Where the Green Things Are

The who, what, where and how of green targeting

There’s no doubt that “going green” has reached far beyond a trend to become a lifestyle standard on Main Street. People are now demanding the supply of not just environmentally friendly products, but companies who walk their talk.

Whether you are new to the idea of green products and business practices, have already begun to promote your green offerings, or have been green all along, you still may be wondering how to target the new growing green market and this very particular new consumer.

Who are all these green people?
According to a Yahoo! survey of 1,500 consumers in August 2008, about 77 percent considered themselves “green.” That’s a huge market and growing. But it’s also important to understand the different shades of green, in terms of dedication and determination to seek information on green products. This will help you write ad copy to speak to your prime prospect:

• Deeply Committed—Early adopters of green who are looking to make a long-term impact on the planet, dominated by adults ages 35 and over. This group will go out of their way to make green purchases.
• Trendy—Think green is hip and want to be green to look good; adults ages 18-34 who display a strong desire to purchase green brands because of social pressure.
• Practical—Family-focused green adopters, adults ages 30-50, many with three or more children, concerned with buying healthy green products for their children’s welfare and to save money.
• Passive —Consider green important, but leave buying green products to others. Mostly women who are less likely to make a change to a green lifestyle today, but may consider purchasing a green product in the future.
• Non-Green—No interest in making changes to be green.

What do greenies want?
In a sense, green consumers are seeking a new level of transparency in what they buy. They don’t just want a green product, they want it to come from a sustainable source and company that is practicing responsible business production. Just selling a couple of green products does not make you a green brand; in fact, it may be considered “green washing” and green consumers may stay away rather than buy. Your business needs to be functioning in a green way to be considered a creditable green brand.

If you’re not already incorporating sustainability into your business, you may need to start by examining the carbon footprint behind your product. For example, at the recent Opportunity Green Conference in Los Angeles, Beth Springer, Executive VP of International and Natural Personal Care at Clorox Corporation, spoke about how it has made green changes. Clorox embraced changing standards and saw it as an opportunity, taking an inventory of their carbon footprint in every aspect of their business: electricity, water recycling, waste reduction, and distribution.

It also “greened” existing products by making them more eco-friendly (such as concentrated laundry detergents), acquired brands that were already green (Burt’s Bees) and started a new line of eco-friendly cleaning products (Green Works.) The result not only opened up a huge new targeting market for green consumers, but was also an enormous opportunity to launch an advertising campaign to show off the new, greener version of Clorox.

How do we tell them we’re green?
Because consumers are turning to the web to find product information, ingredients and company business practices, this is a prime outlet to advertise what you are doing. At the Opportunity Green conference, Annie Leonard, writer and producer of the viral film “The Story of Stuff,” explained some key points to marketing your story, which you may want to consider when developing your strategy:

•  Clarify your goals
• Get out of your head and into your heart to communicate your message
• Simplify your message so it’s digestible, but don’t dumb it down
• Make your story about emotions, not facts
• And preach to your choir, i.e., the greenies. They are your foot soldiers in spreading the word about your brand. In this age of grassroots social media, word-of-mouth is essential. Studies have shown that people are more likely to trust what a friend recommends over mainstream marketing efforts.

Where in the web is green?
Craft your ads to reflect the greenness that you’re trying to promote. Keywords will not only place your ads on green web pages, but also catch the eye of your target consumer, so choose your words wisely. Use keywords that describe your products, such as: environmentally friendly, organic, natural, reusable, fuel-efficient, energy-star rated and biodegradable; and words that describe your business practices: socially responsible, sustainable and of course, green!

If you want a competitive advantage in a market becoming flooded with green goods, look for what makes yours special and different. It might be the price: The green consumer might go out of her way to buy a green product, but she’ll also take a step toward what will save her money and the planet at the same time.

— Kastle Waserman, Communications Manager, Yahoo! Search Marketing

(Bird image by Michael Wooderuff;  Recycled cups image by e-magic via Flickr, CC 2.0)