Once considered fringe, the new normal for businesses and consumers is recycling, and using green/eco friendly/sustainable products – and services. There are now "green" dry cleaners, "green" carwashes, and more. Products, including promotional items, that help reduce carbon footprints and save the environment are heartily embraced by business/industry and consumers.
According to The Integer Group and M/A/R/C Research, "Marketing Shift to Come for Eco-Friendly Products," approximately one out of four consumers will purchase a green product "if it makes them feel like they are contributing to saving the environment." When presenting a range of eco-friendly promo products, your clients may be encouraged to use some for a loyalty/rewards program. Crosett, in her article, quotes Integer Group's Craig Elston, "If shoppers can't see or feel an immediate reward for this new behavior – saving money, time, creating social change, etc.– they'll opt to stick with what they know."
As pointed out in "Green Marketing as a Vehicle for Consumer Engagement," consumers are very interested in green products and garments not just for the features and benefits they provide but as a social cause. "As a result, consumers are not only highly open to invitations to engage, but eager to do so when given the opportunity. Many, in fact, actively seek outlets for their passion; marketers only need to activate them by providing the opportunity."
The Natural Marketing Institute's July 2014 report, "The State of Sustainability in America 2015: Trends & Opportunities," points out that from 2009 through 2014, U.S. consumer awareness and attitudes toward green/eco-friendly brands have grown to its highest peak yet. According to its data, 85 percent of Americans accept sustainable practices to some degree, and 63 percent said they are actively increasing their green product purchasing as well as their recycling/sustainable behavior.
And unlike many other conventional products, the "emotional payoff" is huge with eco-friendly, and this needs to be emphasized during your sales pitches. Of import, eco-promo programs do not always have to revolve around Earth Day – as many say and believe, "Earth Day is every day."
Where does "green" infiltrate everyday living? Cars. Household cleaners. Clothing. Paint and other home-improvement products, serving wear for meal times, personal care, utilities, furnishings and interior decor. In short, just about everywhere.
Bringing these all into perspective for promotional sales, one can begin to see the extraordinary number of potential sales opportunities locally. These include: local farms and wineries, for the natural and organic message who want that healthier message to be remembered; auto dealers that sell hybrid cars, as well as auto parts and other related services that want the hybrid-car consumer who is likely to utilize and embrace other eco-saving measures in his/her life; interior designers who focus on green living and/or want to attract more green clients; paint and hardware stores that want to send a "healthy home, healthy planet" message; salons, spas and boutiques that want to attract women with a strong eco-friendly/healthy body mindset. Even college campuses and bookstores are a ripe market, as many young adults now expect such safer alternatives as the norm, not the exception.
In fact, green living and working is so popular now, that distributor Eco Promotion Products, a woman-owned business, specializes in this sector. Its green-minded clients can select logoed products ranging from sustainable awards, kitchen items, edible, automotive, travel, technology, office, pet, and health/beauty. But it's not so much about products – according to its online mission statement, " The corporate policies of Eco Promotional Products, Inc. help to reduce landfill use, reduce the use of non-rapidly renewable resources, and advocate for human rights issues."
Similarly, Empire Promos, which has an eco-friendly department called "Eco Smart," encourages its clients. "EcoSmart and energy conservation promotional products give you the chance to do your part to help conserve our planet and its resources and to demonstrate your environmental commitment to your clients and potential customers. Products in this select group provide an essential business or recreational function and a concrete contribution to energy and resource conservation. Choose from T-shirts, drinkware, bags, pens, journals and more for your next promotional event. The choice of items in this group is growing every day, so check back often to find the product that's perfect for your EcoSmart promotional campaign."
By creating your own similar mission statement, you will be galvanizing a beneficial practice that your clients would like to emulate, and the products and garments can be easily tailored for their campaigns.
There are thousands of promotional products and hundreds of suppliers that can deliver outstanding, innovative items made with preserving our environment in mind. Take a day or afternoon and create an eco-friendly promo guidebook to have handy; feature a wide variety of products and garments for different types of businesses (healthcare, beauty/fashion, restaurant/hospitality, automotive, leisure/parks/golf, etc.). As you represent innovative campaigns via logoed merchandise, the idea of suggesting a logoed eco-friendly item for the workplace, recognition programs or for customer giveaways will be appreciated by your clients and end users – and quite lucrative for you and your business.