Green Brand Marketing

More customers are asking for greener products than ever before. Eco-friendly companies benefit from this ever-increasing demand by offering products that are sensitive to the preservation of our environment. Green products ensure the planet’s long-term sustainability and enhance the company’s reputation and brand image.

Companies that turn away from environmentally friendly practices in their manufacturing, marketing or distribution units may become susceptible to attack by environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) and other special interest groups.

Some of the nation’s largest retailers have experienced such attacks. In these cases, it took years to reestablish their public image, brand equity and sales. The targeted companies were required to conduct expensive public relations campaigns and quickly retool their business practices to meet the demands of the ENGOs. If these companies had been pro-active in becoming more environmentally friendly they could have avoided these attacks and maintained their competitive position.

It is important to be authentic in claims of eco-friendliness and to avoid “greenwashing” your brand message (making misleading claims about environmental benefits). When incorporating green messaging into marketing materials, reinforce those claims with actual practices.

Add Green Practices to Your Business

Opportunities to add green practices to your business are practically limitless. NewPage offers a full spectrum of responsible products to meet your brand communications needs, including:

• Corporate collateral
• Direct mail
• Catalog
• Publishing

A few tips to avoid greenwashing:

• Keep it real and specific. Phony, unsubstantiated or exaggerated claims will be discovered and publicized, possibly causing irreparable damage to your brand. Be transparent regarding your sustainability intentions. This will help to maintain your customer’s confidence.
• Help tell your story with third-party certifications. NewPage offers many paper products that carry these certification logos.
• Market the NewPage paper you source with these real product attributes:
  • Manufactured proudly in North America
  • Made from legally sourced wood and wood products and contains certified fibers
  • Contains recycled content (add percent as appropriate)
•  Read case studies on how brand marketers have enhanced their brand image with paper choices for packaging, catalogs and inserts.
• Read “Seven Sins of Greenwashing Report.” 
• Learn more about sustainable marketing communication strategies.