GREEN MARKETING STRATEGIES

Strategic communications programs play a critical role in creating brand value for organizations that have a corporate social responsibility (CSR) story. Here are seven steps to help get started.

1. Start with the vision
A clear vision helps energize employees, customers and other key stakeholders, and it creates credibility, especially with the media.

2. Show relevance
Can you easily demonstrate why your CSR program matters, why it matters now and how it is making a positive difference?

3. Be credible and accountable
Credibility and accountability are key, especially in today’s “green media marketplace” where consumers are more knowledgeable and the media is skeptical.

4. Be transparent
If you’re not being transparent in how you do business–from how you treat your employees and engage with suppliers, to how you report your green metrics–you’re opening yourself up to criticism.

5. Provide real results
Decide on and declare the ultimate goal you want to achieve with your CSR program (think: mission statement). Consumers, business partners and the media love a good story, but without good results, your story will lack credibility.

6. Recognize the importance of strategic partnerships
Smart organizations realize their green work alone will not solve all of the world’s environmental challenges. The best companies develop partnerships with like-minded organizations to drive and promote even greater change

7. Create audience engagement opportunities
Foster meaningful engagement and dialog opportunities with various stakeholders.

Adapted and used with permission from
Spaulding Communications, Inc.

GREEN GRAPHIC DESIGN
and PRINTING STRATEGIES

Below are four simple steps you can take to improve your marketing materials and make them more green. And in many cases you save more green too!

1. Start with the basics #1: Paper
What is the most basic practice of all? Your purchase, use and disposal of paper. Virtually all paper can be recycled and most of it can be turned over and re-printed in laser printers and copiers. Purchase green office paper at supply stores, as well as envelopes and file folders, labels, etc.

2. Start with the basics #2: Printing
For printing new and critical marketing materials, use a Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified printing company and FSC paper. Many high quality printing papers now contain post-consumer waste and quite a few are 100% recycled. Printing on recycled paper allows the FSC logo to be on your materials, an important way to show your commitment to the environment. Many printers today use soy-based inks and have eliminated VOCs and heavy metals from their operations. Also, consider printing smaller quantities of your materials with an eco-friendly digital printer.

3. E-mail campaigns, not snail mail campaigns
Already doing e-zines, e-blasts and email campaigns? Consider making your brochures, catalogues and even coupons available online.

4. Move to green website hosting
Do you have a website? Is your
hosting service green? If not,
why not move to an eco-friendly
hosting company? Some
of these services run
entirely on solar and wind
energy; others buy carbon
credits and “pay back”
the carbon emissions
they create.This is a
simple and easy way
for you to bolster
your green
practices claims.

Check out some good
GREEN LINKS >>>