GREEN MARKETING: OPPORTUNITY FOR INNOVATION

Chapter 6: How to Communicate Green with Impact

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Table of Contents Featured Cases Table of Exhibits

Communicating environmental initiatives offers great rewards. With environmentalism now a core American value, and an increasing number of individuals assuming personal responsibility for the impact of their consumption, environmental themes can add relevance to advertising, public relations and promotional messages.

Because green-related attributes often enhance overall product quality, environment related communications can also reinforce a product’s primary benefits - e.g., low operating cost or convenience - and sometimes they can impart powerful emotional end-benefits and imagery that can increase impact and add perceived value.

Green communications can buff up corporate imagery and ward off legislative threats. Because of these many benefits, the potential for green-focused communications can often secure a boost in product-oriented marketing support from upper management. Environment-oriented communication is not without its challenges, however.

Challenges of Green Communication

Environmental benefits can be indirect, intangible or insignificant to the consumer. For example, consumers cannot see the emissions that are being spared at the power plant when they use energy-saving appliances. Relatedly, they don't see the space saved in the landfill when they recycle their cans in bottles.

Primary product benefits may be compromised. Although many green products are cheaper, faster, better, smaller, more convenient or durable, others can be more expensive, slower, uglier, or less sanitary. Cloth dinner napkins, for example, may be less wasteful than paper but they can’t match the convenience of their disposable counterparts. Mass transportation is cheaper than driving and lets one read, socialize or snooze, but it comes up short on the flexibility demanded by working parents who must pick up the kids, dinner, and dry cleaning along a circuitous commute home.

Targets can be elusive. Demographically based markets such as homeowners living in the parched Southwest or new mothers with extra pennies to spend on organically grown baby food are easy to pinpoint through conventional media, but lifestyle-based targets such as wildlife lovers or the chemically sensitive are more elusive.

Communications can be costly. Consumers must be educated on the benefits of new technology. New brand names must be established. Corporate green credentials must be put forth. Such tasks can overwhelm the budgets of start-up companies with stiff demands for research and development costs among other needs.

A backlash can occur. Communications that appear insignificant or insincere often invite criticism from any number of stakeholders; environmentalists sniff out whom they perceive to be "greenwashers," and state attorneys general are on the prowl for marketers who make deceptive environmental marketing claims.

While such challenges exist, not communicating one's environmentally-oriented product initiatives presents its own risks. These include being replaced on the shelf by a competitor with recognized green credentials, and lost opportunities to increase market share among the growing number of green consumers. Moreover, marketers who don't tout their product's greenness may find that consumers may assume their products are not environmentally sound.

Strategies for Success

Environmentally-oriented communications work best when:

• Green product attributes are obvious, legitimate, and ?meaningful to a sizable number of consumers.?

• A product’s environmental benefits are tangible and can be ?clearly and simply communicated.?

• Product-related efforts are reinforced by substantive ?corporate progress.

Use the following strategies to take advantage of the many opportunities afforded by green communications while overcoming the challenges.

Educate

Consumers want to make sure their shopping choices line up with green values, and they are receptive to efforts by marketers to provide them with the information they need to make informed purchasing decisions. For advertisers that make the effort to teach, educational messages provide special opportunities to increase purchase intent, enhance imagery, and bolster credibility. The best educational efforts make environmental benefits tangible through compelling illustrations and statistics.

• To create a market for its Triton paperboard six-pack rings, International Paper first had to educate consumers on the environmental problems their product solves. Reinforced by an attractive visual of ducks, ads explain that conventional six pack rings can snare fish and waterfowl, whereas Triton six pack rings are biodegradable, "turn(ing) to mush after a short time in the wild,...break down and do not threaten the environment or nature’s creatures."?

• Hangtags that accompany garments made from Wellman's EcoSpunTM fiber describe the process by which the product is made and provide compelling eco-stats that help consumers visualize and appreciate the product’s environmental story. Shoppers learn that for every pound of EcoSpun fiber, approximately 10 bottles are kept out of landfills, and recycling efforts have kept 4.8 billion bottles out of landfills and saved 1.3 million barrels of oil.

