Green marketing
Everyone is talking about our planet and whilst we are not quite a nation of Green Peace activists, we are all aware of our impact on our world. Those who are activists have made a great impression on us by utilizing images of melting ice and thinning polar bears to make us aware of the damage we are doing.
As a result, everyone is discussing what can be done to help. This includes businesses. The media are quick to exploit the damage done to the environment by our corporate giants and so it is now imperative that whether your staff consists of one person or a thousand people you need to think about how your values pair up with the current issue of the environment.
Many companies go further and market products utilizing their environmental benefits. For example, some are proud to show off their packaging which is not only less obtrusive but recyclable such as business cards made out of recycled paper. Similarly, others are quick to shout about their product being produced in an environmentally friendly way.
Be careful if you intend to take this route within your marketing campaign. You must ensure that everything you claim is accurate. Implying that your product is produced in an environmentally friendly way when the reality is that it is manufactured in a factory that guzzles fossil fuels and spews out thick black smoke (even if it is abroad) can be fatal to your reputation as a company. Your consumers will lose faith in you and your product as soon as the truth is out.
Similarly, you may find green marketing difficult as many people already trust big corporate brands and in truth, when they are in the supermarket choosing toilet paper, the environment is far from their mind. Consumers want results from the product they buy and many believe environmentally friendly products not to be up to scratch and sometimes more expensive. This may well change in time just as attitudes have transformed with fair-trade produce. It is important however to be prepared that you may find it hard to convert people to use your product based on the environmental factor alone.