Marketing BEEP

Print or Internet: Why Not Both?

The internet has changed the way we communicate in so many ways. I remember the days when you hand wrote a letter, mailed it, and waited as much as a month to hear a response. Now, I can email my buddies in Hong Kong and if I don’t hear back in 30 minutes I’m reaching for my cell phone to send a text message. The internet has made the communication process much faster, to be sure. 

 
But there is also the cost factor. It doesn’t cost anything to send an email. It does when you factor in that you pay a monthly fee for internet. Still, it’s cheap and easy. Text messaging is pretty much the same. There is a cost, but not like taking the time to write a letter and mail it.
 
These consequences are far reaching for many businesses. Print advertising used to take up most of the marketing budget, but now it’s only a fraction. In fact, one teacher had to resort to selling ads on his tests to pay for the printing costs! Even educators are being pressured to go digital. 

 
The truth of the matter, though, is that printing is alive and well. Many business models like magazines and newspapers are having to rethink and remake the way they produce income, but the need for catalogs, brochures, and flyers will be around for a long time to come.
 
I don’t know about you, but I still get lots of postcards and coupons in the mail. Why is that? Because they work! Many businesses have discovered that by using both print and internet advertising that they can actually leverage their brand and marketing dollars.
 
Printing has gotten both less expensive and higher in quality as the biggest and best printing firms have risen to the top. The internet has allowed even the smallest business to take advantage of big printing price breaks. This means that while printing budgets may be shrinking, you still have the opportunity to focus your efforts and get great deals.
 
The point is this: print and internet advertising are still essential and both still work. Using both methods can help you get the most for your marketing dollar. Working with top printing firms via the internet can save you money while also getting great looking prints. There’s just no need to abandon one format or the other when both can be made to work for you.

The Top Green Companies in the U.S.

If you want to shop at green stores, you may not have to look any farther than your own grocery store. Trader Joe’s, Publix, Whole Foods, Wegmans and MOMs have all made the list of the top 35 companies that are greenest. These companies are also the best investments and are the most recommended by shoppers across the U.S.

A new report from GreenBiz.com entitled “The Corporate Reality of Consumer Perceptions” revealed the list. The report was written by marketing firm Earthsense, which conducted an Eco-Insights Survey, polling more than 30,000 people. The survey tried to figure out how green people perceive familiar companies to be. Results were ranked according to: how sustainable the company’s operations are; how green the products on the shelves are (or how green the products produced are); the potential of the company being a good investment; and how likely a person is to recommend that company to friends or family.

Not Just Supermarkets
Of course, grocery stores and supermarkets weren’t the only companies that made the list. Many green consumer packaged goods companies made the list, including Tom’s of Maine, Green Mountain Coffee, Kashi and Burt’s Bees among others.

The authors of the report, Amy Hebard and Wendy Cobrda, said on GreenBiz radio that the probable reason these brands scored high is because shoppers have a personal relationship with them and as a result feel like they know the companies more, including their “green” quotient.

Then again, other companies that are giants, namely Google and Yahoo!, aren’t exactly close to consumers, but have effectively communicated their green initiatives to the public. Both companies are also helping their customers become more green.

You can download the full report at GreenBiz.com.

The Top 35 Green Companies, by Earthsense
Amazon
Apple
Benjamin Moore
Burt‘s Bees
Discovery
Earthbound Farm
E & J Gallo
Fresh & Easy
General Electric
Google
Green Mountain Coffee
Hain Celestial Group
H. E. Butt
Hess
Kashi
Kraft
Lowe‘s
Method
Microsoft
MOM‘s
Odwalla
Peet‘s
Publix
Sinclair Oil
Stonyfield Farm
Target
Tesla
Tom‘s of Maine
Trader Joe‘s
United Natural Foods
Wal-Mart
Walt Disney
Wegmans
Whole Foods
Yahoo

Microsoft Gets Double Recognition
In addition to making it on the Top 35 list from Earthsense, Microsoft is receiving the first U.S. sustainable events management certification. Microsoft’s Convergence 2009 event, set to take place in New Orleans March 10-13, will hopefully complete the events management certification standard BS 8901:2007, a British standard developed specifically for the events industry.

