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At its core, “green marketing” attempts to generate awareness – and sales – of a product or service by highlighting its environmentally beneficial qualities. But, as with any marketing program, success requires the proper focus on the proper details.
Even the most cynical among us realize that green building and sustainable practices have become far more than a passing fad. More importantly, the green movement presents a lucrative opportunity for the building materials industry. Consider this: the market for environmentally friendly building materials is expected to continue grow from just under $2.2 billion in 2006 to $4.7 billion in 2011 – an annual growth rate of 17%. Another bellwether statistic: the United States Green Building Council plans to increase LEED-certified projects from 600 as of late 2006 to 100,000 commercial projects and one million homes by 2010.
Any well-conceived green marketing effort begins with careful consideration of target audiences. First, are they dealers, builders or consumers … or all of the above? What attributes – geographical location, affluence, education, and more – can you ascribe to your key audiences? Finally, what do they care about, and what messages will resonate with your target market?
A clear, detailed understanding of your audience – frequently gained through the use of market research – makes a marketing program more effective and less likely to waste precious resources on fruitless tactics. This is especially true with green marketing, which tends to seek more sophisticated audiences.
What makes a product green? What green claims may a company make? How will customers react? How will all this affect a company’s marketing strategy? A company can’t begin to capitalize on its environmental attributes until it answers these questions in a clear, structured manner. Once it does, it can develop the specific messages that will serve as a sound basis for all its green marketing efforts.
Clarifying your green story is just the beginning. Pushing an environmental message into the marketplace requires development of a carefully orchestrated green marketing plan. This starts with clear, fact-based messaging, but involves much more: selection of tactics; identification of outlets and opportunities that will reach relevant audiences; proper budget allocation; measurable objectives; revision or reinvention of existing marketing materials, web sites and more.
Any company seeking to benefit from green marketing can take advantage of several environmental and building-industry groups that have emerged as guideposts for the green building movement. These include the U.S. Green Building Council, the National Association of Homebuilders, the Forest Stewardship Council, and others focused on a particular industry segment or product. By taking advantage of membership in these organizations, or educational opportunities offered by leading green organizations, a company can help lay the groundwork for a convincing, fact-based green marketing program.