• To educate employees and visitors on the environmentally related benefits of organically grown cotton, Patagonia created an exhibit for its corporate headquarters. Displays focused on such topics as the differences between conventional and organic world views, the history of pesticide production, and the fundamentals of chemical-free farming and manufacturing. Thirty fiberboard panels - each four feet tall by three feet wide - displayed text, diagrams, photographs, illustrations and statistics. An impassioned letter from Yvon Chouinard, the company founder, explained his decision to switch the company to exclusive use of the more benignly produced fabric. Interactive displays played a tape recording of the traditional "Boll Weevil Song," by Carl Sandberg, while live lacewing bugs gave viewers a chance to experience beneficial insects firsthand.

Empower Consumers with Solutions

Environmentally concerned individuals respond to emotionally-driven messages arming them with specific strategies for helping them take back a sense of control over their lives. Demonstrate how environmentally sound products and services help consumers protect health, preserve the environment for future generations, or protect the outdoors for recreation and wildlife.

• Rather than promising magical transformations in one’s outward appearance, The Body Shop retail cosmetics chain empowers its socially-conscious audience to "Make up your mind, not just your face." Advertising messages shun discussions of product superiority and idealized images of glamorous users. Headlines exclaim "Humanism, enthusiasm, love, intuition, curiosity, humor, magic and fun. You can bottle it! And recycle it!" Window displays and in-store literature showcase environmental causes such as ozone layer depletion and global warming, not artsy product promotions.

• Ads for Working Assets long-distance telephone services, which directs 1 percent of its customers’ phone charges to non-profit organizations such as Greenpeace, Rocky Mountain Institute, Natural Resources Defense Council and American Rivers, empowers customers to "build a better world just by talking on the phone." Acknowledging that the socially aware are a growing niche in the marketplace and that people are becoming more concerned about letting their money speak for them, Working Assets appeals to those people who favor peace, human rights, economic justice, and a safer environment.

Recognizing the activist nature of its customers, Working Assets provides Free Speech days, allowing members to make free calls to senators to support legislation and other issues, and offers to send a Citizen Letter to targeted decisionmakers for a small fee. In 1995 alone, Working Assets customers contacted key political and social leaders nearly 1 million times, becoming a very powerful citizen group. Their integration of social responsibility and long distance service has been so successful that they are branching the concept out into new products and services such as internet access, business long distance and Working Assets credit cards.

• In a pilot of electric utility deregulation in New Hampshire, Green Mountain Energy Partners reinforces the promise of its largely hydroelectric power program to rid the air of nasty pollutants by offering consumers a free sapling. Consumers who send in their pictures beside the planted sapling receive "Eco-credits," good toward purchases from the Seventh Generation and Gardener's Choice catalogs.

• The U.K. government’s million-dollar ad campaign to fight global warming invited the public to "Switch off your kettle to save the world." Prompted by animated cartons of steaming kettles and globes in greenhouses, hundreds of thousands of consumers called a government hotline seeking more information. A linked "Helping the Earth" week attracted support from companies, local governments and charities.?

Notes David Jones, chief executive of the London ad agency Collett Dickinson Pearce on his work’s effectiveness, "The child’s perspective helps us to bring home to adults that these issues are about their children’s future. At the same time, we know that while people are willing to do something, it must not cost much or be too complicated or time consuming."¹

Be upbeat and positive. Jimmy Carter’s campaign for energy conservation failed because of its link to deprivation symbolized in one piece of clothing — a cardigan sweater donned to offset the chill imposed by a lowered thermostat. Like the entire "back to basics" green movement of which it was a part, his well-intended initiative failed because it represented a threat to the upward mobility and prosperity that is America. While some, and the Voluntary Simplifiers in particular (see Chapter 2), may question the beliefs of "bigger is better" and "growth is necessary for a healthy economy," Americans are not willing to reverse their hard won struggle to "have" for a future characterized by "have not." They hope technology coupled with cooperative efforts on the parts of all key players in society will safeguard their future. So, invite consumers’ participation via simple actions, not by leveraging fear tactics, playing to pessimism or pressing guilt buttons.

