Mar 12 2008
The carrot and the stick: just how green is your marketing?
We all like to think that we are behaving responsibly and doing our bit to save the environment, but just how green are the various marketing activities you are currently undertaking? Have you ever carried out a thorough audit of their environmental impact with a view to adapting or changing the way you market your business? Well if you haven’t, you are not alone. According to Envirowise, the Governement body established to encourage businesses to improve their green credentials, 44% of leading UK companies are not taking any steps whatsoever towards embedding sustainability in their strategies. This despite the various carrots - free advice, incentives and proven improved commercial performance - that abound. As the drive to combat climate change becomes increasingly influential, those organisations lacking robust environmental credentials risk losing out to their more switched-on competitors. As legislation starts to be introduced to force us to be fully accountable for the way our businesses impact on the environment, those organisations not already ahead of the game will waste valuable time, resources and money playing catch-up whilst their competitors focus on increasing their market share. Put simply, the future health of your business is inextricably linked to the health of our planet. But where to start? As marketing consultants, we have worked with a number of companies as part of their overall strategy development who have successfully introduced initiatives to combat their environmental impact. One of our clients, Pepper, a Plymouth-based printing company, were one of the first businesses in the South West of England to gain the BS8555, the new standard for environmental management systems. Not only have they reduced their carbon footprint in what is traditionally a very “ungreen” industry, they have also saved costs and increased efficiency. Take a look at the Pepper website for more information on how they went about achieving green status.You could start the ball rolling by completing the Envirowise questionnaire, which will not only pinpoint where you are now but guide you towards the next steps. Not only does it make sense from an environmental perspective, but there are real, tangible benefits to adopting a green approach to how you do business. If that isn’t enough of a carrot, then you could always wait for the very big stick which is coming along!