McKinsey data from July 2020 says more than 60% of shoppers go out of their way to buy sustainable products — many customers only know or like a few sustainable brands and then default to big box retailers for other needs.
How will consumer views influence purchasing and where does that leave your Direct Mail strategies?
Many marketers have the misconception that print is ‘less green’ than other media. Email and social media are perceived to be more environmentally-friendly than all those door drops, inserts and catalogues.
In fact, this personal, tangible and measurable medium can even be climate neutral in the hands of the right printer. With the print industry making serious improvements to reduce environmental impact, print is staying a best-in-use marketing channel for even the most passionate eco-business.
So, if you’re looking to increase your DM activities, but want to stay at your greenest, what do you need from a printer?
PSE Offline Marketing:
“When managing customer campaigns, we always consider the environment and ensure some key steps are taken so the print is managed in an eco-friendly and sustainable way. We’d always advise using veg based inks and recycled and recyclable material whilst avoiding non-recyclable finishes such as certain UV’s, laminates and foils wherever possible."
Over and above that, there are additional accreditations that presses are committed to for sustainable printing that they would be able to provide you with for your campaign. For example the FSC accreditation is globally recognised for the work they do in not just the material used but also how the presses are run. We also strongly recommend offsetting the carbon used for each campaign through our partnership with the World Land Trust which enables you to attribute an exact amount of Carbon you have balanced, along with the land you have protected.
In 2020 alone we offset 99,356 kgs of Carbon and 69,549 m2 of forest was saved. It’s a fantastic initiative with a very low cost involved and can be applied to any print project produced so we’d strongly recommend using it.
“Although looking after the planet is incentive enough, through using eco-friendly materials and clean data processes, it also allows you to tap into additional postage savings, so not only is it good for the environment, but it’s also good for your marketing budget!
A Global Corporate Sustainability Report published by Nielsen shows that, “globally, 66 percent of consumers are willing to spend more on a product if it comes from a sustainable brand. Millennials gave an even more impressive showing, with 73 percent indicating a similar preference.”
This data indicates that customers want the companies they buy from to practice sustainability, have strong ethical behaviour and provide transparency. As part of the trade off, consumers are willing to pay more for products that use sustainable processes.
Consumers are already operating from a sustainability mindset, even if they struggle to make it a lifestyle. They are increasing the pressure on brands to make it easier for them to do so, calling for greater transparency and pushing for more sustainable options.
Look at the Nielson graph below to get an idea of those purchasing drivers
Patagonia does not encourage it’s customers to buy new clothing if their existing garments work. Rather, they communicate to them not to do so, provide a service to repair their product if need be for the customer to continue using it, and they now provide a service where used merchandise can be returned for new merchandise credits. The used clothing is then cleaned and repaired and sold on their “Worn Wear” website.
This is part of Patagonia’s commitment to and standing for sustainability in it’s business ethos.
We’ve asked Baukjen where their individual brand stand on sustainability?
All of our catalogues are PEFC certified and we print this on the back cover each time. In the catalogue we also include a sustainable and ethical guide. This talks about everything from upcycling, to low CO2 emissions to digital printing.“Our Mission is to put people and the planet at the heart of everything that we do. Driving lasting positive change in the fashion industry with sustainable practises and an ethical supply chain. We create timeless, carefully crafted clothes that empower woman. Last week we got the news that we have achieved full B Corp status and have been scored top in the UK for fashion.” - Anna Wilson, Marketing Consultant, Baukjen
We're proud to...
House of Baukjen proudly works with the key global organisations to deliver a better world. Amongst others The Fashion Pact, the UN Fashion Charter, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition and Science-Based Targets for Nature.
For their impact report they have adopted the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework which consist of 17 goals which form a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.
This entails being radical and exposing any bad news. Brands need to find a competitive edge by exposing as much information as possible about their sourcing and production processes. For instance, sustainability pathfinders like Patagonia have reported with transparency through its “Footprint Chronicles.” Access to the corporate practices and details of products and services should be provided to the consumers as part of a green marketing strategy.
References:
Advameg, Inc. (2019). Green marketing. Retrieved from https://www.referenceforbusiness.com/small/Eq-Inc/Green-Marketing.html. The Global Development Research Center. (2019). Some examples of green consumerism. Retrieved from https://www.gdrc.org/sustbiz/green/doc-cons_examples.html. “The benefits and values of green lifestyle consumers.” International Journal of Marketing Studies; 7, no. 1 (2015).
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