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Red-Hot for Green Businesses
November 01, 2007
Communicate a green image and get ahead of the public curve.
By Dick Wolfe
The environmental or "green" movement is no longer on the fringe. In fact, green is so hot right now—both domestically and internationally— that it isn't even a movement anymore: It has become a big business with marketplace estimates ranging from $300 to $500 billion annually.
Factors contributing to this renewed focus on earth-friendly endeavors include:
• Better consumer understanding (and scientific consensus) that the global warming phenomenon is real.
• Escalating energy prices that have consumers shifting gears not only in the way and how often they drive, but also the vehicles they buy.
• Broader availability of affordable, energy-efficient products from home appliances and office equipment to heating and cooling systems and compact fluorescent light bulbs.
Being in the media spotlight has a lot to do with it, too. According to national media watch group, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, between 1988 and 2005 more than 3,500 articles were written about global warming alone. More recently, former Vice President Al Gore helped nudge social consciousness along with his documentary on global warming, An Inconvenient Truth.
From the White House to the house next door, Wall Street and your customers are all taking the environment very seriously. Likewise, corporations worldwide are realizing that environmental stewardship is creating opportunities to innovate and differentiate. For example, The Home Depot's Eco Options program allows customers to easily locate 2,500 environmentally friendly products in its stores. Daimler-Chrysler, Alcoa and AbTech are all part of an effort called EcoZone to spread positive environmental messages.
Communication is Key
In the book Cause for Concern: Results-Oriented Cause Marketing, 77 percent of consumers polled changed their purchasing habits due solely to a company's green image. Green clearly has the power to move markets. A green corporate image can be profitable, too.
"Being green" presents communications and marketing professionals with entirely new avenues to sell products and deliver services. It also means marketing and communications strategies must be defined and implemented sooner rather than later.
Yet, with all the media attention and corporate activity is it too late for you? Not at all. There are plenty of opportunities for innovative and decisive companies to define and communicate a green leadership position. Fully assessing how your operations impact the environment and developing eco-friendly products and programs are complex areas that many companies are still figuring out. It's having a plan to get into the game is what matters most.
Regardless of your current position on "being green," environmental issues are top of mind with the media, the public and your stakeholders, which can affect your business in many ways. A key component of your marketing, PR and advertising should be built around how your company is developing or supporting products and processes that are environmentally friendly, healthy and safe.
Volunteer or Be Drafted
More environmental legislation is being proposed and passed everyday—effectively taking environmental responsibility out of the realm of choice and making it mandatory. Legislation can have a devastating impact on companies and industries that are unprepared. In the U.S., the majority of lobbying efforts are to fight regulation. What would happen if that dynamic were reversed, if companies became part of the solution?
Why not drive legislation instead of fighting it? Wouldn't it be better to help craft regulations that address environmental issues while being sensitive to business concerns? The alternative is having uninformed lawmakers passing legislation that could potentially devastate your business and industry.
Smart companies and industries will anticipate the hot environmental issues, where regulation may be headed and then move to become an ally to get sane, sensible legislation implemented. Take Apple for example: In response to green legislation on the disposal and recycling of electronics, the company started an iPod take-back program at all of its U.S. retail locations. While the free recycling program is eco-friendly, the company also uses it to build long-term customer relationships by offering a 10 percent discount on the purchase of a new iPod when customers bring their old one in for proper disposal.
More Than a Green Image
Being green is not only an image building campaign. It cannot be a rolled-out, hyped-up window dressing that only becomes an afterthought. Like any other initiative there has to be internal buy-in—it has to become a real part of the company culture. Being green requires commitment and action from the CEO to the receptionist.
Establishing a viable reputation as a green company will make it easier to be viewed by lawmakers, consumers and key stakeholders as an ally instead of an adversary.
Leadership and relationship building are common refrains in sales and marketing. Planting your green flag on the summit ahead of the competition is one more way to take a leadership position and create positive customer relationships.
Dick Wolfe is a vice president at Gibbs & Soell Public Relations (www.gibbs-soell.com), which specializes in business-to-business communications for many Fortune 500 and Blue Chip companies, as well as emerging leaders. Dick can be reached at dwolfe@gibbs-soell.com.
Sales & Marketing Management Magazine
This article is brought to you by Sales & Marketing Management, the leading authority for executives in the sales and marketing field.
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