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Green Q&A
The Business Case for Green
When it comes to environmentally conscious business practices, direct marketers will be among the first to say that the industry doesn’t always get it right. But there’s little question that CMOs are trying harder than ever.
After years of being hailed as the next big trend, green marketing has moved well beyond consideration as some sort of newfangled fad and become a cornerstone in best practices for a growing number of brands.
Currently, 5,000 businesses in the United States and Canada are certified by the nonprofit Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), a non-governmental advocate for responsible forest management. And while that may not seem like an overwhelming number, it includes some of the largest companies in the world, including many direct marketing giants.
Ian Hanna, U.S. director of business development for the FSC, describes the growth as “phenomenal.” “This has taken the market to a place of ubiquity,” Hanna says. “When I get mail at home, I see the FSC label four or five times in one day. Those are real changes in terms of improved forest management as well as continued growth in recycling post-consumer fibers.”
Jerry Cerasale, senior vice president for government affairs for the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), says that most direct marketers rely on nationally recognized print companies, all of which purchase certified paper and soy-based ink.
“There have been vast improvements in the technology in making soy-based ink,” Cerasale says. “I’d say that every marketer I know uses it.”
Indeed, the biggest leap has occurred among printers. According to Cerasale, they are 100-percent environmentally conscious.
“They are trimming paper sizes the best they can and recycling every bit of scrap in their plant,” he reports. “If there is a bad run, they recycle that paper. It’s a win-win for them. They’re greener and it saves them money.”
Marketers are also are doing a better job in reducing the number of mailings that are duplicates and/or undeliverable as addressed. In addition, Cerasale says an increasing number have begun to reduce the amount of paper used in packaging.
But there is still work to be done. Cerasale said the DMA would like to see all envelopes and stationery mail stamped with the logo “Please Recycle.”
“It’s important, and it’s an area where more effort and more education are needed,” he explains, adding that 4 million tons of office-type papers were recovered in 2009. “We would like to see the percentage of mail that is recaptured in recycling grow dramatically.”
The DMA is also emphasizing the need for marketers to become more eco-friendly while maintaining the same response rate to mail. For instance, Cerasale said, marketers are being encouraged not to delete names from their lists but to consider mailing certain information to certain consumers every other month instead of once a month.
“Give choices to consumers. Adjust to their preferences and the kind of mail they want to receive,” Cerasale says. “That would make the consumer happier, reduce marketers’ cost and reduce their environmental footprint.”
Want more green marketing tips? We have you covered.
Green Q&A
The Business Case for Green
