Image is everything. Gone are the days of fake claims and questionable business practices, at least in most honest business sectors. The thing is, for a brand nowadays it’s not enough to do the bare minimum and avoid negatives. Brands are expected to be proactive: to help influence positive change and use its platform for good.
“Good of the environment” is one major factor for consumers these days. Besides the social and economic environments, brands are expected to push for the preservation of the natural environment and have green initiatives.
Sustainability has become an ever-growing factor globally. Many international businesses have been at the forefront of green business practices. The Asia Pacific region is one of the main leaders reporting 50 to 90 percent of its sustainability progress and implementation. With the Philippines being in a virtual hotspot for diverse flora and fauna and being one of the largest contributors to plastic pollution in the world, there are more reasons for local businesses to implement and regularly practice green initiatives. And if taking care of your environment is not enough motivation for you, then know that there are tax reductions and duty free importations for businesses that implement green practices according to the Green Jobs Act of 2016. Additional to this fact, sustainable practices create a means for sustainable production which in turn means more profits for a business in the long run.
A brand that wants to appear to be practicing green initiatives has no choice but to practice green initiatives. It is understandable if a complete change is not within the immediate budget of an older business; the initiative for these brands would be to take the steps to change their practices to sustainable ones and to document their progress as they go with practical and concrete goals. For newer brands, it would be better to have green initiatives from the very beginning of the business.
How can businesses bring these initiatives to life, and communicate them to their target audiences?
“ It is not enough to do; a brand must be seen doing. ”
- Partner, collaborate, and stay relatable
Partnering with NGO’s, environment protection agencies, foundations, local government, or environmental programs is a great way to spread awareness and to adjust a brand image to highlight their green initiatives. It works better when a brand partners with a group that mirrors their ideals and the partnership can boost each other’s image in different ways.
The goal must coincide with the brand’s image. An electric company that advocates animal protection is nice, but an electric company that endorses renewable energy sources or electric vehicles is powerful. It sends an all together different message that shows that the electric company is doing its part for a better future for the environment and the company.
A bonus is the psyche it creates that people would want to get behind.
- Adopt an advocacy
Finding an advocacy is easy.
Finding the right advocacy that truly resonates is smart marketing.
Most modern brands want to help the environment or at least look like they’re doing so. So, it’s best to find an advocacy that fits the brand image.
Like the electric company example above, not only does the advocacy boost brand image, but it also gains support and awareness from a larger audience and taps into a larger market share.
Having an own advocacy has more hurdles, but the association created from a brand’s own advocacy allows for a more powerful message – a message backed up by action.
- Use IMC
Integrated marketing communications (IMC) is the unification of a brand’s messages with its image to better reach its target market through all channels of marketing that it incorporates. A brand must be consistent with its image and be able to back up its claims with evidence.
When green initiatives come in to play for a brand it is important to document everything related to said green initiatives. It is not enough to do, but a brand must be seen doing.
It’s in the little things
Integrating green initiatives for environmental stability is when a brand reorganizes itself so that all actions that it does as a business are a green initiative in and of itself:
- Energy efficiency in which companies save on electricity (and money) by using LED lights or smart sensor equipment that only turn on when needed or shifting to using renewable energy sources.
- Waste reduction programs in which a company strictly recycles and conducts waste separation.
- Green commute in which companies provide employees with an efficient means of transport that reduces the use of individual vehicles, usually in the form of a shuttle service.
- On site sustainability like low flow water sources, solar power panels, plants, and other features.
These are a few ways in which a brand can organize its structure to elevate its green initiative brand image.
Little things, big benefits
Besides helping the environment, green initiatives will help a brand in more ways than one.
When an energy efficient system is applied costs are reduced. The brand’s image is elevated for its decisions and enjoys a larger and more loyal customer base. There are fewer chances for fines and litigations for unsustainable business practices.
Green practice allows for long term resilience of a brand, as changes may regularly occur in the marketplace, economy, or environment, a sustainable business will adapt easily.
How a PR agency can help push your green initiatives
Reorganizing a brand to implement green initiatives is not something that can be done overnight. A brand needs as much help as it can get to implement these sustainable practices much less advertise it to the world.
A PR agency specializes in this and can alter a brands image to better encompass sustainable practices and green initiatives.
Using IMC allows the message of the brand to reach a larger audience and gain loyalty from its customer base, while the business focuses on implementation of these green practices. The brand saves on manpower and time, creates an environmentally friendly system, and creates sustainable practices and saves on expenses in the long run.
The only way to lose is to start late.
So start! Contact NGP IMC today.
SOURCES:
- Green Initiatives for Environmental Sustainability in Business | RTS
- Promoting a Green Economy through Green Tax Incentives – AJA Law
- BIR Revenue Regulations No. 05-19: Implementing Tax Incentives of the Philippine Green Jobs Act of 2016 – ALBURO ALBURO AND ASSOCIATES LAW OFFICES
Jem earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from the University of Asia and the Pacific. When h’s not sharpening his digital marketing skillset, he’s out writing technical articles or reading a good book (or two).