The standard details three phases of event management – planning, implementation, and check and review – and requires companies to address a broad range of environmental issues at each phase. The standard applies to events such as large-scale conferences to events as small as business meetings.

Economic Forecast is Gray, but Consumers Still See Green

Even though times are tough, consumers are still thinking about the environment when they go to the store. According to a report by consumer behavior specialists The Hartman Group, Sustainability: The Rise of Consumer Responsibility, more than 75% of consumers “consider environment and social aspects at times in making purchase decisions and one-third are willing to pay more for that benefit.”

“During these tough economic times, sustainable products create that ‘sweet spot’ that make consumers more optimistic about the choices they are making,” said Alison Worthington, Hartman Group Managing Director of Sustainability. “In many ways, the term sustainability has become synonymous with responsibility for consumers or just ‘doing the right thing’.”

The online survey consisted of 1,856 respondents September 19 – 24, 2008, at the onset of the recession.

Consumers Consider Themselves Green, but Many Can’t Name a Green Product
According to the report, 88% of consumers consider themselves to partake in sustainable behaviors. About 37% of consumers believe that their purchase decisions matter as much as their votes (45%). Only 56% were familiar with the term “sustainability” up from 54% in 2007.

But despite these great numbers, only 25% of consumers could actually name a sustainable product. Worthington noted that this lack of knowledge is a great opportunity for companies to get their messages out. 

A Green Reputation is Key
According to the 2009 National Green Buying survey by Green Seal and EnviroMedia Social Marketing, half of consumers are buying just as many green products now as they did before the recession started. When asked what influenced their green purchasing decisions, 21% said a product’s reputation mattered most, followed by word of mouth (19%) and brand loyalty (15%).

About one in three said that they don’t know how to tell if the ad claims of a product being green are true, while one in 10 people said that trust green product claims no matter what.

To find out the truth in the advertising, 24% said they read packaging to understand the green claims and 17% research online or look at studies.

Marketers Must Focus on Educating Consumers and Branding
These two studies show that consumers want to jump on the green bandwagon, and in fact, many have one foot in. Consumers want to learn more about being green, and marketing that focuses on educating customers, whether on product packaging or on company Web sites, will likely win more customers. If a customer feels that the company is teaching something about being green to them, the customer will be more apt to buy.

Marketers must also focus on green branding and getting the word out to foster a green reputation. In these hard times, loyalty to green brands could be just what keeps your company from going in the red.

3 Easy Ways to Green Your Marketing

Greening your marketing can be as easy or complicated as you want to make it.

For those that are looking for easy ways to green marketing practices, here are some suggestions.

Check Your Mailing Lists
By checking your mailing lists for duplicates or undeliverable addresses, you save paper and postage. One of Trekk Cross-Media’s bloggers, MJ Anderson, made a good point on the company’s blog, illustrating the need for checking mailing lists.

“Today I received a direct mailer at work that on the surface was funny, but after some thought was pretty sad….In today’s case, the direct mail piece was intended to tell me about the company’s new “environmentally responsible” policy on paper and soy based inks. Sounds like a great idea, right? I thought so, too, until I realized that not only did I receive this mailer, but six other people in my small office received the same mailer. Most of the recipients are not in a position to procure, use, or influence the purchase of printing services. The piece in question was a pretty elaborate envelope and well-designed brochure, letter and insert.

. . . I find it very ironic that a company interested in making an environmental statement as a marketing ploy would not take the time to check and verify its list before sending out an expensive mailing.

Not only does the printing company waste paper and postage, but it also looks hypocritical in my opinion, for trying to save the planet by sending out 6 pieces of the same paper to individuals who work in the same building."

