The call for environmental awareness and concern is stronger than ever. To enumerate, global warming, air pollution, plastic wastes in the oceans, and food wastage are some major concerns that make the current generations worry so much.
As a response to these pressing issues, consumers are now shifting their purchasing trend in favor of socially responsible products. Even if it means costing more, many consumers are willing to pay for the price.
Businesses are leveraging this trend to address consumers’ social and environmental responsibility demands while providing consumers with their products or services.
There are various types of these marketing strategies, which are collectively known as green marketing.
What Is Green Marketing?
To put it simply, green marketing means selling products or services to consumers by accentuating their environmental benefits. Other terms for green marketing are “eco-marketing” and “environmental marketing.”
Consumers who are environmentally and socially conscious tend to gravitate toward brands that use the terms “eco-friendly,” “organic,” “recyclable,” or “sustainable.”
As a backwash of the destructive impact of humanson our planet and the consumers’ collective call for more environmentally aware brands, companies are taking steps to shift their missions and practices from being revenue-oriented to environmentally aware.
Though green marketing can be more expensive than other types of marketing, the ever-increasing demand makes it profitable in the long run. Nonetheless, you could always explore financial buffers, such as life insurance and investment options, as they are the best ways to protect your business interests.
The Paradigm of Green Marketing
Green marketing is more than just advertising the environmental characteristics of your products or services. Otherwise, your brand might be accused of greenwashing. Green marketing encompasses modifying the brand and making changes in the manufacturing process.
Considering the consequences we are experiencing due to environmental degradation, green marketing offers an innovative approach. Brands are putting effort to balance satisfying customer needs while doing the least harm to the environment.
All these said, consumers essentially play an active role in the green initiatives of brands.
Effective Green Marketing Strategies
Companies have to be mindful of their green marketing tactics to avoid greenwashing. Thus, here are some of the proven effective green marketing strategies:
1. Green Design
Companies often end up with their products or services being tagged as “greenwashed” because they were not considered “green” even from the start. Thus, it is crucial for companies using green marketing to ensure that their products or services are green from the beginning.
This means companies should implement green strategies even at the initial period – that is, during the planning and designing stages.
With a green design, the focus is on creating products that are convenient and flexible but also long-lasting.
When we talk of green design, it is usually associated with construction. Rather than use typical building materials, efforts are made to select powerful alternatives, as these substitutes are eco-friendly and healthier for the occupants.
2. Green Positioning
Green positioning aims to highlight the brand’s environmentally sound product attributes. No matter how eco-friendly the product is, it will not be commercially successful without effectively communicating its green branding attributes.
One of the brands known for its effective green positioning is The Body Shop. It has been approved the gold standard for non-animal tested products. It is also known for its advocacy against domestic violence and AIDS, and the brand does away with demeaning-to-women images in its advertisements.
3. Green Packaging
Green packaging is another efficient green marketing strategy leveraged by companies. By using eco-friendly packaging, businesses can draw more and more environmentally conscious consumers.
Green packaging simply means using materials and manufacturing processes for packaging with low to no impact on the environment. With biodegradable packaging, customers can visibly see that your business is committed to sustainability.
When it comes to green packaging, one great example is Starbucks.
In 2005, Starbucks became LEED certified. However, the company has more plans beyond that. It aimed to eliminate all plastic straws by 2020 and open over 10,000 eco-friendly stores by 2025.
4. Green Disposal
Green disposal aims to make allowances to accommodate all the aspects of a product’s life cycle. Everything, from its production to its disposal, should be sustainable. Rather than resorting to unsustainable disposable methods, old products and materials are recycled.
This green marketing strategy has, in fact, influenced food-related industries to create food recycling programs.
Final Word
Greenwashing may come off as the easiest green marketing technique, as it is inexpensive and convenient. But resorting to this could mean losing your business’s merited reputation and even its potential.
By sticking with legit and proven green marketing techniques, your company will see more profits and build its reputation of being trustworthy and environmentally friendly.