Green Campaigns - What Are They & How Do They Help?

Global surveys have found that 87% of consumers are concerned about the environmental and social impacts of products they purchase and services they use. However, as much as consumers want to remain Green in their actions and their purchases, they expect businesses to pave the path. In fact, 61% of consumers have said that businesses need to take the lead in terms of tackling environmental issues by developing more eco-friendly products or supporting sustainable action.

Consumers aren’t the only ones influenced by a brand’s environmental impact. Across the United States alone, more than two-thirds of adults have said they prefer to work with businesses who are environmentally responsible and do their part to be an eco-friendly, green company.

Benefits of Green Campaigns

Corporations can benefit by going green, that is, by working to reduce their environmental impact on the world. Green initiatives go a long way towards bettering the planet, but they have also become the topic of widespread marketing campaigns. “Green campaigns” act as a sort of broadcast of the environmental good a company has performed. They have been shown to enhance brand reputation, and increase revenue.

For example: General Electric Co. (GE) started selling Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs back in 2007, a product that accounted for less than 5% of the total lightbulb market just two years prior. As a result of selling these light bulbs through a “green campaign” in which GE highlighted the lightbulbs’ environmental benefits, that initial 5% market share increased to 20% of the market. Thanks to this prodcut, GE strengthened their competitive position within the light bulb market, increase company revenue and positioned their brand as more eco-aware.

Successful Green Campaigns

General Electric’s light-bulb initiative is ceratinly not the only successful green campaign of late, nor is it the most successful. Patagonia admits openly that they are working toward sustainable products but not every aspect of their product is as green as it could be. That being said, the brand doesn’t shy away from green campaigns. Patagonia is known for their environmental conservation efforts and focus on sustainability. On their website, they proudly state “The quality of Patagonia depends, to a large degree, on whether we can reduce our impact on the environment. This means auditing the materials and methods we use to make our products, taking responsibility for the entire life-cycle of our products and examining how we use resources at our buildings and facilities.” And although this may seem like a lot of effort on their part, the results speak for themselves. Not only does Patagonia consistently work to reduce their company environmental footprint, but research shows that Patagonia grows every time it amplifies it’s social/environmental mission.

Patagonia’s focus on green campaigns has obviously paid off when it comes to elevating their brand, considering Patagonia is ranked No. 6 on the 2018 World’s Most Innovative Companies list.

Ditch Straws. See Profit. At least, that’s what happened to Starbucks.

Starbucks was certified in 2005 by LEED but it's also well on its way to eliminating all plastic straws by next year. They have engaged the local community in terms of sustainable issues changing the materials they use for packaging, producing, and delivering products by reducing the waist, reducing 30% of water used and 25% of the power used during production.

Starbucks shares received a massive increase after the company revealed plans to phase out plastic straws from its 28,000 stores worldwide by 2020. The stock rose 1.9 per cent in morning trade versus a 0.7 per cent rise for the broader S&P 500!

Ikea’s renewable energy and waste reduction initiatives have won the company many awards.

Another example is that of Ikea. They have focused heavily on renewable energy and the reduction of waste. They used wind farms to generate a great deal of their energy with 90% of their buildings around the world featuring solar panels. To mitigate the impact of manufacturing they have planted millions of trees around the world and today continue to only send 15% of their waste to landfills. This brand has received many awards for its efforts and has been recognized for its respect of economic rights and human rights, as well as the contribution the company has made to regenerative efforts. They continue to find ways towards sustainability by seeking out initiatives that will one day bring the company to 100% renewable energy use, and because of such awards their brand name has an incredibly positive reputation and they continue to provide positive customer experiences.

Timberland has focused on Green Partnerships and they use eco-friendly materials for their products. They now have environmental standards for all of their product categories with goals to provide 100% renewable and organic materials for their products by next year. Timberland’s commitment to environmental and social responsibility has brought international acclaim to the brand and landed positive reviews from well-known publications like Forbes.

What Green Campaigns Entail

Green campaigns can take many forms. Companies can support sustainable projects around the world or locally. They can donate a portion of proceeds to non-profits like One Tree Planted, or One Drop. They can also make small changes within the company so that the company can offer more eco-friendly and sustainable items to consumers and employees. Of course, there are also plenty of other ways that companies and small businesses can work to reduce their environmental footprint that doesn’t involve a lot of money or changes to their products. For example, working to reduce waste inside the office, or reduce energy use is a great way to immediately make an impact and get your employees excited about your brand’s mission.

With a green campaign brands can illustrate how their practices and their missions are shifting from revenue-based to environmentally conscious. Businesses are able to demonstrate that they are using processes and practices that have the least impact on environmental degradation.

The goals of a green campaign should include things like implementing a more sustainable business practice within the office, demonstrating corporate social responsibility, reducing expenses in the form of manufacturing costs, energy costs, or transportation costs. Overall the purpose is to demonstrate mindfulness in terms of products or services and to make sure customers know that eco-friendly alternatives are in their midst.

Starting Small: The Lavit Drink System

Eco-friendly products introduced to the workplace not only help the planet but improve company image internally and externally. With healthier options and eco-friendly products in the office break rooms, for example, employees can access healthier alternatives and remain content in the knowledge that their company truly cares.

By the same token customers prefer to purchase from trustworthy and responsible brands. Not only that, but some consumers are even willing to pay more. Research has found that 14% of consumers in the United States are willing to pay a premium for green products if they are offered.

What’s Lavit?

Lavit is one easy way to introduce eco-friendly products into the workplace. The Lavit on-demand water cooler can be used in office break rooms, customer waiting rooms, or anywhere that your company has a countertop and a direct water line. Compared to the single use bottled and canned beverages that are commonplace in offices, Lavit drastically reduces environmental impact by reducing energy consumption and waste.

Want to learn more about how Lavit can help you reduce your environmental impact and start your very own green initiative at work?

Visit Lavit at https://www.drinklavit.com/