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PoliciesSaying it sustainably
Do your brand’s comms consider the planet? If not, there’s a good chance you’re set to be disposed of by customers.
This week, we talk sustainability. Let's see how it's altering the business landscape.
Jessica Nord
Business Management
Ethics and social conscience
5 minute read
If you’re still able to turn on the news without experiencing a cold sweat, then you may have heard about some recent changes around plastics that are creating ripples throughout the marketing industry.
Earlier this year, South Australia became the first state to ban single-use plastic1 as part of a national goal to eliminate certain types of plastic waste by 20252. NSW soon followed, with a phased waste reduction plan to prevent an estimated 2.7bn pieces of plastic from ending up in our environment over the next 20 years.3
Such aims are not unfamiliar within own offices – CX Lavender having been plastic-free since 20194 – but it’s the increase in our clients’ efforts to embody more sustainable practices that has afforded us even greater insight into how to approach the transition.
Earlier this year, South Australia became the first state to ban single-use plastic1 as part of a national goal to eliminate certain types of plastic waste by 20252. NSW soon followed, with a phased waste reduction plan to prevent an estimated 2.7bn pieces of plastic from ending up in our environment over the next 20 years.3
Such aims are not unfamiliar within own offices – CX Lavender having been plastic-free since 20194 – but it’s the increase in our clients’ efforts to embody more sustainable practices that has afforded us even greater insight into how to approach the transition.
In short
- Demand for more sustainable practices is growing, as evidenced by Government-backed waste reduction initiatives.
- Making your brand’s communications more sustainable can be simple with these four tips.
- Brands that hero sustainability will have the competitive edge with increasingly eco-conscious customers.
Four tips to get you started
As marketers, when we think of being eco-friendly, we tend to gravitate towards physical marketing materials, considering how to make them more recyclable, less disposable and better for the environment. And while these are important pillars to touch on, we also can’t ignore the looming carbon footprint of digital marketing as well.
Here are four simple ways to help you slide into those DMs (and eDMs) more sustainably.
Here are four simple ways to help you slide into those DMs (and eDMs) more sustainably.
1. Choose a medium that gives your message its best chance at survival
Communication Theorist Marshall McLuhan raised a valuable point when he concluded ‘the medium is the message’.5 That is, the way we send and receive information is just as important, if not more important, than the information itself.
The basic objective of any marketing material is to not instantaneously end up in the bin; physical or digital. So the first step should be considering what medium will add the most value to your message, minimising the risk of this outcome. Could the information in your intended mail-out prove more useful as an email with clickable links? Could you provide more benefit to the customer by rethinking a generalised promotional email as a handy DM pop-out to redeem in-store?
Overall, the key here is to ensure the customer’s user experience is prioritised i.e. that the content is useful, worth keeping and delivered with consideration and seamless execution.
The basic objective of any marketing material is to not instantaneously end up in the bin; physical or digital. So the first step should be considering what medium will add the most value to your message, minimising the risk of this outcome. Could the information in your intended mail-out prove more useful as an email with clickable links? Could you provide more benefit to the customer by rethinking a generalised promotional email as a handy DM pop-out to redeem in-store?
Overall, the key here is to ensure the customer’s user experience is prioritised i.e. that the content is useful, worth keeping and delivered with consideration and seamless execution.
2. Reduce the impact of high send volumes with smart targeting
Personalisation has proven to increase marketing spend efficiency by up to 30%. This means communications that address customers with timely, relatable messaging are more effective at delivering their message than blanket sends, and in turn, more effective at reducing your brand’s overall production output and environmental impact.7
The quality and integrity of the data used to personalise these communications matters too. Ensuring your data is ‘clean’ so that it only includes up-to-date, relevant logs of customers who have expressed interest in your products is a small change that can create a big difference in volume and wastage.7
The quality and integrity of the data used to personalise these communications matters too. Ensuring your data is ‘clean’ so that it only includes up-to-date, relevant logs of customers who have expressed interest in your products is a small change that can create a big difference in volume and wastage.7
3. Reassess production practices, from stock choices to energy use
DM
Direct marketing continues to stand out as a tried-and-tested way to cut through noise and deliver memorable, tactile brand experiences7, and with a little extra consideration in the production process, marketers don’t have to choose between the effectiveness of direct mail and their commitment to sustainability.8
EDM
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that digital marketing isn’t bad for the planet, as it isn’t physically ‘produced’. But one only needs to look at the impact of crypto currencies to get a sense of its impact – bitcoin mining accounting for around 35.95 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year, which is about the same amount produced by the entire country of New Zealand.9
Email is no different. Sure, the emissions produced are less, but ethical production means considering the amount of energy needed to design, build, test, store, send, receive and action these emails, then working equally hard to reduce it.
