Pure Growth!

Green. Greenwash. Sustainable. Eco-friendly. Footprint. Carbon neutral.

The buzzwords associated with green marketing saturate communications to the point where consumers’ eyes glaze over and they automatically tune out when they hear them. There are simply too many companies tossing these words around, and a lot of them have no idea why they’re doing it, or what they really mean.

But how else are companies supposed to communicate with eco-concious audiences? These buzzwords seem to be a necessary evil. No matter how hard you try to avoid them, there are some situations where you simply have no alternatives to use.

Aside from these inevitable situations, it’s important to cut down on superfluous greenspeak whenever and wherever possible. Consumers train themselves to skip over these terms as they read them, since they’re so vague and overused. A “green business” could mean anything. It’s up to you to discover new ways to deliver your message and keep readers interested. Buzzwords are the fastest way to fail in this regard.

Using the latest green buzzwords may afford your company a shiny veneer, but is their substance behind what you say? Focus on the depth and meaning of your message. What are you really trying to say? Can you avoid the latest jargon? In many cases, you’ll find that you can. When you start paying conscious attention to the frequency of buzzwords, you’ll see that they are unnecessary in many cases. My advice to you would be to cut, revise, and remove like there’s no tomorrow. You’ll end up with clearer, more direct copy that gets to the point without confusing your readers in a maze of ambiguity.

As always, if you need help re-designing your communications, hire a green copywriter to assist you with the task.

A new report shows that inadequate communication is the primary reason why green marketing efforts are losing momentum. No kidding!

The Climate Group and Lippincott released a report which surveyed 1,000 respondents from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, to determine their views towards sustainable businesses and green marketing.

Unsurprisingly, the report showed that the number of people concerned about climate change and other environmental issues continues to grow. However, many people remain unconvinced about corporate efforts to move towards sustainability. The report claims that companies fail to communicate with green consumers because they are unable to address the diverse attitudes and concerns of the market.

Some advice for green businesses

In order to reach weary consumers, focus on implementing legitimate changes that provide solid evidence of your environmental commitments. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — green marketing isn’t about making your company APPEAR green. It’s about BEING green, and then letting your actions naturally communicate benefits to eco-conscious audiences.

If you’re unsure of how to write effectively to motivate green consumers, I urge you to consider hiring a green copywriter. A professional writer can help you communicate the benefits of your products and services by finding an appropriate balance between the green aspects and the traditional aspects of your business.

(via Treehugger)

I want to my business to go green. Where do I start?

Many businesses are interested in going green, but often feel intimidated by the process and don’t know where to begin. If this sounds like you, I highly recommend writing an environmental policy statement, even if it means hiring a green copywriter to do it for you.

An environmental policy statement is essentially a written declaration of specific goals and principles that your company is committed to. By putting your environmental mission in writing, you create a valuable reference you can use when making decisions in the future, as well as an important benchmark that will make it easier to evaluate and measure progress.

The value of a written environmental policy statement

An environmental policy statement provides a unifying vision that will influence and guide the actions of employees and management towards sustainability and reduced environmental impact. It can also be used as a green marketing tool that lets customers, shareholders, and community members know exactly where your company stands on environmental issues.

The process of drafting your environmental policy can also help you find new ways to reduce expenses and increase overall efficiency. By spending time evaluating your current policies, you will inevitably find some areas where improvements can be made.

Who should be involved in the process of coming up with the statement?

If you want your policy to be successful in its execution, gather input from a wide range of people within your organization. Not only will this help you collect new information and ideas, but it will get the entire company excited about and committed to the new policy.

Leaders from the company should find ways to effectively communicate the statement to employees, establish new expectations, and make sure the statement is made available to the public.

This sounds really helpful! What are some things I should put in the statement?

An environmental policy statement is most useful when it is simple and understandable. Make sure your company’s commitment to eco-friendly improvement is clearly outlined. Consider these four common aspects of a comprehensive policy:

1. Legal compliance. If your organization adheres to certain environmental regulations, it’s important to address them in your statement. Identify the relevant issues and note that your company strives to meet and exceed any applicable standards.

2. Product/service improvements. Your commitment should also discuss measures being taking to prevent or reduce any negative environmental impacts your products or services may have. Include clear objectives such as reducing waste or resource consumption.

3. Dedication to continual improvement. Running a successful green business means that you are committed to making constant improvements in all areas of your operation. It is important to convey this goal in your statement to prevent stagnation or a relapse into eco-unfriendly practices.

4. Transparency, accountability, and communication. It is also important to reference the fact that your company will clearly communicate details about its environmental impact to the public. Talk about your appreciation of customer input, as well as your understanding of the importance of honest, authentic, and socially-responsible business practices.

Examples of green policy statements

• Apple
  
• Disney
• Hewlett-Packard
• Kodak
• John Deere

Well, that covers the basic elements of a comprehensive environmental policy! If you have any questions about writing one, or would like to hire a professional green copywriter to draft one on behalf of your business, you can e-mail me for details.