• Green Disk of Preston, Washington, manufacturers of computer diskettes that are recaptured from unsold, unopened packages of software, plants lighthearted messages on the bottom of their packages like "Good Planets are Hard to Find" and "100% Re-Made in America."

Use highly illustrative visuals to strengthen the upbeat emotional appeal of environmental advertising. Research conducted by Roper Starch Worldwide and Competitive Media on over 300 green ads that appeared in 186 magazines between 1991 and 1995 turned up three worthy notes of advice:?

• Exploit the inherent visual power in environmentalism. Make illustrations big, bright and beautiful. If possible, have them bleed off the page. And, when appropriate, give it some drama–something to make it connect with the human heart.

• In general, being specific is better than being general. A close-up shot of a spotted owl looking all feathery and cute or a nest of them will be far more effective in drawing a crowd than a chart showing the birds' probable demise and extinction.?

• Take a stand and state it powerfully. Most Americans favor, at least in principle, the prospect of a healthier environment; moreover, a significant number of people feel very strongly about environmental issues. It makes little sense, therefore, to mute your environmental message. People respond to powerful statements they agree with and will become more involved with your advertising if their attention is captured by headline and copy that loudly bespeak a strong commitment.²

Address the underlying motivations of your target. Empower the disenfranchised. Reward those consumers who are trying to make a difference.

• Motivate True-Blue Greens by demonstrating how they can make a contribution. Reward their initiative, leadership, and commitment.?

• Show Greenbacks that environmental benefits are consistent with busy lifestyles and thus add value to products.?

• Encourage Sprouts with appeals to fitting in with others in society, status and doing the right thing.?

• Provide Grousers with easy, cost-effective ways to make a contribution.

• Help Basic Browns understand how individuals can make a difference. Underscore that small actions when performed by many can make big changes.

The potential to motivate the large mass of passive greens with the promise of fitting in to society cannot be overstated. That's because environmental issues are inherently social: your gas-guzzling car pollutes my air; my wastefulness clogs our landfill. Today, the "cool" people care about the environment–the influentials, whom many emulate. This dynamic underpinned the most successful anti-litter campaign in history. It was created for Texas Department of Transportation by the Austin-based GSD&M advertising agency in 1985 and is still running. When research showed that slogans like "Pitch-In" were having no effect on habitual litterers (men 18-34), advertising enlisted popular Texas celebrities like Willie Nelson, Randy White, and George Foreman to demonstrate that it is "uncool" to litter. The "Don’t Mess with Texas" campaign has helped to reduce visible roadside litter by 72% saving taxpayers over $2 million per year in cleanup costs.³

Appeal to Consumers' Self-Interest

Environmentally preferable products like recycled paper and organically grown cotton benefit everybody in society, not just the people good enough to pay the premium to buy them. Reward purchasers for their altruism–and help them over the premium price hump–by demonstrating how environmentally sound products help consumers protect their health, save money, or keep their homes and communities safe and clean. Show busy consumers how environmentally-inclined behaviors save time and effort. Offer consumers the dual opportunities of saving money or trouble and saving the planet, and you’ve got the stuff for a meaningful sale.

Not surprisingly, such product categories as organically grown food and clothing and compact detergents, where consumers are able to make a connection between the environment and their own personal well-being, are growing faster than the ones where they can't immediately experience the benefits.

• An on-package flag for Colgate-Palmolive’s "cartonless" stand-up toothpaste tube highlights the benefits to its mass-consumer base with the motivating, "New, Clean and Easy Stand-up Tube", while an environmentally-oriented message are carried on the back. A greener package? Yes, but given the mass audience of the product, the broader message is judged to be more appropriate.

