Austin, Texas: A few weeks back I had attended a trade show for the wholesale trade and was amazed at the number of people with banners touting “Eco-Friendly” and “Go Green”, etc.

Being a green marketing company, those signs immediately attracted my attention and I stopped at most of these booths.

Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed at how these firms substantiated their claims.

Just because an item can be recycled, does not necessarily make it eco-friendly. Many of these companies had no clue as to the recycle symbols on their products, whether or not it had any recycled material, country of origin, etc.

Customers are wary of claims that cannot be backed up with proof.

Then, on top of that, the majority of these companies had business cards that were not made on recycled paper stock or FSC-certified paper– nor were their catalogs or flyers.

Pay attention to the little things.

Going green means paying attention to the details, big and small..

If you claim to be green, at least know the issues that are affecting the country in terms of sustainability, carbon footprint and even climate change.

If your business cards and flyers are not recycled or FSC-certified, take down your “eco-friendly” banners- and decide if marketing to a green niche is the right target audience for you.

Marketing takes consistency.

Is your green marketing message consistent?

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Robert Piller, President of Eco Marketing Solutions, has over 25 years of experience in running and implementing green marketing campaigns and is a leader in the recycled promotional products industry, including offering one of the largest selections of reusable and organic tote bags, recycled and biodegradable water bottles, recycled pens and pencils in the country.

His company’s website, EcoMarketingSolutions.com, features over 25,000 eco-friendly promotional items in all price ranges, for any business or organization interested in going green. The site’s handy search tool helps you easily find biodegradable, organic and recycled imprinted promotional items in your price range and time frame.

You can also reach him by email (robert (at) ecomarketingsolutions.com) or comment on his blog postings at GreenSpotBlog.com or below at his Twitter link.

Austin, Texas: I have written several posts over the past few years on the need for more green outreach programs to help promote environmental causes.

Good news- November 15th is America Recycles Day - a full day to promote the value of recycling.

If you are a green marketer or promote the fact that you are “going green”, this is a tremendous opportunity to put your money where your mouth is.

Promote recycling to your audience.

     Be loud.

     Be proud.

     Be seen.

     Be heard.

     Get noticed.

One place to start is by joining with your nearest affiliate branch of Keep America Beautiful, which you can find at the link.

If you are  a recycler, this day should be highlighted on your calendar every year..and planned far in advance, so you can coordinate outreach programs.   I find it funny that I am still receiving calls, faxes and emails for last minute imprinted recycled tote bags and recycled pens– and the event is less than two weeks away. This seems to be the pattern year after year.

The  America Recycles Day website offers several useful toolkits that you can re-print to promote the one day event. This is an easy place to start, as they have slides, handouts, activities, games and other pre-planned programs available.

Sponsor a recycling drop-off program or pair up with those already in place.  The website has a zip code guide to the nearest recycling locations.

Volunteer to talk to a school about the need for increased recycling activity.  Children are the greatest demographic for environmental awareness activities, and as the future protectors of this planet, the best place to start.

If you are a bit more daring, volunteer to speak at senior centers, church groups, Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis, Lions Clubs and other organizations and encourage them to take a pledge to recycle .  I say more daring, as there will usually be more climate change deniers among those crowds, so you need to be prepared for a little more push back.

Be sure your company is implementing a recycling program for all employees, so you are practicing what you preach.  Encourage employees to recycle at home, as well.

Promote recycling on your company website, catalogs, blogs, etc.  Get the message out.

Learn recycling facts and bring them up on as many occasions as possible.  I found a great source of recycling facts and figures at Recycling Revolution‘s website that are sure to amaze and inspire.  For example, “If every American recycled just one-tenth of their newspapers, we would save about 25,000,000 trees a year.”

America Recycles Day is November 15th.

How will you be promoting recycling to your audience?

Please let me know what type of activities you will be participating in, send images, etc. so I can mention them in future blog posts.

Let’s Make Every Day, Earth Day.

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Robert Piller, President of Eco Marketing Solutions, has over 25 years of experience in running and implementing green marketing campaigns and is a leader in the recycled promotional products industry, including offering one of the largest selections of reusable and organic tote bags, recycled and biodegradable water bottles, recycled pens and pencils in the country.

His company’s website, EcoMarketingSolutions.com, features over 25,000 eco-friendly promotional items in all price ranges, for any business or organization interested in going green. The site’s handy search tool helps you easily find biodegradable, organic and recycled imprinted promotional items in your price range and time frame.

