Good to be Green?
How to make consumers aware of your green practices
July 15, 2009
Edited by: Ken Beaulieu in: Consumer Marketing Trends
It’s tough being green when greenbacks are hard to come by. Feeling the lingering effects of the recession, today only 27% of small business owners believe their customers would be willing to pay more for environmentally friendly goods and services, compared with 43% in 2007, according to a new survey by Gallup. Not surprisingly, fewer owners (37%) are taking steps to show their customers they are environmentally friendly than was the case two years ago (47%).
Despite these statistics, consumers continue to seek out brands that align with their values. In a report by BBMG, 77% of consumers said they agree that they “can make a positive difference by purchasing products from socially or environmentally responsible companies.” Whether your business recycles, has switched to more environmentally friendly products, or allows employees to telecommute, be sure to get the word out:
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- Publicize your green practices on your Web site, in marketing and advertising, on social networks, and in the boilerplate copy of all press releases.
- Tout your commitment to the environment to attract talented employees. It’s one of the latest marketing trends.
- Ask all employees to get involved with green initiatives at the company or in the local community. It can save you money and lure new customers.
- Put the customer in charge. Providing multiple ways for people to get involved or several initiatives from which to choose can empower customers to focus on what they’re really passionate about.
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August 3rd, 2009 at 10:36 am
Online retailers that are selling any product (not just green eco-friendly products) can do a few things to green their supply chain.
1) Look for green friendly suppliers. This is harder than it sounds because of many of us are sourcing overseas now. But, this is always a great thing to attempt.
2) Outsource fulfillment. You will get economies of scale and efficiencies as well as best-of-breed product fulfillment capabilities that will reduce your shipping error rate, cut your storage costs an allow you to grow your business.
3) (BIGGEST) Cut your shipping cost. Every dollar you can save on shipping means less gas. It is a great correlation that you can take to the bank. Couple ways to do this.
a) Move product in bulk closer to the customer. Don’t centralized the inventory storage of your best sellers. Strategically locate best sellers closer to major population centers. It is easier than you think if you outsource some or all your fulfillment
b) Move some best sellers internationally. Internet Retailer put out some big growth numbers for the UK over the next 5 years. Don’t try and sell to the UK with individual parcel shipping overseas: Big cost per package, stuff get stuck in customs, nightmare returns problems. Instead, move some best sellers overseas to an outsource facility in London or next to the Chunnel.
c) If you put best sellers on the East/West coast of the U.S. you could ship to the entire country in 1-2 days for the price of ground. (read that sentence again). No overnight shipping or next day shipping. You can monetize this or just pass the savings along.
All these things save you money and reduce your product carbon footprint.
The bigger and heavier the product the more you save.
Here is an actual example case study for an eco-friendly mattress company.
http://www.shipwire.com/green-supply-chain
Our YouTube channel has Keetsa mattress discussing this on a panel and walking through how they greened their supply chain.
http://www.youtube.com/shipwire.
Cheers,
Nate G.
Rate comment:Shipwire warehouses in the U.S., Canada and the U.K.
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