• Advertising for 3M’s Scotchbrite "Never-Rust" soap pads - from 100 percent recycled plastic - highlight in-use consumer benefits while the package’s side panel details the product’s and package’s environment-related attributes. (See Case Study, Chapter 4)

• When introducing its Renewal brand reusable alkaline batteries, Rayovac appealed to heavy battery users with a money-saving benefit. Headlines promised, "How to save $150 on a CD player that costs $100." A supplemental ad campaign announced the number of batteries that are spared from landfills each year, and complements the potential to save money, "How to save 147 batteries from going to landfills." Sustaining ads use Michael Jordan to underscore the Power of Renewal: "More Power", "More Music", and "More Game Time," while a supplemental campaign underscores Renewal's potential to create less waste and protect the environment for future generations. (See Case Study, Chapter 4)

• In a subtle reference to product performance, ads for ASKO water-saving washing machines assert, "The only thing our washer will shrink is your water bill". Other ads position ASKO washers as: "Stingy with your water. Stingy with your electricity. Stingy with your detergent."

• Tipped off by consumer focus groups, introductory advertising for Procter & Gamble’s Downy concentrated fabric softener refill included an appeal to cutting down on waste in addition to what was originally intended as a money savings-only message. The end result: highly motivating advertising epitomized by the memorable headline of "Put a little more money in your pocket and a little less in your garbage." The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s tagline for its Energy Star logo also uses as effective dual-benefit message. It reads, "Saving the Planet. Saving your Money."

• In a Washington, D.C., test market for the U.S. Department of Energy’s "Energy Saver" label for major appliances, salespeople at Sears, Wards, and Circuit City translated energy efficiency into money-saving data and easy-to-understand equivalencies, such as the number of free loads of laundry. In a follow-up poll, "energy efficiency" rose from 7th or 8th place to 2nd place among shoppers as a key purchasing criteria.⁴ (See Case Study, Chapter 8)

Provide Performance Reassurance

Environmentally preferable technologies often look or perform differently and are often perceived as less effective than their more familiar brown counterparts. Remove this potential barrier to purchase by addressing the issue head-on.

• To counter any lingering sentiment about the inferior quality of products made with recycled content, product labels on Eco-Sleep pillows made from soda-bottle-based fiberfill include the phrase "100% purified."

• To underscore the reliability of its remanuactured copiers, Europe's Rank Xerox markets its machines as "proven workhorses."

• To make sure that consumers don't think Triton biodegradable six pack rings will decompose while carrying Coke to the picnic, body copy includes the reassuring note, "They’ve passed every environmental test; yet they’re strong on the job."

Consider a Mix of Media

While advertising is usually the preferred form of communicating with mass consumers, many green marketers prefer to use alternative media — and it’s not just for lack of big budgets. Alternative messages, especially those delivered through non-paid media, can be more credible, as well as capable of reaching green consumers where and when they seek information.

Paid advertising, while capable of reaching mass as well as niche consumers efficiently, may be less than credible for bearing environment-related messages. For instance, Roper has found that advertising receives only moderate support from the True-Blue Greens, the most sophisticated group of environmental consumers. They prefer messages conveyed on packages or through direct marketing and community programs.⁵ This finding is corroborated by other researchers, who found that ads had no significant impact on people who were highly involved in the environment.⁶

Green marketers typically rely heavily on public relations tactics to communicate their messages. Companies with a mass target - and who can afford to - use advertising to highlight a brand’s primary benefits, while folding in public relations messages to communicate supplemental environmental benefits. The value of this approach is threefold: its public relations efforts can target green consumers in a cost efficient way; it provides third-party credibility; and it reduces the potential for backlash for what might appear to be a self-congratulatory message.

Deep-green companies, including The Body Shop, Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, and Stonyfield Farm, have built their corporate reputations and continue to establish goodwill through such creative publicity-generating efforts as adopting local charities, protecting small dairy farmers, and donating profits to charity. Such efforts can build awareness credibly and affordably.

Packaging, the Internet, and company-disseminated information are also excellent green communications vehicles.