You can also reach him by email (robert (at) ecomarketingsolutions.com) or comment on his blog postings at GreenSpotBlog.com or below at his Twitter link.

The Value of Recycled Promotional Products

Austin, Texas: I got a call this morning from a green marketing consultant wondering whether or not she should spend the extra money getting recycled journal books rather than regular ones, imprinted with her name.

The price difference was nominal– maybe 25 cents on a $4 imprinted journal book.  

I was shocked, speechless for a few seconds.  Then I started to laugh.

If you are a company that is serious about green marketing, your thinking has to be focused 100% on green.

• No dithering.
• No “sometimes”.
• No “maybe”.
• No “only if I get a great deal”, etc.

If you do not show a genuine commitment to eco marketing, then you are, at best, not serious about the environment– and, at worst, a fraud or hypocrite.

Going green is not a part-time cause.

It is a way of thinking – a way of acting.

It is a change in your behavior, activities and a change in the way you look at the world.

Going green should be a trigger to change how you do many of the everyday tasks in life–from driving, to shopping, eating, switching to energy efficient lightbulbs and appliances, etc.

If you are to consider yourself a green organization, you need to live green.

• Act green.
• Think green.
• Read about green.
• Write about green.
• Preach green.
• Vote green.
• Editorialize about green.
• Be green.

If not, do not even think about using the words “eco”, “green” or “environmental” anywhere in your name, in your logo – on your mission statement, your website, etc.

We don’t need green wash. We don’t need subterfuge.

If you are going to carry the green banner, let’s take a more serious view of our commitment to the environment and to social causes.

Let’s make a difference.

Here’s to a greener tomorrow, today.
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Robert Piller, President of Eco Marketing Solutions, has over 25 years of experience in running and implementing green marketing campaigns and is a leader in the recycled promotional products industry, including offering one of the largest selections of reusable and organic tote bags, recycled and biodegradable water bottles, recycled pens and pencils in the country.

His company’s website, EcoMarketingSolutions.com, features over 25,000 eco-friendly promotional items in all price ranges, for any business or organization interested in going green. The site’s handy search tool helps you easily find biodegradable, organic and recycled imprinted promotional items in your price range and time frame.

You can also reach him by email (robert (at) ecomarketingsolutions.com) or comment on his blog postings at GreenSpotBlog.com or below at his Twitter link.

Austin, Texas: I have written in the past about the need for more than one day a year to educate the American public on energy conservation and sustainability.

Earth Day is great, but it is too hard to cram everything in to one day in order to make much of an impact and change people’s attitudes and perceptions about the environment.

This series of events would allow schools, government entities, and businesses more time to engage with its public and to seek solutions for a greener and cleaner planet.

I had previously suggested Earth Week or Earth Awareness Month instead of Earth Day, as two simple alternatives.

Another option would be to have a series of 12 one-day events, each focusing on a different aspect of the environment, as well as on alternative energy discussions. This could be under a larger umbrella, such as Earth Day: Solar, or Earth Day:Recycling, to add some cohesiveness to these days

Recycle Day: Yes, I know that there already is an America Recycles Day, in November, but as part of a 12-part Earth Day series, I believe it would generate more buzz.

Solar Day: This new movement, which is in June, would also gain panache and standing if it was part of the Earth Day Series.

Other suggestions for this series would include:

Compost Day

Carbon Footprint Day

Sustainability Day

Unplug Day

Wind Power Day

What eco-days would you suggest and why?
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Robert Piller, President of Eco Marketing Solutions, has over 25 years of experience in running and implementing green marketing campaigns and is a leader in the recycled promotional products industry, including offering one of the largest selections of reusable and organic tote bags, recycled and biodegradable water bottles, recycled pens and pencils in the country.

His company’s website, EcoMarketingSolutions.com, features over 25,000 eco-friendly promotional items in all price ranges, for any business or organization interested in going green. The site’s handy search tool helps you easily find biodegradable, organic and recycled imprinted promotional items in your price range and time frame.

You can also reach him by email (robert (at) ecomarketingsolutions.com) or comment on his blog postings at GreenSpotBlog.com or below at his Twitter link.

Austin, Texas:  Companies of all sizes are talking about corporate culture these days.

But are your employees all on the same track? If not, how can they positively shape your brand?

As more and more companies open up their social media to all employees, it is imperative that each employee buys into your agenda, so that your corporate culture can be expressed freely, but with a clear understanding.

