Why Sustainability & Eco-Vision Defines Excellent Business Marketing
More and more commonly, businesses are targeting what they like to call “conscious consumers.” Put simply, these consumers care about where their money goes and the initiatives they support. They’re more likely to withdraw support from companies that seem to cause harm or aren’t transparent.
This can be applied in any direction, depending on what the ethical standards are. It may be that a conscious consumer cares about diversity in the businesses they support or perhaps the ethical, fair trade standards they use to curate international supply.
Yet one essential proactive effort involves us all – that of reducing your environmental impact and even taking the initiative to be a positive force for good.
This is a win-win, as companies structure efforts to be as sustainable as possible; they can also use that as a means to market their brand and appeal to conscious consumers. However, as we all know, making promises and enacting plans are not always the most common bedfellows. So, let’s suggest how companies can put their money where their mouth is while marketing their new eco-focus:
Reinvesting In Your Community
It’s good to reinvest in your community to the extent you can. After all, the environment is not just some “cause out there” that we focus on, but the reality of where we live. For example, implementing recycling cans and trying to go paperless within the building is key.
You could also sponsor environmental events in the community, such as fundraising drives or eco-talks. You can make all of this information public and accessible in a worthwhile page on your website. This might even include videos or shorts you post to your social channels to showcase how your environmental efforts are actually making an impact in the community and that they’re far from small talk.
Leveraging Consulting Services
It’s always healthy to leverage consulting services to the extent that you can. This is because your business may be effective and offer interesting services, but if full-time environmental care isn’t your focus, then you may not be as sharp about the topic as others could be. Services that offer GHG consulting can help you identify where you may be contributing emissions, and seek to lower them. Measure them effectively, and you can proudly showcase the difference you’ve made this year and the sustainable solutions you’re putting in place for the future.
Supporting Other Services
It’s good to ally yourself with other charities or organizations making real progress toward sustainable goals. For example, you might donate 10% of your profits each year to a local environmental charity.
Or, perhaps, if you’re in a position to make a unique contribution based on your business output, you can add something more. For example, some mattress companies might donate mattresses to charitable causes or maybe even offer discounts to previous buyers if they recycle or return their old goods to the company.
Again, operating on the same logic that another organization dedicated to the task is going to be more impactful than you can be, allying with a charity can be a great use of your time. They may even let you use their logo on your website or promotional material as a result, which allows conscious consumers to see who their money will go to support with every purchase.
Sustainable Sourcing
Finally, sustainable sourcing is always worth implementing into your supply chain. Who you buy raw materials from, which vendors you use to structure your manufacturing process, all the way to which server farm you choose for your managed IT service rental, all of it can be improved by ensuring you use services that care for the environment.
That doesn’t mean everything has to be perfect, and companies have to only offer 100% recycled products or run on 100% renewable energies. It does mean choosing the best options that are practical and affordable to you, though, such as companies that try their best to go paperless or cut down on their packaging supply or enact some of the similar programs you do, like allying themselves with charities.
With such a focused effort, you’re certain to sustainably source your needs as time goes on. This can give you a better and more focused approach towards incrementally improving your eco-choices.
After all, the seeds you plant now will bear fruit in the future, provided you keep watering them and adapt the soil where necessary. Just make certain that you hold yourself to the highest standards possible – it really does make a difference.
