by Green marketing is the conscious focus on a product or service’s eco-friendly selling points to make it more desirable from a consumer’s perspective. This marketing tactic is increasingly gaining popularity, and understandably so. Businesses have a lot to gain from it.
For starters, you get to help the environment. Your brand comes off as progressive and forward-thinking. You also set your business apart from the competition. Programmatic advertising can be used to target environmentally conscious consumers with green marketing messages. And these advantages all boil down to attracting customers who have gotten behind ethical spending.
In fact, results from a recent study show that 85% of consumers are serious about developing green purchasing habits. That’s a huge market worth tapping.
Spontaneous vs. Compulsory Green Marketing
Not all green marketing activities are cut from the same cloth. On the one hand, there are those that stem from a genuine belief in the importance of saving the environment. Green lead generation is the process of attracting and converting consumers who are interested in sustainable products and services. On the other hand, some merely respond to pressures for compliance, whether imposed by government institutions or industry arbiters.
The former is spontaneous, the latter compulsory. If you want to get behind green marketing, obviously, the way to go is spontaneity.
Spontaneity gives your brand a look of authenticity. And that’s something consumers value. They want to support businesses that care for the environment not because someone tells them to do so but because they recognize how our environment desperately needs all the help it can get.
The more authentic your green marketing efforts are, the better your chances of amassing loyal customers sharing the same green principles.
4 Green Marketing Strategies
If you’re ready to initiate green marketing efforts, you may begin with the following ideas:
1. Sell green products and services
It all begins with the products and services you offer. Ideally, they create the least carbon footprint possible.
For instance, if you run a restaurant, one way to cut your carbon footprint is by sourcing ingredients from local suppliers. Here you do not just support homegrown industries, such as farmers, but you also eliminate the need for shipping the raw materials needed in your kitchen. Shipping significantly increases your business’s carbon footprint since the process involves using energy for storage and transport. Elevate your marketing strategy by highlighting your commitment to sustainability and environmental protection.
2. Use sustainable packaging
If you haven’t eschewed plastic yet, it’s high time you do so. A lot of plastic waste does not get recycled. They end up in landfills instead. Or worse, they find their way to the ocean. So, ensure no plastic makes it to your packaging, especially if you fancy your brand eco-friendly.
Instead of plastic, opt for recycled paper. Or better yet, consider naked packaging. Get creative with the product itself. That should make up for the packaging it lacks.
3. Implement a waste reduction policy
For some brands, naked packaging might not work. That does not mean you can’t support waste reduction.
For one, you can encourage your customers to recycle the packaging for the products you sell. Have a recycling policy in place for your bottled toiletries. Give discounts to customers who drop off emptied bottles at your shop. The upside here is you can reuse those bottles. Everybody wins, including the environment. Partner with your municipality and city so that your recycling efforts align with theirs.
More importantly, have a firm waste reduction policy throughout your production line. The less you throw away, the better. Provide sufficient staff training to limit substandard products you’ll dispose of.
4. Be a real advocate
Again, authenticity matters. And authenticity could shine through in many ways. For starters, you can donate to green causes. Alternatively, you could commit to an environmental goal with a strict deadline. Think zero waste in five years.
You can also actively promote green awareness throughout your social media channels. Keep abreast of pressing environmental issues, and do not hesitate to state your brand’s position on those issues.
Lastly, make your green bias apparent in the workplace. Encourage and incentivize employee cooperation.
No to Greenwashing
Greenwashing refers to products and services marketed as eco-friendly when they are, in fact, far from it—or worse, the exact opposite. Marketers may practice greenwashing to capitalize on consumers’ growing preference for environmentally conscious brands.
Remember that it’s relatively easy to spot these frauds. And lest you get accused of greenwashing, take to heart the following tips:
- Communicate clearly
Do not just say your products use organic cotton. Instead, provide the exact percentage of the material. Or do not just claim that the chicken in your sandwich is organic. Explain how. - Get endorsements
Endorsements from eco-friendly organizations not connected to your business will resonate more than claims you make yourself. So, pursue the approval of credible entities like Greenpeace or Sierra Club. Their logo on your products can do wonders for your branding. - Do not mislead
Do not include an image of a leaf in your product packaging if the image has nothing to do with what you’re selling, whether literally or metaphorically. - Be honest
Get transparent about your sustainability plans and practices. Do not overpromise. Stick with where you’re at and convince your customers you’re on the road to doing more. - Get ready with data
It’s easy to get carried away with sustainability claims. But if there’s no data to back them up, you might find yourself in trouble. Keep in mind that there is no shortage of self-appointed fact-checkers online, and should you become their next object of scrutiny, it’s best to be ready.
Wrapping It Up
The best practices on how to conduct a business is never stagnant. It pays to go with the flow. Marketing-wise, the current flow veers toward green marketing. However, you cannot just wing it. First and foremost, your heart must be in the right place. While it’s perfectly understandable for your sales goals to influence your decision to get behind the trend, you must also believe in the cause. Otherwise, customers will know. They might think of your brand as a fraud, which will be an unfortunate scenario. Meanwhile, do it right, and you gain brand trust and loyalty. These values go a long way.
