Green Marketing 2.0

Issues relating to IT and energy are often the primary focus of sustainability efforts within a corporation.  Much has been documented and continues to be every day.  But what about the impact of a company’s communications, like advertising, direct mail, websites, blasts, webinars, tradeshows and more? 

One of our prime focuses is to keep abreast of this sector and inform our clients and the business world in general through speaking engagements, blogging, interviews, article writing and in other forms of communications about the movements being made to green the media supply chain. Walk your talk, right?   

Here are a few environmental wake-up calls for corporations to consider concerning their communications:

• Printing 10,000 bumper stickers equals 1.6 tons of CO2
• Printing a 10,000 piece mailing equals 2.1 tons of CO2
• Printing 10,000 yard signs equals 10.7 tons of CO2

The impact of these activities have been largely overlooked but websites such as SustainCommWorld.com are in the forefront of our industry providing research and awareness in this arena.  They found out the 10% of the companies they surveyed had not even considered reporting on the carbon footprint of the publications they advertise in.  In an effort to create meaningful change in the greening of the media supply chain, they publish articles, newsletters and produce tradeshows in order to move the needle for marketers and business owners towards true sustainability in the marketing field.

The challenges are certainly unique in the world of green marketing.  From the media carbon footprint to the lack of standards for determining what it means to be a green product to communicating a message truthfully, authentically and credibly.  This always brings us back to the Golden Rule.  Do to others as you would like them to do to you.  It can’t get any greener than that. 

(Exerpt from upcoming book, “Inside the Minds: Greening your Business” by Thompson Reuters. Green Marketing chapter written by Carolyn Parrs and Irv Weinberg)    

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