Action Plans:

• Make your initial communication by email and then only send something in the mail as a follow-up to those that expressed an interest.
• Check your mailing list for duplicate addresses. If you’re sending direct mail to the president, CFO, marketing director and other notables, pick the top person who might actually read your direct mail piece and have the power to take action. Only send the piece to that person.

Not only will this help save the environment, but your company will save money and you’ll trim down your mailing list to the best prospects!

Talk to Your Printer About Green Choices
Commercial printers are increasingly becoming green, but in all actuality, only a small percentage have actually implemented green processes and materials.

Kodak researched how printers lie on the “green curve,” meaning how green are printers now and how green do they plan on getting? The results: 

• 20% have no plans for environmental sustainability
• 30% have investigated it, but not started any initiatives
• 35% have not yet achieved any environmental certifications, but they have programs underway
• 15% have environmental sustainability programs in place, including certifications

As a marketer or business owner, this means you only have 15% of printers to choose from if you want to truly go green.

Action Plan: Ask about your printing company’s green certifications and what kind of sustainable practices are already in place, not are planned to be in place. And if your printer doesn’t even have a plan, you can easily find a greener printer who is at least working toward being green. Every bit of recycled paper helps.

Attend the Printing for a Sustainable Future Conference 

Just learning about green initiatives and what printers can do to become green can help you understand how to green your print marketing solutions. The conference will be held March 16-18 in Indianapolis.

Topics include developing sustainable management systems and understanding green paper choices and eco-friendly inks. If you don’t know the green terminology, there’s a session on that too.

Action Plan: Take in as much info as you can, and use that info to pick inks and papers, and ultimately, a printer who cares about the environment as much as you do. Ask questions to learn what steps you can take in your business plan to green your marketing. 

Top 8 Places to Shop for Eco-Friendly Goods

ONLINE

GreenShopper.com
http://www.greenshopper.com

GreenShopper is the largest environmental store and online community for eco-friendly shoppers. The Web site is currently linked to over 200 companies who devote their product lines to eco-friendly and organic products. Instead of creating a separate username and password at each of the company’s Web sites, GreenShopper lets you order from one site. You can order anything from Pet Organic “chew-stop” spray for dogs to hemp sandals from Old Glory.

EcoChoices
http://www.ecochoices.com

EcoChoices has been offering earth-friendly, quality products at low prices since 1997. You can find anything from organic bedding to biodegradable kitchen trash bags to clothing (including baby clothing) to cast iron cookware.

Green Home
http://www.greenhome.com

Green home started in 1999 in San Francisco as a way to educate and supply customers with green products. The homepage has a cool “Green Your Home” image, where you click on a room of the home pictured and you can find ways to green that room, of course, with products that will help you on your green path. You can find appliances to furniture to lighting that’s all eco-friendly. GreenLivingNow http://www.greenlivingnow.com/ Ran by green living expert Amy Todisco, this site features products that have been researched and personally used by Todisco. From natural hand lotion from Sea Buckthorn to water filters that remove E. Coli, Todisco has used and approved all the products on the site. This site is a great way to save time – by not having to do research on your own!

CLOTHING

Edun
http://www.edunonline.com

Edun, founded by Bono and Ali Hewson, specializes in organic clothing, eco clothing and graphic tees. Its mission is to drive sustainable employment in developing economies. You can get a plain organic fitted tee made from 100% combed, ring-spun certified organic cotton for $28. Greenloop http://thegreenloop.com Greenloop has everything from men and women’s clothing to cute Envirosax reusable shopping bags. All brands Greenloop carries employ a variety of responsible practices, including: using eco-friendly, sustainable materials, using energy efficient production methods, investing in renewable energy and carbon offsets, and maximizing recycling while reducing waste.

HOME

Green Design Furniture
http://greendesigns.com

Green Design Furniture creates living room, office, dining, bedroom and any other kind of furniture you can think of. The wood used is harvested American black cherry, and is domestically grown solid wood, logged following sustainable forestry guidelines. When possible, the manufacturing waste is recycled or repurposed.

