Sustainable & Green Marketing

By: Stephanie Benney

We are all guilty – and we know it. Humans are guilty of taking Mother Earth for granted for eons now. We have foolishly abused her resources and have turned a naive, deaf ear when her abundance has been threatened.Regardless of blame, we need to begin acting proactively. So, where can we begin? Let’s start with how we market our own businesses.

I am the daughter of the owner of an air pollution control equipment company. As a result, the environment had always been a major concern of mine. I knew that I wanted to use my creativity to improve the community and the planet. As a self-proclaimed “Sustainable Visionary,” I try to help companies evaluate their marketing and advertising practices in order to create a more sustainable brand.

Many of us do not realize how much waste goes into marketing businesses. A few years ago, I was given the task of launching a business according to green standards. This was new territory for me, opening my eyes to new ways of conserving and making eco-conscience improvements. The key was identifying and implementing sustainable marketing practices.

Green Marketing, or Sustainable Marketing incorporates more than simply using a recycled paper for a brochure. A company has to consider The Triple Bottom Line (3BL), which is People, Planet and Profit. It basically measures the impact your company has on these three key factors. For example, if a tangible brochure is absolutely imperative, then look at how sustainable the entire process is … from design to execution and consumption to waste. Take into consideration the ink coverage of the design, the kind of ink, the paper and printer used, the amount and what kind of energy involved in powering the printer, the location of the print shop, and the carbon footprint of transporting the brochure if it is not a local printer. This is also a very thorough way to gain more control and awareness of your companies’ operations.

One of the greatest advantages of sustainable marketing, is that it also helps you to connect with your consumer on a more emotional and humanitarian level. Especially now, people want to feel good about the decisions and the purchases they are making. The fact that their selection of a particular soda pop-top purse was created by and helps aid women in a third world country, can be the deciding factor for the purchase. As I was meeting with a client to discuss rebranding strategies, I realized that they partner with Habitat For Humanity when they dispose of old product, but no one knew about it. Such a key selling point can be a major deciding factor in why a potential client chooses them over another kitchen design firm. Consumers can feel good knowing that when they choose to remodel their kitchen, their old cabinetry is going to be used by Habitat For Humanity. Adding a humanitarian aspect to your company, clients are able to see your organization as a socially, economically and environmentally responsible business.

There are many different ways to market your company using sustainable practices. If we just take the time to stop and reevaluate our current marketing and advertising situations, we are taking the first step towards restoring our Mother Earth, our community and ourselves.

Stephanie Benney is a “Sustainable Visionary” and also the new Pittsburgh Representative for Fuzed Marketing, where she helps companies increase their brand presence. stephaniebenney@yahoo.com