3 Key Questions to Ask About Your Green Practices
June 17, 2009 By Ethan Boldt, Editor-in-chief, Inside Direct Mail
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2. Do you invite the customer into the green transition?
A new study conducted by IBM Global Business Services shows that business executives who are committed to CSR programs often fall short because of so-called "information gaps" within their own operations, as well as not understanding customer expectations. In a statement made by Jeff Hittner, corporate social responsibility leader at IBM Global Business Services, he illustrates the information gap between executives and what customers may expect from an organization. "It's not that executives misunderstand their customers' CSR concerns; it's that they've never tried to find out. About 37 percent [of executives] have never asked their customers what's important," he relates.
Hittner has three simple recommendations: 1) perform customer research; 2) segment customers from a sustainability standpoint; and 3) develop programs that educate and engage customers on sustainability matters.
And he throws out the theory that CSR matters less during economic downtimes, mentioning that the survey on which the IBM study was based was conducted in the midst of the recession, yet 60 percent found CSR to be more important than the previous year and only 6 percent viewed it as less important.
3. Should you get more ambitious with your green practices?
To catch the attention of prospects who may overlook the smaller measures, such as green logos, some businesses are going further in their marketing practices. "The most common trend I see is pushing prospects to the Web. That being said, you still have to reach prospects, and direct mail is much better at that than e-mail," states Johnson, who then refers to formats that are reusable by prospects. "Formats in direct mail that serve as both the outgoing (prospecting) and incoming (response vehicle) are being used more and more, and you will see a growing trend with this format," he predicts.
Brophy offers a warning, however. "More ambitious green practices may catch attention but may or may not be understood. Does a prospect know the difference between a carbon-offsetting, carbon-neutral and carbon-negative claim?" she asks. While company Web sites and reports offer space to elaborate and offer verification, Brophy says the direct mail piece cannot always fully explain its green practice.
Fortunately, green as a marketing message continues to evolve. "The [Federal Trade Commission] is reviewing environmental marketing claims now. Hopefully, we can expect guidance with respect to terminology, standards, verification, compliance and consistency in green marketing practices," concludes Brophy.
A new study conducted by IBM Global Business Services shows that business executives who are committed to CSR programs often fall short because of so-called "information gaps" within their own operations, as well as not understanding customer expectations. In a statement made by Jeff Hittner, corporate social responsibility leader at IBM Global Business Services, he illustrates the information gap between executives and what customers may expect from an organization. "It's not that executives misunderstand their customers' CSR concerns; it's that they've never tried to find out. About 37 percent [of executives] have never asked their customers what's important," he relates.
Hittner has three simple recommendations: 1) perform customer research; 2) segment customers from a sustainability standpoint; and 3) develop programs that educate and engage customers on sustainability matters.
And he throws out the theory that CSR matters less during economic downtimes, mentioning that the survey on which the IBM study was based was conducted in the midst of the recession, yet 60 percent found CSR to be more important than the previous year and only 6 percent viewed it as less important.
3. Should you get more ambitious with your green practices?
To catch the attention of prospects who may overlook the smaller measures, such as green logos, some businesses are going further in their marketing practices. "The most common trend I see is pushing prospects to the Web. That being said, you still have to reach prospects, and direct mail is much better at that than e-mail," states Johnson, who then refers to formats that are reusable by prospects. "Formats in direct mail that serve as both the outgoing (prospecting) and incoming (response vehicle) are being used more and more, and you will see a growing trend with this format," he predicts.
Brophy offers a warning, however. "More ambitious green practices may catch attention but may or may not be understood. Does a prospect know the difference between a carbon-offsetting, carbon-neutral and carbon-negative claim?" she asks. While company Web sites and reports offer space to elaborate and offer verification, Brophy says the direct mail piece cannot always fully explain its green practice.
Fortunately, green as a marketing message continues to evolve. "The [Federal Trade Commission] is reviewing environmental marketing claims now. Hopefully, we can expect guidance with respect to terminology, standards, verification, compliance and consistency in green marketing practices," concludes Brophy.
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