Pure Growth!

Many companies needlessly complicate their green marketing strategies by ignoring the most basic and unwavering principles of traditional marketing. Internalize these three principles to avoid complications and to guide your marketing efforts in the future:

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.

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.