An Homage to Earth Day
Today is Earth Day, in case you didn’t already know. What began in 1970 as a grassroots, nationwide protest on behalf of the environment has evolved into a well organized annual event that involves people around the globe. The theme of this year’s Earth Day is “The Green Generation.” According to www.earthday.net, the core principles of the Green Generation are:
- A carbon-free future based on renewable energy that will end our common dependency on fossil fuels, including coal;
- An individual’s commitment to responsible, sustainable consumption; and
- Creation of a new green economy that lifts people out of poverty by creating millions of quality green jobs and transforms the global education system into a green one.
I think “The Green Generation” is a very fitting theme for this year’s Earth Day celebrations. The core values of environmental protection and sustainable living have gone mainstream and are here to stay. According to Advertising Age magazine, 2009 will see triple the number of launches of new, eco-friendly products as 2008. And sales of these products are increasing as well, with Nielsen Co. data showing sales growth of organic food at 5.6% year over year in December from a year ago, and green product manufacturers such as Seventh Generation experiencing a 50% increase in sales last year (with early data indicating that the pace of growth will keep up in 2009).
So what does all of this mean to you as a marketing professional? To me, it means that none of us can afford to ignore the issue of sustainability in our marketing and promotional strategies. Here are some tips you can use as you market to the Green Generation:
- Broaden your definition of “Green”: These days, most people consider “sustainability” to encompass more than just environmental protection. According to advertising agency Saatchi and Saatchi, many are more concerned with social and economic issues such as poverty, employment and health care than they are about the environment. When all of these issues are linked together with the environment under the umbrella of sustainability, they become a powerful selling point. Does your organization have a corporate Sustainability Policy (see ours here)? If not, now would be a great time to put one in place. If you do, then its time to take a fresh look at how sustainability is defined and make sure that consumers know that your corporate value system is in line with theirs.
- Consider cause-related marketing: You don’t have to sell green products to benefit from the green revolution that is taking place. Instead, you can build your brand equity by associating it with causes that promote sustainability. In an era when corporate greed is being blamed for our broader economic woes, consumers are hungry for opportunities to ally themselves with companies that stand for more than just profit. By linking corporate identities with nonprofit organizations and good causes, CRM aims to connect brands with consumers beyond the traditional point of purchase and to form long-lasting and emotional ties. CRM comes in a variety of forms – you can sponsor events such as an Earth Day forum, promote internal programs such as employee volunteer work in the community, promote causes by encouraging your customers to get involved (for example, by giving away tree seedlings for planting on Earth Day), or incorporate purchase-triggered donations into your business model. Check out the kinds of CRM that we’re involved with here.
- Practice sustainable purchasing: Everyone buys promotional products, but how many of those products are eco-friendly? Did you know that just about every kind of promotional item can be found in an eco-friendly form? From t-shirts made of organic cotton or bamboo, to mugs made of recycled corn plastic, to gadgets that help save energy, there is an infinite variety of ways to incorporate the theme of sustainability into your promotional product purchasing plans. Sometimes, you can do this simply by changing the nature of the items you are buying. For example, rather than buying branded bottled water, why not consider making the switch to a branded water bottle that can be refilled and reused time and time again?
- Buy local: One of the main ways we can all cut down on our carbon footprint is by reducing the emissions generated by vehicles used to ship products over long distances. You can do this by working with your supplier of promotional products to find sources in your local area. Not only will this help the environment, it’s a great way to support local business and contribute to a stronger community!
At this point, it’s a little late to start planning an earth day-themed event for this year, but now is the perfect time to consider how you will adjust your marketing strategies to more effectively target the Green Generation. Its also a great time to start thinking about what you will do next April when we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day!