A plurality of consumers now claim to read labels to see if products are safer for the environment, and recycling-oriented messages on packaging such as the well-recognized "chasing arrows" symbols on packaging are especially popular.

With a projected 25 million American users by 2000, the World Wide Web represents an efficient means of reaching consumers with information and advice on green products. Environmentalists have long staked out sites on the Internet to share information on global environmental problems, and a few sites now have sub-sites where consumers can obtain information on green products, green companies, and green behavior. Examples include EnviroLink, Green Market, Eco Expo Online, and EcoMall.

A popular place where consumers look for information is the companies themselves. Procter & Gamble, for one, receives 50,000 environment-related calls each year⁷ and growing numbers of consumers access corporate websites. Recognizing that the most active and influential consumers are apt to call or "visit," successful green marketers offer toll-free consumer hotlines and attractive information-intensive web sites and welcome specific environmentally-related questions about their products. Many companies use the opportunity to educate callers with in-depth follow-up literature on their corporate environmental policies and programs. Such deep-green-product companies and catalogs as Seventh Generation and Real Goods have made it an integral part of their strategy to provide extensive education and information for consumers on environment-related product and packaging issues.

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CASE STUDY : Annie's Homegrown: Where Packaging Does the Talking

Ann Withey, owner of Annie’s Homegrown Inc., makers of all-natural macaroni and cheese, prefers to let their packaging do most of the talking for her. Offers for "Be Green" bumper stickers and refrigerator magnets encourage shoppers to pick up the product, write in, and help spread the company’s environmentally conscious message. So far, 29,391 people have requested a bumper sticker and 11,585 have ordered the magnets.

Each package sports a signed letter from Annie letting customers know "there is a real Annie," along with, surprisingly enough, Annie’s home number. (Annie personally writes back to 25 customers a week and sends form letters to the rest. In addition, Annie fields about 50 calls a day from her Connecticut farm.)

Annie’s induces word-of-mouth marketing by offering to send discount coupons to customers’ friends. The package also sports an Internet Web site address, allowing the company to communicate more in depth with hundreds of other potential customers and route electronic mail messages.?

Annie’s Homegrown now has a valuable database of 25,000 customer names as well as a $3.5 million business.⁸

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Ideas for Action

Ask the following questions to evaluate opportunities to add impact to your environmental communications.

• Do our products empower consumers to solve environmental problems? Do they save energy? Conserve water? Cut down on toxics in the waste system?

• Are the environmentally related benefits of our products well understood by our consumers? To which consumers would our product's environmentally oriented benefits appeal the most?

• Do our environmental product initiatives represent any direct, tangible benefits to consumers? For instance, do they help consumers save money? Save time? Protect health? Enhance self-esteem?

• Do we need to reassure consumers about our product quality?

• Can we take advantage of opportunities to generate free publicity? Reach consumers on the World Wide Web? Use our package to increase shelf impact and reinforce brand imagery?

Notes

1. Strid, Steve and Nick Cater, "No Free Ride for Eco-Ads," Tomorrow, Volume III, Number 2, 1993 p. 47.

2. Sawyer, Philip W., ed., "It’s Not Easy Being Green. How to Improve Advertising with Environmental Themes," Starch Tested Copy, Volume 5, Number 2, 1993, p. 5.

3. Personal correspondence with Glenda Goehrs, GSD&M Advertising, December 9, 1996.

4. Makower, Joel, ed.,"Seal of Approval," The Green Business Letter, Tilden Press, February 1996, p. 2.

5. The Public Pulse newsletter, Roper Starch Worldwide, March 1994, p. 3.

6. Schuwerk and Leftoff Higgins, "Green or Non-Green? Does Type of Appeal Matter When Advertising a Green Product?" Journal of Advertising, Volume 14, Number 2, 1995, pp. 45-54.

7. "An Environmental Affair," Household and Personal Products magazine, December 1995, p. 46.

8. "Let Your Packaging Do the Talking," Inc. magazine, July 1996, p. 88.