It is no secret that the environmental craze really took off. People are now much more aware of the many different ways they can affect the environment.
Some of us gave up plastic straws for the sake of the turtles, while others got emotional support water bottles in an attempt to cut down on plastic. Everyone is focussed on recycling, having solar panels and thrifting.
Caring about the environment has become mainstream, and anyone not doing their part is so not cool. This means that businesses and brands have to participate. They cannot just claim to be green — they have to walk the walk if they want to get, keep or grow any kind of customer base.
This is how environmental marketing came to be!
Grab your biodegradable pens and recycled paper, because media update's Alrika Möller is sharing everything you need to know about environmental marketing in 2024.
What is environmental marketing?
Environmental marketing — also known as green marketing — is not exactly what you might think. One's first thought is that it's when brands use environmentally friendly ways to market their products or services, but that is actually not the case.
Environmental marketing is when marketers use a product's or brand's environmentally friendly qualities as a selling point. When a marketing campaign highlights the fact that recycled material is used for a product's packaging or that the production process uses less water or carbon emissions, they are using environmental marketing.
It is not about how you market, but the message you are sending through your marketing. It is generally a message saying, "We care about the environment, just like you!"
Why is environmental marketing effective?
In 2023, the Office for National Statistics in the United Kingdom reported that 73.6% of adults made massive lifestyle and purchasing changes due to the environment in that year. That is a lot of people that really care about their effect on the environment.
There are obviously those who care because everybody else cares or because they think they are supposed to care.
Being environmentally friendly has become somewhat fashionable, and having something that is 'green' or environmentally conscious is the best-trending accessory you can have.
When marketers shine a light on the eco-friendly aspects of a brand, they entice people to support them. It works because those who believe in the cause will appreciate supporting a brand that feels the same about the environment as they do. Consumers want to support brands that are actually doing something to help.
And keep in mind that people who care about the appearance of it all will love looking like they are super eco-friendly.
Either way, both the brand and the environment are #winning!
How can brands utilise environmental marketing?
Packaging
Being sustainable in your packaging is probably the easiest way to make use of green marketing. Packaging that is made from sustainable or recycled materials is quite popular.
The cosmetics brand Lush is a big believer in sustainable packaging. It believes in this cause so much that a lot of its products — such as shampoos, body washes and even bubble bath — is sold in bar form to eliminate packaging altogether. If they can sell it in a bar, they will.
Items that cannot be sold in a bar form are sold in packaging that is 90% sustainable. That way, the brand and consumers alike are doing something good for the environment and your skin — all at the same time.
Design
Any brand gets bonus points if its product itself can be considered sustainable. Think of things like CO2 emissions, water usage and materials used. When your product design or service has something sustainable that sets you apart from your competition, you should be shouting it from the rooftops.
In 2023, Apple unveiled its carbon-neutral products. The announcement got a lot of attention and praise, with ads being shared on social media. Everyone with an Apple product felt very green, and everyone without one felt like they were letting Mother Earth down.
Participation
Customers and people in general love being a part of something, and people who are passionate about the environment want to do something.
Have a call to action in your marketing campaign that will get your audience involved.
Here's a great example of this: Levi Jeans started Levi Secondhand. It is a programme that allows people to buy second-hand denim on their website. All the jeans are verified by Levi itself. Supporting the initiative means you know that you are still getting a good product, but you are doing your part for water waste and fast fashion.
The new-found passion for the environment is clearly not fading any time soon and it shouldn't. It is important for marketers to jump into this movement with both feet if they want their marketing efforts to succeed.
Do you have a favourite environmental marketing campaign? Let us know in the comment section below.
*Image courtesy of Canva