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.

If your employees have job tasks that can be performed from home, it makes a lot of sense to allow them to telecommute one or two days a week — or more.

Telecommuting is an excellent opportunity to promote greener business practices without sacrificing results or daily production. It is a rare win-win compromise that satisfies employees as well as your bottom line.

Here are a some good reasons you should implement a telecommuting policy for your green business.

1. Telecommuting boosts employee morale. When my co-workers and I discussed how wasteful it was to have us come in on days when we could have done our work from home, we all agreed that if given the chance to telecommute, we would go out of our ways to work even harder! Employees that are given the opportunity to work from the comfort of their home, or even a local park or cafe, will be grateful for the opportunity. Many will see it as an expression of your trust and work hard to meet expectations. No generalizations here: a study reported in the Journal of Applied Psychology determined that “Telecommuters reported more job satisfaction, less motivation to leave the company, less stress, improved work-family balance, and higher performance ratings by supervisors.”

2. Telecommuting provides an excellent opportunity to cut costs. If you find that telecommuting is working for your employees, you can cut down on equipment costs. Instead of setting up an individual workstation for every employee, create an alternating telecommuting schedule so employees can share equipment without conflict when they are in the office. Organizing a system like this can cut equipment costs dramatically by stretching the range of your current resources.

3. Telecommuting means less environmental impact. Telecommuting can make your business greener in a few important ways. First, it eliminates the need to commute, which reduces carbon emissions and the consumption of oil. Secondly, reducing the amount of people that are in the office means less paper will be wasted and less electricity will be used. These small benefits quickly add up to save your company even more money, while the burden on the environment is reduced with each passing day.

If you are unsure of how well telecommuting will work for your company, all it takes is a little planning and foresight. Make sure you have systems in place that will let employees know what is expected of them and what work needs to be completed before they start working from home. Search online for some web-based project collaboration services that can make this task easier. Roll out your new telecommuting program as a temporary trial to evaluate performance and see where improvements can be made. Once you’ve streamlined the system, offer more frequent opportunities to work from home.

I’m confident that you will discover telecommuting is a legitimate opportunity to both green your business as well as boost employee productivity and morale.

More evidence for those who think the current state of green affairs is an impermanent bubble!

Utility officials in Texas voted 2-1 to give preliminary approval to a $4.9 billion plan to create wind energy infrastructure that would carry power from windy west Texas to urban areas like Dallas. Experts are calling it the largest investment in clean and renewable energy in U.S. history. How’s that for a bubble?

“Supporters predict the plan will spur new wind power projects, create jobs, reduce pollution and lower energy costs.”

I think ecopreneurs know an opportunity when they see one

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)

Greenwash is a huge problem for eco-minded businesses.

It is commonly defined as “the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company, or the environmental benefits of a product or service.” Put simply, greenwashing is the fastest way to failure in a growing industry that caters to a highly skeptical audience.

Don’t think greenwash is a big deal? Figure you can get away with fudging a few claims to win over a green consumer or two? Wrong. Not only are these practices highly unethical, but there are now watchdog organizations that make it their business to uncover greenwash and put disreputable companies in the spotlight, ruining their chances of conducting business with eco-conscious markets. Sourcewatch, Greenwashing Index, and Greenwashing.net are three of the most popular organizations of this kind.

So, what do green consumers demand from an authentically eco-friendly business? Here are three qualities to focus on if you want to be successful with this audience.

1. Don’t be a hypocrite. Don’t think you’ll be able to get away with selling a green product alongside contradictory products in your lineup. Take the promotional products industry for example. Many of the companies in this wasteful industry are now including “eco-friendly” products in their lineup, as if this could possibly distract consumers from the hundreds of thousands of other plastic, non-biodegradable products they sell. Don’t be a hypocrite – consumers aren’t stupid.

2. Don’t lie. This should be common sense, but it seems that a few companies can’t quite get the grasp of this one yet. Lying sends a very clear and simple message: my company offers no real value; therefore I must twist and exaggerate facts in order to effectively manipulate you into buying my useless products and services. If you lie, you’ll be found out eventually…and when it happens, it will not be worth it. Do not make false claims about the green status of your company, do not embellish facts, and do not underestimate the intelligence of an informed consumer.