For green businesses and organizations that are going green, it is crucial that when hiring, you seek employees that understand and appreciate the green movement, and understand global warming, sustainability and how mankind impacts these issues.

Ask questions to uncover their thoughts on these important green issues.

What are their thoughts on global warming?

See what kind of car they drive.

Discuss your corporate culture and be sure the buy into it.

A company is only as good as their weakest link.

Without complete buy-in, this employee might engage with customers online, in person, at a trade show or on the phone or with peers — and their message may not be in sync with your own.

Each employee must truly understand and believe in your green mission in order to spread your culture.

Take time before hiring your next employee.  Instill in them your green mission, your corporate goals — and make sure they are in alignment.

This is true from everyone from the shipping clerk to your bookkeeper, and everyone in between.

Corporate culture shapes brand culture.

Keep training and instilling your green mission and culture into your employees. Brand it into your employees as much, if not more, than you brand it to your customers.

A green corporate culture must be nurtured.  It cannot be a one time event, or mentioned and promoted only for your annual Earth Day celebration.

It must be a part of how your company does business. It must be a part of your company’s footprint and brand identity.

And it must be part of your employees personal beliefs.

Shape those already on board for buy-in.

And make sure all new hires understand and agree with your corporate green mission and stance on sustainability and environmental agenda.

I am all for diversity in a workforce.  Political parties, race, religion, age — variety is the spice of life and it is good to have a broad mix.

But if your employees do not believe in your green agenda, they can unintentionally subvert your mission and show your company in a poor light during customer interactions.

What kind of questions are you asking your new hires to make sure they want to be a part of your green business?

Please share them with me.  I’d like to know.

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Robert Piller, president of Eco Marketing Solutions, is experienced in green marketing campaigns and recycled promotional products.

His company’s website, EcoMarketingSolutions.com, features over 25,000 eco-friendly promotional items in all price ranges, for any business or organization interested in going green. The site’s handy search tool helps you easily find biodegradable, organic and recycled imprinted promotional items in your price range and time frame.

You can also reach him by email (robert (at) ecomarketingsolutions.com) or comment on his blog postings at GreenSpotBlog.com or below at his Twitter link.

Business should both Buy American and Go Green at the same time. They are not mutually exclusive.

Austin, Texas: Marketers are constantly looking for the next “big thing” to help promote their brand or message.

For the past five years, it has been green.  

Who hasn’t heard the term “going green” or “sustainability” bandied about in sales meetings, on websites and print ads, in direct marketing campaigns, in mission statements–everywhere.  

Many of the companies that have been going green have been truly working to reduce their carbon footprint and reduce energy consumption.  Kudos to them.

Others liked it because “green” was hot and a way to differentiate themselves from their competition.

Now, with being and acting “green” the cost of entry for most companies, eco marketing, or green marketing, may not have the impact that it once had.

So, what is next?

Red. White. Blue.

That’s right. Buy American.  Old Glory. Patriotism.

Like going green, buying American is a good thing.  It will create more manufacturing jobs in this country, which our economy really needs.

It has already begun.

Personally, our company has seen a tremendous uptick in the number of American-made tote bags, wearables and water bottles that we have been selling these past few months.

As more and more factories produce these goods, prices will surely drop and the difference in cost from an overseas product will get closer to the cost of an American-made product, especially when you add in such other costs as ocean or air freight and turnaround time.

I am all for the Buy American mantra.  I, like most businesses here, prefer to support American jobs and grow our economy.

But, in five years, after the American flag emblem appears on everyone’s products and websites, what will be next?

Is red, white and blue the next green?

I hope so. I think so.

But please don’t abandon green.

Whether it is your marketing niche, unique selling proposition, or just the way you do business,  let’s continue to reduce climate change and continue to Think Green.

We should be able to be green and patriotic at the same time.

After all, what is more patriotic than leaving a greener planet to our families and neighbors?

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Robert Piller, President of Eco Marketing Solutions, has over 25 years of experience in running and implementing green marketing campaigns and is a leader in the recycled promotional products industry, including offering one of the largest selections of reusable and organic tote bags, recycled and biodegradable water bottles, recycled pens and pencils in the country.

His company’s website, EcoMarketingSolutions.com, features over 25,000 eco-friendly promotional items in all price ranges, for any business or organization interested in going green. The site’s handy search tool helps you easily find biodegradable, organic and recycled imprinted promotional items in your price range and time frame.

