When walking through a store, making an online purchase, or even figuring out which nonprofit will make the most out of my donation, I’m often relying on my understanding of an organization’s approach to sustainability, transparency, and business practices to make the most informed, ethical decision I can. But not everyone does that–and let’s be honest–I can’t realistically consider impact from every single company I purchase from.
Strong environmental marketing helps consumers cut through the noise and countless baseless claims about environmental impact. When environmental marketing is successful, it empowers consumers in their decision and builds brand credibility.
When you believe that adopting an environmental marketing strategy is right for your organization, there’s lots to consider to build credibility.
Consumers are smart. We can’t assume that they’ll believe all claims at face value, including and marketing efforts that claim environmental responsibility. With a topic as complex as environmental impact, there leaves a lot of room for misleading claims.
Avoiding Greenwashing
Making your brand feel credible in environmental marketing comes down to avoiding greenwashing. Greenwashing is a form of marketing and advertising that positions a product, service, organization, etc. as something that is sustainable in order to appeal to an ethically conscious consumer.
According to the United States Federal Trades Commission,”Marketers should not make broad, unqualified general environmental benefit claims like ‘green’ or ‘eco-friendly.’ Broad claims are difficult to substantiate, if not impossible.”
Showing, not telling, is where strong marketing and communications come in. Instead of using these unsubstantiated terms, actually proving what you preach in verifiable statistics, business practices, and stories, is vital.
To avoid falling into greenwashing, say what sustainability means to the company. Explain how your product was sourced, what materials it uses (including packaging), the labor that went into it, and the impact that item has on the environment. Be mindful and clear on your product’s end-of-life. Promote your efforts to support a circular economy, and if not, how long it takes for your product to actually biodegrade. Talk about the business decisions that were made that move your impact in a more positive direction.
Really paint a picture of your organization, rather than relying just on words.
How to Approach Marketing Your Impact
So what practices can you apply to your marketing strategy to build a trustworthy brand?
- Share your wins: Promote where your organization is strong. Sharing where you shine already is low-hanging fruit, and there could even be an interesting story behind why it’s a strength.
- Make your claim accessible: It’s easy for companies to claim its strengths. Make data and information easy to find when consumers want to dive deeper.
- Share your goals: Sharing and keeping your goals is a big indicator that you are committed toward continuous improvement.
- Share the data: Regularly providing data points within your organization helps consumers see your progress. Impact reports are a great way to present and share your data! You can read about how to create an impact report here.
- Use regulated terms: There are certain certifications that require companies and organizations to keep certain standards in order to use them. Becoming LEED, BCorp, FairTrade, and Rainforest Alliance are a few certifications that signal an organization’s commitment to implement sustainable practices.
- Have a flagship operational strategy to promote: Patagonia has their repair program. Ben & Jerry’s use FairTrade ingredients. Lush Cosmetics reuse plastic containers that customers bring back in. Ecosia uses their profits to plant trees around the world. Building a program or innovative standards into your operations gives you a boost of credibility and a great story to promote as you take concrete steps to become more active in your sustainability strategy.
- Be optimistic: Having a strong sustainability story is exciting, and it gives people hope for the future. Keep the momentum going to continually improve with energy and optimism.
Environmental marketing is complex, and there are countless aspects to consider when developing a strategy to tell your story. But when you lead with transparency, your organization can make an impact on not only your consumers, but the planet as a whole.
This article was written without the help of AI.