Going Green is a hot topic. Last year, more than 1 million students skipped school to protest government inaction on climate change. Students from all over the world took part in more than 2000 protests in 125 countries.
The Green Movement is gaining popularity as individuals, corporations and SME’s collectively look to implement actions to do their bit. ‘We must avoid ‘Green Washing’ warns Founder, Stacey Kehoe. “Going Green or working towards sustainability shouldn’t be a marketing exercise, it should be a fundamental part of your business”.
Going green is alliteration that we hear more often. But what does it actually mean?
Going green means to pursue knowledge and practices that can lead to more environmentally friendly and ecologically responsible decisions and lifestyles, which can help protect the environment and sustain its natural resources for current and future generations.
A shift towards green energy is required to significantly reduce the carbon footprint. Technological advances in the renewable energy industry have resulted in massive reductions in the cost to implement alternative energy systems. The solar energy industry is growing an exponential rare.
In 2017, in the United States, more people were employed in solar power than in generating electricity through coal, gas and oil energy combined. According to a new report from the U.S. Department of Energy, solar power employed 43% of the Electric Power Generation sector’s workforce, while fossil fuels combined accounted for just 22%. It’s a welcome statistic for those seeking to refute Donald Trump’s assertion that green energy projects are bad news for the American economy.
At Brandlective, we have made a conscious effort to implement practices that reduce plastic usage. We have also become a part of B1G1 – whose philosophy is small business can change the world in a big way.
B1G1 is a social enterprise and non-profit organisation with a mission to create a world full of giving. Unlike conventional giving models, B1G1 helps small- and medium-sized businesses achieve more social impact by embedding giving activities into everyday business operations and creating unique giving stories. Every business transaction (and as a result, the business’ day-to-day activity) can impact lives for as little as just one cent. That methodology has enabled Brandlective to make many impacts.
Over the past 2 years, Brandlective has achieved many significant impacts. Some of the ones we’re most proud of include:
• 1012 days of access to reading materials to girls in Cambodia.
• We’ve provided 42 people with anti-trafficking training
• We’ve given 138 days of support to keep a family together in a time of poverty
• We’ve given 100 days of access to a bicycle as a mode of transportation to get to school
• We’ve provided 365 days worth of grain seeds to nourish children in Malawi
• We’ve planted 48 tees to nurture the environment in Borneo
• 43247 days of access to life-saving clean water to families in developing countries
Speaking about Brandlective’s commitment to sustainability, Stacey Kehoe said:
“There are no longer any excuses for businesses not to do their bit for the environment or for charitable causes. B1G1 makes it easy for any business to be a ‘business for good’. This, however, poses the question of how to correctly and ethically advertise yourself as such should you choose to pursue it. We believe that the pillars of transparency, education and encouragement serve us well to inform our clients and prospects about the additional benefits doing business with us has.”
Going Green has become easier, but what is required? And how should we talk about it?
‘Many clients of ours fear speaking out about their ‘green’ initiatives out of fear of been called out on their intentions. We try to encourage businesses to provide their customers the information but only if it is a fundamental part of their business and not implemented for the purpose of marketing’ adds, Stacey Kehoe.
Here are 4 areas to showcase to your audience:
Transparency
Businesses that are committed to going green can set themselves apart from the competition through transparency. Plenty of businesses can say they are going green, but they don’t have any proof of the actions they are taking. To build a trusting relationship with customers, it’s important to be completely honest. Don’t omit any bad news relating to your company’s green efforts. Report everything accurately to be transparent and build trust.
Strategically Reaffirm Your Commitment
Reaffirming a commitment to go green will further enhance the green image of a company. Companies that can show the fruits of their labour by accurately reporting can further leverage it to establish greater rapport with their consumer base.
Patagonia’s Footprint Chronicles along with the detailed and adamant position the company takes on its website regarding its environmentalist and green efforts are a successful example of a strategy called radical transparency.
Get Third-Party Verification
Consumers are far more likely to trust that a company is fulfilling its promise to ‘go green’ if there is verification from a third party. Third party verification enables a company to demonstrate the results of their efforts from a trusted, unbiased source.
Becoming a B-Corp is a great way to do this.
Optimise Various Industrial Processes to Reflect Green Policies
Taking action to minimise the environmental impact of your company across all points in the life cycle of a product or service illustrates a company’s commitment and highlights their leadership in adopting green policies. An effective marketing strategy for brands is to incorporate green efforts into labelling. Poland Spring ran a marketing campaign effort around this green image by indicating the reduction in plastic used in their new bottles on the label.
Find out more about our giving efforts by visiting our B1G1 page: https://www.b1g1.com/business-account-profile/5540