A Cooler Planet
http://www.itsaCoolerPlanet.com

Chicago-based A Cooler Planet offers Pacific Rim Beds, organic mattresses, Peace Keeper Causemetics and all-natural skincare and shower products. It also carries organic clothing made from chemical-free fabrics and shoes made from recycled car tires.

BEAUTY

Yves Rocher
http://www.yvesrocherusa.com/control/main/

Yves Rocher uses eco-friendly botanical products that respect plants. How so? One example is using “headspace” technology to capture scents from flowers without harming any blossoms. You can find natural bath soaps (raspberry shown in photo), shampoos, cologne and moisturizers from Rocher’s own Bio Specific line.

Green Presidential Inauguration Celebrations

For the inauguration of a president who has put saving the environment at the top of his “to-do” list, what would you expect but carbon-neutral inaugural balls, organic menus and valet bicycle parking?

During the Inaugural Speech
In his inaugural speech, Obama states while talking about America’s problems: “…and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.”

In regards to what work needs to be done, Obama again referred to the environment: “We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories.” With Obama on the environment’s side, hopefully we’ll see a greener America in the next four years.

Green Inaugural Balls
Two Green Inaugural Balls were planned this year, one even featuring a green carpet from recycled rugs. The invitations were green as well, of course, printed on recycled paper.

“Our goal is to create an unforgettable evening while treading lightly on the Earth,” said Jenna Mack, an organizer of one Green Inaugural Ball -- not to be confused with another Green Inaugural Ball featuring Al Gore. Organizers of a number of other balls and celebrations used energy-efficient lighting.

“We're obviously not going to have paper towels in the bathroom," said Shelley Cohen, helping organize the green ball featuring Gore, the ex-vice president who shared a Nobel Peace Prize for efforts in raising awareness about climate change. “We're going to have air dryers.”

“Making the inaugural balls as low-energy and low-carbon as possible won't stop global warming, but it is a very important symbol about the direction of the incoming administration,” said Dan Weiss, director of climate strategy for the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank.

Other Inaugural Celebrations
Many groups that promote causes around the country hosted an inaugural celebration. PETA gave away fur coats to the homeless while offering hot soy-milk cocoa to celebrate President Obama’s first day in office.

The Inauguration Itself
The greening of inauguration celebrations is drawing a special effort because Obama has made green projects a main theme of his economic stimulus plan. “Not only are we committed to holding an inauguration that is the most open and accessible in history,” said Linda Douglass, chief spokeswoman for Obama's inaugural committee, “but we are also committed to making sure that it is as environmentally friendly and sustainable as possible.”

The EPA has provided a liaison to the Presidential Inaugural Committee to advise on “best practices,” which is a first.

To reduce the inauguration’s carbon footprint, attendees are asked to carpool or ride public transit. For those driving long distances, they’re encouraged to use a hybrid vehicle or to purchase carbon offsets to make up for their pollution.

Inaugural organizers only used biodegradable containers, plates and utensils, made from corn resin. Plastics and Styrofoam were banned. Caterers were instructed to put food scraps, containers and utensils into a “composting stream” that will be taken to a facility in Maryland. 

Green Design for Green Advertising

While many companies are going green, and that’s something to applaud, the green initiatives are mostly staying in the office. Energy efficient light bulbs, recycling paper, turning off computers at night are all great ways to go green, but what about advertising and marketing materials? There’s no reason that items going out the door shouldn’t get a green makeover too!

From design to product materials, brochures, postcards, posters and other advertising elements can be eco-friendly with just a few tweaks. 

DESIGN:GREEN WORKSHOPS
Design:Green is an organization whose mission is focused on sustainable product design. And, it’s goal is to teach other businesses exactly how to create green products by changing up the business model, product development and packaging. Design:Green offers workshops and consulting services to businesses who want some help on how to go green.

Three workshops are currently offered as two-hour, half-day or full-day sessions to industry groups.

1. How to Design and Sell Greener Products That Consumers Want
Designed for consumer packaged goods brand managers, product designers, marketers and R&D pros. Present five strategies for driving profitability and growth which will make new products fly off the shelves.

