The world is warming up; that’s a fact. Its impacts are catastrophic; that’s a fact, too, with the United Nations saying: “From shifting weather patterns that threaten food production, to rising sea levels that increase the risk of catastrophic flooding, the impacts of climate change are global in scope and unprecedented in scale. Without drastic action today, adapting to these impacts in the future will be more difficult and costly.”
Related to this, there are some well-established scientific facts:
- The concentration of GHGs in the earth’s atmosphere is directly linked to the average global temperature on Earth
- The concentration has been rising steadily, and mean global temperatures along with it, since the time of the Industrial Revolution
- The most abundant GHG, accounting for about two-thirds of GHGs, carbon dioxide (CO2), is largely the product of burning fossil fuels
The last part means that – yes – humans are also to blame.
Fortunately, companies are starting to take action… whether as a PR move or because they really intend to help out.
Understandadbly, Kiwano Marketing says not all green “efforts” are good marketing strategies; and they share the top five tips on how to successfully market a green business.
1. Back up your claims.
Double-check your efforts when starting a green marketing strategy.
Don’t position yourself as a green business if you’re not walking the talk. A false claim will damage your brand via what people will say about you.
2. Don’t position yourself as the green savior.
Communicate your environmental and sustainability efforts – just don’t overdo it. You can’t save the world; that’s a fact.
BTW: Consumers relate better with people than with organizations. Try the more personal approach via an honest image that will generate positive word-of-mouth.
3. Engage the whole team.
Engage everyone in the company – e.g. high-ranking people, sales teams, technical support department, etc.
Consistency is key; just imagine if your marketing department keeps promoting your environmental initiatives but members of the sales team dump brochures after a trade show.
4. Encourage your supply chain to come on board.
Turn your partners and vendors to become green. Greening, after all, affects all and should be by all.
5. Go beyond the “green argument”.
You’re green, that’s good. But if that’s all you have to offer, you’re not going to last.
Also consider: the quality of your products or services, the money your customers will be saving in the long term, product innovation/design, etc.