3. Don’t hide. More than anything, green consumers demand transparency and accountability from the companies they choose to give their business to. Go out of your way to make any unclear aspects of your operation as accessible as possible. No company is perfect – even if your company has some less-green characteristics, honesty will go a long way with an eco-conscious audience. The more you information you share with your market, the more trust you earn. Once consumers feel comfortable with your business and value your honesty, you’ve won half the battle!

This isn’t rocket science folks. Running a successful green business requires a healthy dose of common sense, maybe even more than a running a “normal” business might require. Consumers are skeptical of green claims thanks to some phony profiteers, so now it’s your responsibility to regain their trust. Stick to ethical business models and you should have no problem capturing a deserved share of this rapidly expanding green consumer market.

1. Shine the spotlight on direct benefits. Although your products may be the most environmentally-friendly out there, consumers do not typically make purchases to “save the planet.” If this was their primary goal, they would buy nothing at all! The reason people purchase green products is because it is a sensible compromise between saving the planet and a direct benefit that they need. For example: consumers need detergent and soap for daily living. If their primary goal was to “save the planet,” they would first try to eliminate the need for these products. Because consumers don’t tend to act this way, they find a compromise by purchasing non-toxic cleaning products that will serve their direct needs, while also filling a secondary eco-friendly purpose. Tip: Find the direct benefit of your green products. Take a look at the top concerns on the chart below.

2. Don’t marginalize your profits by focusing too much on “green” aspects. To successfully market a green product, first approach the problem from a traditional marketing standpoint. Going overboard with your green claims from the onset may illicit a negative reaction from your audience. (A green consumer might respond with skepticism and caution; “normal” consumers who would typically be a good fit for your product will not be captivated by a green focus.) Tip: Highlight functionality first and environmental benefits second.

3. Educate and empower your audience. Many consumers feel like they’re drowning in a relentless torrent of eco-friendly demands. If you want to gain consumer trust (and you do), earn it by educating them in a clear, simple, and concise manner. Tip: If you aren’t confident in your writing skills, hire a green copywriter to reach out to consumers and address their needs effectively.

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.

What does this announcement mean for green business?

It means that not only are you in high demand, but you are essential to the continued progress and sustainable development of the world from this point forward. In order to achieve the reduction goal, the G-8 understands that contributions must be made by every country and every economy. The time to act is now.

By setting goals for your own business, you can contribute to the global fight while also taking advantage of an opportunity for unprecidented business growth. Aligning the development of your company with sustainable practices has proven profitable for many of the world’s most successful companies (HP, Heinz, and British Telecom to name a few), and that means it can work for you as well — no matter how big or small your business may be.

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.

While this may seem obvious to some, many businesses have an imbalanced approach to going green. They might concentrate on reducing their environmental impact while neglecting their desire for business growth, or they might concentrate on profits without paying enough attention to socially-responsible practices.

Finding a balance when going green is key. You may start out with an improved product and market it as green, or you can change the way you do business by focusing on sustainable operations without necessarily needing to market the end-product as “green.”

No matter which method you choose, successfully greening your business will always benefit both your bottom line and the environment.

You’ll find that these three benefits most commonly improve your profitability:

1. Increased market share. There is a rapidly growing demand for green products, as well as a demand for environmentally-conscious companies, even if their products aren’t marketed as green. An authentic green business will attract eco-conscious consumers to your brand and give you a better percentage of this expansive market.

2. Reduced operating costs. By examining your manufacturing process, supply chains, or even daily office routines, you will find ways to cut unnecessary waste to make your business more efficient. Trimming this unnecessary excess is like removing money-sucking leeches that you never even realized were affecting your profit margins! Find ways to eliminate waste, and watch small amounts of saved cash accumulate into big savings.

3. Intangible benefits. Increased market share and extended profit margins are easy to see, but greening your business can also provide less tangible benefits that are equally important for a healthy and profitable company. Increased employee participation, improved morale, and a strong company image within the community are some examples of less obvious benefits.

Greening your business should always come from a place of authenticity. Saving and making more money is a great reason to institute eco-friendly practices, but marketing your business as green without making any genuine back-end changes is a recipe for failure. Not only is this extremely unethical, but it will have disastrous effects for your company image (read: profits), when consumers discover you’ve been duping them (and they will).