4 things you must keep in mind when marketing to green consumers
Although demand for green products continues to grow, businesses must be careful not to overestimate their ability to sell a product or service simply because it is “green.” The same rules that apply to every other business apply to eco-friendly businesses as well. In many cases, there are additional obstacles that need to be addressed in order to successfully market and sell green products.
Here are four things that green consumers still care about, regardless of your product’s environmentally-friendly attributes.
1. Price. Although some consumers are willing to spend more for greener products, the majority are unwilling to at this point in time. While effective marketing might be able to counteract this trend to an extent, you shouldn’t assume consumers are willing to pay prices that are significantly higher than less-green competitors. The good news is that this trend should shift quickly as more money is invested in green technologies and their costs become comparable to traditional methods.
2. Quality. According to various surveys, many people still believe that green products are less effective than existing brands. This stereotype may be attributed to many things, including false advertising claims, as well as the “green bubble” of the late 80s which saw many inferior products rushed into the market prematurely. Don’t sacrifice the quality of your product or service and expect a green label to make up for the difference. Focus on improving the quality of what you’re selling to make it worth your customers’ time and money.
3. Convenience. If your product is inconvenient to use, consumers will reject it — no matter how green it is. Consumers will only tolerate a minimal level of inconvenience before they regard your product as an un-viable alternative. Make sure this is a primary focus when designing your products or services for a green market.
4. Availability. If customers have to go far out of their way to purchase your green products, you can expect sales and interest to suffer. Make sure your products are as readily-accessible as their “normal” alternatives. Don’t give your audience a reason to neglect your brand.
If you’ve paid careful attention to these four areas of caution, you’ll see that they only arise when a business makes the erroneous assumption that a “green” image will be able to cover up lapses in quality, convenience, cost, or availability. On the contrary, green consumers still expect to be able to make a seamless switch to new environmentally-friendly products. If you don’t spend time making this process easier for them, you’ll only frustrate your audience and hurt your chances of capturing their interest now and in the future.
Luckily, all of these things can be addressed as long as they are kept in mind from the start. Never expect a label to sell products in and of itself. Concentrate on increasing the value you have to offer, then worry about marketing the products as green. Handling your business in this order will lead you to your best chances of success.
Tags: Green Marketing
