Most Effective Green Marketing Strategies You Need to Know

It is a foregone conclusion that green marketing is the wave of the future.

Indeed, a study conducted by the National Marketing Institute recently found that up to 80 per cent of all consumers will become engaged with marketing campaigns associated with a sustainable edge.

This is why developing targeted strategies is an excellent way to remain one step ahead of the competition. Let us look at five expert recommendations to appreciate the big picture.

1. Avoid the Practice of “Greenwashing”

Greenwashing is the practice of claiming that a business is aligned with sustainable practices without providing any tangible evidence. Similar to traditional marketing campaigns which fail to deliver on their promises, such a strategy should be avoided at all costs.

In some ways, brevity is the soul of wit in this sense. The firm Wizer Energy clearly displays how backing up statements with incontrovertible facts is a great way to add “clout” to a marketing campaign.

While products and services still take center stage, they are backed up with authoritative information that has been provided by reputable third parties.

Transparency is key if you wish to fully resonate with the intended target audience. Furthermore, we need to remember that the average consumer is much more educated in regard to green policies than in the past.

Therefore, he or she is likely to quickly spot this proverbial “fluff” if it happens to be present. Simply stated, always support green claims with viable facts and clear evidence.

2. Identify the Benefits of a Greener Approach

Another facet of a well-rounded green marketing strategy involves transforming a potential prospect into a conversion.

This can be accomplished by succinctly explaining the benefits of the products or services that you happen to be offering.

For example, this page highlighting the advantages of domestic EV chargers points out attributes such as:

• Convenience
• Cost savings
• An increased property values
• A high return-on-investment
• The ability to embrace an eco-friendly approach

When possible, avoid any technical jargon and explain the benefits in a concise manner. This strategy could very well make all of the difference in the world between a paying customer and an individual who chooses to look elsewhere for similar products or services.

Consumers will always be interested in ancillary environmental advantages; particularly when referring to younger generations such as millennials.

3. Realise the Growing Importance of Societal Marketing

This is a rather new concept, and it has begun to gain ground within the professional world over the past few years.

The concept of societal marketing involves promoting the well-being of society and it places a greater focus upon long-term sustainable goals.

Read: 5 Concepts Of Marketing

While traditional metrics such as the needs and wants of the customer are obviously important, these are now being augmented by the so-called “greater good”.

This actually makes a great deal of sense when we remember that consumers are much more conscious about the state of the world around them.

Businesses that are capable of developing a solid societal marketing campaign will be able to attract a much wider demographic.

4. The Hidden Benefit (and Dangers) of Partnerships

Imagine for a moment that your business supplies printer ink cartridges in bulk to multinational firms. You have adopted a host of green in-house practices and your products are considered to be environmentally friendly.

However, your revenue streams have been falling over the past few financial quarters. What could the reason be?

One issue which should be examined involves your current partnerships. We need to remember that green marketing involves the ability to generate a positive PR image.

This is hardly realistic if your business works in conjunction with suppliers known for a poor environmental record.

So, investigate the track records of present partners as well as those that you may be considering. Not only will this action further lend a sense of transparency to your organisation, but you can enjoy additional benefits including:

• Streamlined methods of production.
• Savings that can be passed on to the end-user.
• An enhanced brand image.
• Remaining certain that you are adhering to all relevant environmental regulations.

Simply stated, a bit of research will go a long way.

5. Tie Marketing Campaigns Together with a Good Cause

One core concept of marketing is known as “utility”. The utility is defined as the means by which the value of a product or service is conveyed to the end-user.

For example, a vehicle may be advertised for its fuel-efficiency, or a laptop could be promoted due to its memory capacity.

However, the utility can be viewed in another way. Namely, a product can be used to promote a greater cause.

If we return to the example of ink cartridges mentioned earlier, this approach will become clearer.

For instance, a business may choose to allocate a portion of its revenue to a local charity or to a firm helping to prevent deforestation.

The main takeaway point here is that consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about the greater good.

This should come as no surprise when we consider the very real effects of global warming and climate change.

Companies that are capable of aligning their marketing efforts with well-known causes will create a responsible and respectable brand identity.

Green Marketing: A Necessary Transition

To be absolutely clear, none of the above methods are intended to rewrite traditional marketing principles.

They are instead meant to be used in synergy with existing tactics. Green marketing is here to stay and if anything, its presence will become even more known in the coming years.

The good news is that all of the suggestions highlighted throughout this article are relatively simple to implement.

However, their impacts can be surprisingly profound. Whether you are looking to streamline your current strategies, or you have recently started a venture from scratch, feel free to refer back to the information above.