Effective Green Marketing
– Make the Most of Your Green Messaging

The Marketing Executives Networking Group recently released its list of top marketing trends for 2008. Based on its survey of 1700 members, “Green Marketing” was an important concept and the trendiest marketing buzzword. With consumer spending on green products and services expected to hit $500 billion in the next year, green is definitely a hot color.

But beware of overselling eco-friendly claims. Consumers are growing more savvy in their product knowledge. If your eco-claims appear misleading, you could get accused of ‘greenwashing,’ which could mean trouble for your reputation and bottom line.

A study from TerraChoice, an environmental marketing agency, says companies that greenwash risk setting off a chain reaction in the market. Die-hard green consumers are usually the first to denounce a greenwasher, and that can influence the purchases of everyday green consumers. Scot Case, VP of TerraChoice says, “That ill will can spread to the other 80% of the market if conventional consumers start worrying about what else the company could be hiding.” Case acknowledges that companies most likely don’t intentionally misrepresent their products, but that they just may have a poor understanding of the issue.

So how do you craft a green message that avoids a greenwashing label? MarketingSherpa.com has some good tips that we've summarized here:
 

	Know your consumer Hard-core green shoppers want real data, not soft messages. For these influencers, post ingredient lists and test results on your website so that you can back up your marketing claims. Everyday consumers don’t want that much information. But they do want to know how buying eco-friendly affects them. “Safe for you and for the environment” is a message that gets through.
	Make the most of certification Getting a third-party environmental certification is a good way to convince the everyday and the green consumer that your products are Earth-friendly. A variety of industries offer them. Four of the most recognizable certifications are:
	Three arrows for recyclable products Energy Star symbols for energy-efficient products from the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy Green and white organic label from the Agriculture Department Checkmark tree for sustainably harvested wood from Forest Stewardship Council

For more on green messaging, read Marketing Sherpa's
How To #587 at www.MarketingSherpa.com.

Or download these Federal Trade Commission guidelines on environmental marketing claims:

	Environmental Marketing Claims What do "green" claims mean? When are they misleading? This short introduction to the Federal Trade Commission’s guidelines raises some interesting questions about the reliability of environmental marketing claims -- and offers recommendations for avoiding vague or deceptive claims, using seals of approval, and substantiating claims. Download Now
	Making Environmental Marketing Claims on Mail The FTC has written "Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims" to set standards for making and substantiating claims for environmental products. Learn how to make truthful environmental claims about your business mail on your envelopes, without interfering with USPS mail processing, so that your customers will know that you care about the environment. Download Now