You can also reach him by email (robert (at) ecomarketingsolutions.com) or comment on his blog postings at GreenSpotBlog.com or below at his Twitter link.

Outreach: The Best Form of Marketing & Branding for a Green Company

Austin, Texas: I was asked at a panel discussion recently what would be the one best way for a green marketer to increase sales.  I immediately responded with OUTREACH.

After some discussion and debate, I came to the conclusion that I had given the right answer.

Sure, everybody wants to increase sales, so they start planning creative strategies.

Focus groups.

Visits with ad agency and or marketing departments.

New product features–gotta have them.

New ad campaign–a must to justify this campaign.

Sleeker packaging–why not?

The list goes on–products, features, benefits, etc.

All these are fine.  But so what?

Why should customers care?

The base for green products is not growing at the same rapid pace it has for the past decade.  The greenies are all on board, as I had mentioned in a previous post.

But what about the rest of the population?

If you are not doing outreach programs to promote green causes and the benefits of going green, you will not expand your market share. In fact, if every company in your field promoted a green product to the same base, your market share will dry up quickly, as competition for that segment will increase.

Set aside a good amount of your green marketing and advertising budget–and spend it on creating awareness for environmental issues:

• recycling
• reuse of products
• carbon footprint
• cap and trade
• sustainability
• alternative energy
• pollution reduction

Your products and services should only be mentioned in passing — or as an afterthought.

Outreach should be done to create passion.

To build the base.

To inspire social change.

Can it be political?  Sure.  Will it create some negative impact among non-greenies? Possibly, so tread carefully.  But if you are truly a green company, the positive will surely outweigh the negative.  And, if you are truly green, those that are most offended are probably not going to be your ultimate target market any way.

At your next show, will you be touting product benefits–or building the base through outreach?

Outreach first.  Sales will follow.

That is the best way to increase green product sales over the next decade–and beyond.

Let’s Make Every Day Earth Day

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Robert Piller, President of Eco Marketing Solutions, has over 25 years of experience in running and implementing green marketing campaigns and is a leader in the recycled promotional products industry, including offering one of the largest selections of reusable and organic tote bags, recycled and biodegradable water bottles, recycled pens and pencils in the country.

His company’s website, EcoMarketingSolutions.com, features over 25,000 eco-friendly promotional items in all price ranges, for any business or organization interested in going green. The site’s handy search tool helps you easily find biodegradable, organic and recycled imprinted promotional items in your price range and time frame.

You can also reach him by email (robert (at) ecomarketingsolutions.com) or comment on his blog postings at GreenSpotBlog.com or below at his Twitter link.

I have been exhibiting at a Keep Texas Beautiful convention and the booth next to me is from an organization that is sponsored by the American Chemistry Council.

They are promoting a fun program designed to encourage businesses and cities to recycle plastic bags. The have a cute campaign and do a great deal of social media through their A Bag’s Life campaign.

However, their ultimate goal is to lobby to prevent bag ban legislation from coming to fruition.

Does the good they are doing in promoting the 3 R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle) outweigh their agenda?

Is it OK to get big business to finance recycling education? This might be akin to the Tobacco Master Settlement money that was taken from the cigarette companies to pay for anti-smoking ad campaigns.

Personally, I see no problem, as free education is better than no education.

What is your take on this? I’d love to hear from you.

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Robert Piller, President of Eco Marketing Solutions, has over 25 years of experience in running and implementing green marketing campaigns and is a leader in the recycled promotional products industry, including offering one of the largest selections of reusable and organic tote bags, recycled and biodegradable water bottles, recycled pens and pencils in the country.

His company’s website, EcoMarketingSolutions.com, features over 25,000 eco-friendly promotional items in all price ranges, for any business or organization interested in going green. The site’s handy search tool helps you easily find biodegradable, organic and recycled imprinted promotional items in your price range and time frame.

You can also reach him by email (robert (at) ecomarketingsolutions.com) or comment on his blog postings at GreenSpotBlog.com or below at his Twitter link. We’d love to hear your additions to this list.

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Many green companies spend most of their advertising and marketing budgets promoting their brand, but very few of them are spending a proportionate amount of effort on outreach.

With social media being free, are you making the most of this opportunity to promote green values and causes?

Your social media (including Twitter, Facebook,  and possibly LinkedIn) should be focused on promoting green issues that may be of concern to your clients and prospects.