2. A Fresh Approach to Better Interior Design
This is for any business, but in my opinion, a service-based business where customers spend a lot of time at the company’s space would benefit the most from this workshop. Participants learn about Life Cycle Assessment and LEED. Qualifies for 2 ASID credits.
3. Green Building Products From Concept to Market
For designers, manufacturers and marketers from building products industries, like carpeting to window installation. Focuses on Energy Star, LEED and other market drivers that help in marketing these building products. 

STUDY PAST GREEN ADVERTISING
Ford did a good job with its advertising of the Ford Escape Hybrid, using Kermit the Frog, who says “It’s not easy being green” until he finds an Escape Hybrid. Then he changes his mind to “I guess it is easy being green.”

GE’s Ecomagination advertising initiative is both advertising and a brand change. GE is committed to reducing its water footprint 20 percent company-wide by 2012 – enough water to fill more than 3,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. You can check out latest advertising on the Ecomagination web site.

Volkswagen launched a green campaign a few years ago, and is still going strong: the 2009 Jetta TDI was named Green Car of the Year by the Green Car Journal. Here’s an example of one of many print ads VW has launched. You can find more examples of other green ads, including Chevy and Waste Management at http://greenworldads.blogspot.com/search/label/GREEN%20ADS.

 

Green Printing Options

With global warming impacting the environment, printing companies and companies in many other industries are trying to do their part in keeping the ozone layer thick and to limit the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases come from driving cars, heating homes and businesses with natural gas or oil and using electricity generated from coal-fired power plants. The 10 warmest years on record have all taken place since 1990. Glaciers and sea ice are melting, leading to the near extinction of polar bears and other animals.

Printing companies have taken measures to help the environment in their printing processes and in the inks and papers they use. Here are a few of those greener options printing companies have to choose from. Check with your printing company to see if it uses any of these methods; if not, start searching for another printing company so you can feel good about ordering everything from your color business cards to your brochures. Your colors and quality of your materials will look just as good as conventional methods and you can feel good about helping the environment.

Green paper options
Post-consumer waste paper (PCW) uses recycled products in production. This prevents slashing virgin tree fibers and preserves forests and biodiversity. In the U.S., 90 percent of paper comes from virgin tree fiber, which means that 90 percent of our paper comes from destroying forests. Printing companies that use PCW for their products decrease the number of trees that are cut down each year.

Paper gets its nice white color from being bleached with chlorine or chlorine derivatives. These chemicals cause toxins and pollutants that harm people as well as other living things in the environment. Ask your printer if they use paper that processed chlorine free.

Green ink options
The most commonly used printing ink is petroleum-based and it has harmful VOCs (volatile organic compounds). VOCs might have short- and long-term adverse health effects, like birth defects or even cancer, according to the EPA.  More testing needs to be done, but concentrations of VOCs are up to 10 times higher indoors than outdoors, which posts risks for workers of printing companies.

VOCs are released when the ink dries on the paper. These inks have great staying power – when they are sitting in a landfill, the ink can filter into the soil and can contaminate the soil.

Try to find a printing company that uses alternative inks, like soy-based inks instead of petroleum-based inks. Soy-based inks contain much less VOCs. Inks based in vegetable oil are another green alternative.

A lot of water is used in the traditional printing process to cool the ink, so try to find a printer that uses waterless printing. According to the Waterless Printing Association, “Many printers have been drawn to waterless printing because it eliminates dampening-related volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the printing process…. Now, with the release of water-washable inks, the waterless pressroom can be virtually VOC-free. This revolutionary ink technology eliminates the need for solvent-based press and blanket wash solutions, which typically account for a large portion of a printer's VOC output….”

So, using greener inks and greener paper not only helps the environment for the long-term, but it also helps the people working in those printing areas immediately. With “green” being the new buzzword of the day, just having green practices in your printing can net you business you wouldn’t have otherwise gotten.