What is Green Marketing, and the Pitfalls of Green Branding
In short, Green Marketing is about honesty, transparency and effective communication. In addition, you will gain knowledge about:
But where should your focus be as you embark on the green marketing and communications journey? The main point is undoubtedly, you must avoid greenwashing or ‘greenwashing’. Sustainable branding without teams is downright suicide, and it’s going to hurt you. If you lie about being greener, you’ll most likely end up in a ‘green shitstorm’ and potentially a big fine.
Quite simply; avoiding greenwashing by being honest and transparent in your marketing also results in ethical marketing.
A great gift worth taking with you!
Below is a short list of terms and concepts that explain what green marketing is all about.
In short, it’s about using sustainability strategically in your marketing of green products, services and messages. Listen to a great podcast on the topic here.
Greenwashing is, in short, communicating that you are green, when in reality the bottom of the iceberg tells a very different story. Something you as a company are definitely not recommended to do if you want to take care of your reputation. A modern and good example of greenwashing is VW with their cheating software, which made their cars greener than they really were.
A bit like green marketing, but here the focus is solely on ethics. Conversely, ethics can be many things, so it is not just about sustainability in terms of climate, environment and biodiversity. For example, ethical marketing can mean not branding products that are addictive to humans. Fortunately, VW has changed tack and is making a major switch to electric cars.
Strongly linked to marketing, but communication is broader. This includes how you communicate internally as well as externally. That’s why it’s actually more complex than marketing, because it involves the whole organisation.
A bonus concept that we think is important to include. The question is whether sustainable businesses can exist at all in the current world situation? The answer is probably no. Therefore, the concept covers the fact that as a company you do everything to work with sustainability, even if you know that a 100% sustainable company does not exist at the moment.
Your brand is affected by everything you, your employees and your board do. Yes even what your customers do. So green branding is really about everything your company stands for, does and says. Branding in a green sense therefore requires a paradigm shift in the organisation if it wants to position itself as a green brand. In a Danish context, Naturli’ in particular is exemplary of a green brand.
Green Marketing is for organisations and brands already on the sustainable journey
NOTE: If you need an overview of your company’s sustainability and green marketing, start with Green Shortcut
First, we identify where you are on the scale. Either you’re just getting started, which is why you’re “LEAN GREEN”, or you’re actually quite far along in your process, which is why you’re “EXTREME GREEN”. We then use the checklist below, which we warn can be a mouthful (-; to identify opportunities for your organisation and brand.
Source:
Green Marketing as the Source of the Competitive Advantage of the Business, Moravcikova D, Krizanova A, Kliestikova J, Rypakova M. Sustainability. 2017
Use the checklist to identify where you have untapped potential. Contact us with no obligation if you have any questions.
Of course, not all of the above steps need to be met before you can start communicating. We believe strongly in the process. An iterative process of constant learning, development and action. We take a lot of inspiration from Lean Startup methods. In addition, we also take inspiration from the Guide to SDG Communication, where we have compiled the key action areas below:
Strategic
How are sustainable actions combined with all company activities (organisation, products, value chain, communication, etc.)?
Processing method
Tactical
Use ambassadors to communicate the new strategy and transition. Read more about “the 3 percent rule” which is about the fact that 3% good influencers can influence 90% of the organisation. Not necessarily CEOs finding these ambassadors, but a comprehensive network and culture analysis
Operational
The strategic and tactical objectives must be anchored in the communication and marketing through tone, wording and images → in addition, it must be consistent across all channels (external, internal, web, SoMe and physical elements)
We have developed an online video course with a total of 10 chapters, which will not make you an expert in green marketing, but will give you a good starting point. Register and read more about the course at
greenmarketing.com
In just one year, companies working strategically on sustainability have increased from 12% to 22%*
*Applies from 2017 – 2018. Source is the Confederation of Danish Industry
Two entry points:
1) Green Shortcut is a dialogue tool that identifies where you are on your journey.
2) Green Marketing + Conversion is the iterative process that the wheel below also illustrates. Green transformation is, of course, the foundation. Marketing comes next.
Dialogue tool that finds and tells your untold green stories internally and externally. A kickstarter for sustainable transition
We know at least as much as sustainability experts, but we focus on communication. That’s why we work with leading experts.
In the future, we will not get around the fact that all marketing is green. Therefore, we also see companies using sustainability strategically increasing.
Exactly Green marketing is talking about the existing stories of your business. Through green communication you get automatically generated data, which gives you a database basis to say: “Maybe we should focus even more on sustainability”. We are already seeing it: Sustainability is good business.
“Green history? I have not“. Most likely yes. You just haven’t discovered it yet. That’s why we developed the Green Shortcut, which finds your untold but already existing green stories.
The focus is not on changing your company’s product – we have green transition for that. Instead, we focus on bringing out the green in your business.
Ready to find out how Green Marketing and Sustainability can help your business? Take the Green Shortcut test now
Even if you are in the process of going green, the Green Shortcut may still be relevant for you. The shortcut is a dialogue tool, which hopefully will get you thinking, and thus lead you on your journey. Of course, we hope we can help you with part of the journey.
Tag
Green Shortcut test here
and identify where you are on your journey.
We help you now, so you have a business for today and tomorrow
Curious how it works? Have a chat with us. Our green marketing heart beats, and yes, anyone can join in if the desire to think long-term and transparently is present.
Get a no-obligation initial review of your digital marketing and communications
TRIBE Media
The tribe is about more than just marketing. We are a social club. A company trying to make a difference for the planet and people. Even though we are "just" a marketing company.
Sustainability is at the heart of our business. We have put actions behind our words and started our journey ourselves.
Read how here
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No matter how much or little we’ve talked this year, our collaboration still means a lot to us at the Tribe.
That’s why we want to give you some special Christmas gift that might help you in 2022.
40% discount on a video or photo
for the website or social media.
The gift can be picked up at our office dalbygade 40U 1. floor or you can book an online conversation in my, Benjamin, calendar.
I look forward to talking to you. Merry Christmas!