Do not push product in this space.   This will not get Retweeted or Liked and it will annoy your audience.

Instead, this  effort should be geared to expanding your base and making your customers more aware of green topics, websites, causes, etc.

Spend your Social Media efforts promoting :

• Local and National Green Events
• Political and Legislative Issues Facing Voters
• New Proposed Regulations/Policies Affecting the Environment
• Ideas and Tips on Becoming More Green, Reducing One’s Carbon Footprint, etc.
• Trade Shows and Fairs Relating to the Environment
• Earth Day Ideas and Events

Become a resource to your clients and prospects … and your organization’s name will be remembered.

What are you plans to do more green outreach over the next 12 months?

I’d love to hear about it.
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Robert Piller, president of Eco Marketing Solutions, is experienced in green marketing campaigns and recycled promotional products.  He has worked to help plant over 25 million trees through his live tree seedling gift program over the past dozen years.  His company’s website, EcoMarketingSolutions.com, features over 25,000 eco-friendly promotional items in all price ranges, for any business or organization interested in going green. The site’s handy search tool helps you easily find biodegradable, organic and recycled imprinted promotional items in your price range and time frame.

You can also reach him by email (robert (at) ecomarketingsolutions.com) or comment on his blog postings at GreenSpotBlog.com or below at his Twitter link.

Is This the End of Green Marketing?

I have read several blogs and articles lately saying that “Green Marketing is Dead”.

To paraphrase Mark Twain – Reports of green marketing’s death has been greatly exaggerated.

It is the hope that green marketing will morph into every organization’s marketing mix so the word “green” can be removed–but, unfortunately, that date is far from here.

I would gladly remove the word “Eco” from my company’s name (Eco Marketing Solutions) when that day comes…and would celebrate it.

However, I would argue that now is the time for increased green marketing, not less of it.

It seems that most of the “low hanging fruit” has already been picked–and the die-hard “greenies” have pretty much jumped on the bandwagon. The easy green converts (or pioneers) have all been scooped up.

To them, green marketing serves mostly as a gentle reminder of the companies they will support with their dollars.

The next steps are twofold:

1) First is grabbing a larger slice of the business from the “maybe green” or “sometimes green” set.

These are folks that will buy green products and services–when it is convenient.  They’d like to do more, but are not going out of their way for it.

This segment can be reached through greater green marketing in terms of outreach and education.

Companies that add more recycled content to their production/manufacture, improved corporate social responsibility and better promoting thee green aspects of the product stand the best chances of reaching this target market.

2) Reaching those who feel that Global Warming is an international issue–not necessarily their problem

These people are not hostile to global warming and are not global warming deniers.  They can be  persuaded through marketing campaigns designed to show how greener products can help stop expansion of the problems.

Unfortunately, this is a long-term goal, and can take as long as a generation to change behaviors, but the green marketing campaigns must be steady and consistent.

This should include greater out-reach and education-especially at the K-12 levels, as well as reaching senior citizens, who are most concerned about leaving a clean planet as a legacy to their grandchildren.

As far as the “brownies” or global warming deniers, they will eventually become a small minority if green marketing and outreach are effectively reaching the others.

Green marketing needs to step up in its role to shape public perception and increase demand for products that are truly green.

There are 4 P’s in Marketing:

1) Products: Products need to be manufactured with less energy and with more recycled or renewable ingredients.

2) Place: Green products need to become more widespread on retailers’ shelves.

3) Price: Prices need to come down as demand for green products increase, so the price differential is less noticeable–or disappears entirely.

4) Promotion: Promotion should include standardized international symbols pointing out what makes a particular product green.  There should be a small set of symbols, not the hodgepodge of green symbols that are causing confusion and green washing–both intentionally and unintentionally.

Let’s make green marketing go away.

Unfortunately, it looks like it needs to remain for a long, long time.

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Robert Piller, president of Eco Marketing Solutions, is experienced in green marketing campaigns and recycled promotional products.  He has worked to help plant over 25 million trees through his live tree seedling gift program over the past dozen years.  His company’s website, EcoMarketingSolutions.com, features over 25,000 eco-friendly promotional items in all price ranges, for any business or organization interested in going green. The site’s handy search tool helps you easily find biodegradable, organic and recycled imprinted promotional items in your price range and time frame.

You can also reach him by email (robert (at) ecomarketingsolutions.com) or comment on his blog postings at GreenSpotBlog.com or below at his Twitter link.
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