaging cost closer to the zero | | | | I have to admit, just the process of writing this |
| waste goal that many companies, like Wal-Mart, | | | | article changed some of my brain's grey cells to |
| are seeking. Many channel distributors and large | | | | green cells. No, not my hair, since I don't have |
| retailers are requiring vendor adherence to zero | | | | enough to even dye green! |
| waste packaging. PET plastic is part of that | | | | There really is a marketing story to be told here. |
| requirement. If you don't comply you don't qualify | | | | If your product or service is already green - or |
| as a vendor. | | | | heading in the direction - then great. Evaluate how |
| Reducing printing cost | | | | you are currently telling that story. From a |
| Handing a customer sales slicks and product | | | | product management and product life-cycle |
| guides is still an effective way to sell product. | | | | standpoint, the benefits of a green, eco-friendly |
| Business cards and brochures will never go away. | | | | approach are worth the effort. Not only can you |
| Yet, how many of us after returning from a | | | | offer a product that serves a need, you can also |
| trade show end up trashing the pounds of | | | | offer a product that protects our environment. |
| brochures and paper collected? One solution: use | | | | There are indeed greener pastures on the other |
| your web site as the repository source for your | | | | side of the eco-friendly marketing hill... |
| product literature. The digital text needs no trash | | | | Stuart Atkins |
| can and requires no tree, little electricity and no | | | | © 2009 H. |