Direct marketing continues to stand out as a tried-and-tested way to cut through noise and deliver memorable, tactile brand experiences7, and with a little extra consideration in the production process, marketers don’t have to choose between the effectiveness of direct mail and their commitment to sustainability.8
- Design thoughtfully
Can the mail-out be designed so it folds closed rather than slips into a plastic wrap? Can the content fit on a more regular shape or use less paper? Is there an opportunity to consolidate communications and reduce the volume going to customers? - Work with third parties that share your vision
Where do they source their paper, inks and glues? Are their materials eco-friendly or recycled/ recyclable? Are they committed to reducing waste during production? Do they offer sustainable options for mailers and packaging like corrugated cardboard instead of plastic? - Reduce transportation
Is the vendor local so that the materials don’t have to travel large distances? Can the vendor perform multiple services like printing, storing and mailing to reduce the resources needed to produce the DM? Are they able to share digital print proofs for approval to minimise physical production and transportation?
EDM
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that digital marketing isn’t bad for the planet, as it isn’t physically ‘produced’. But one only needs to look at the impact of crypto currencies to get a sense of its impact – bitcoin mining accounting for around 35.95 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year, which is about the same amount produced by the entire country of New Zealand.9
Email is no different. Sure, the emissions produced are less, but ethical production means considering the amount of energy needed to design, build, test, store, send, receive and action these emails, then working equally hard to reduce it.
- Maximise purpose
Can you reduce the volume of emails sent and stored by consolidating information? Can personalised content be used to improve the relevancy and usefulness of the email? Can send volume be reduced by using ‘clean’ data? - Design modestly
Can links be used effectively to share information rather than hefty attachments? Has imagery been compressed to the minimum size? Could this be said in an SMS?
- Offset
Is there a way to compensate for unavoidable emissions due to digital communications by investing in carbon offsets?
4. Educate customers on how to thoughtfully dispose of your comms
We’ve all had that moment standing over the bin, wondering if the lid or the bottle can be recycled – which is why recycling education is so important on every communication. Let customers know if the packaging is biodegradable, whether it can be recycled in the paper bin or if it needs to go to a RedCycle bin at the shops, and encourage them to do it. Equally, educate them on the impact of email storage and advise them to delete anything they don’t need to free space. Help consumers do the right thing and show them you’re willing to work together to better the causes they care about.
Brands have a big part to play
In a world where trust is not an easy commodity to come by, customers’ demand for a more sustainable output is affording brands a unique opportunity to take the mantle of change makers in place of sluggish, increasingly mistrusted government, media, and NGO bodies.10
And while it seems a little worrying for some that the power to create change lies in the hands of private entities, this is not an invitation for another existential crisis spiral (we’re busy enough with that as is). What it really means is that consumers increasingly have the power to demand brands not only embody but enact sustainable practices in exchange for their business – are you ready to listen?
And while it seems a little worrying for some that the power to create change lies in the hands of private entities, this is not an invitation for another existential crisis spiral (we’re busy enough with that as is). What it really means is that consumers increasingly have the power to demand brands not only embody but enact sustainable practices in exchange for their business – are you ready to listen?
Closing the loop on ocean plastic
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, just five nations are responsible for over 50% of ocean plastic. And if left unaddressed? Plastic marine litter will triple by 2040 and outnumber fish in the sea by 2050.
Where many saw an insurmountable problem, For Purpose Recycling (FPR) saw an opportunity for a circular business model that gave back to people and the planet at every point in the lifecycle of their ‘product’.
Run by community members in Indonesia, their waste banks allow anyone to generate an income by selling salvaged plastic waste, while simultaneously educating communities on ways to safeguard their environments in future.
To balance the cost of running these banks, FPR sells specially designed belts solely crafted from these recycled plastics. And the added bonus? Each belt prevents a whopping 10kg of plastic from entering the ocean. How’s that for a win-win-win situation?
Run by community members in Indonesia, their waste banks allow anyone to generate an income by selling salvaged plastic waste, while simultaneously educating communities on ways to safeguard their environments in future.
To balance the cost of running these banks, FPR sells specially designed belts solely crafted from these recycled plastics. And the added bonus? Each belt prevents a whopping 10kg of plastic from entering the ocean. How’s that for a win-win-win situation?
on winning at sustainability
Named the best recycler by the World Economic Forum, the rest of the world has a lot to learn from Germany – even the lowest estimates show that they recycle over half of their waste. How? One contributor to Germany’s success is their legislation, which requires companies to collect and recycle their packaging.
References
- David Speirs, SA’s historic band on single-use plastic starts tomorrow (28 February 2021) Steven Marshall Premier of South Australia.
- Calla Wahlquist, ‘Single-use plastics’ to be phased out in Australia from 2025 include plastic utensils and straws (16 April 2021) The Guardian.
- Elias Visontay, NSW and WA in ‘race to the top’ to ban single-uise plastics from next year (13 June 2021) The Guardian.
- Andrea Sophocleous, CX Lavender kicks off plastic-free office intiative (date unknown) CX Lavender.
- Eudaimonia, The Medium is the Message by Marshall McLuhan (8 December 2016) Eudaimonia.
- Blake Morgan, 50 Stats Showing The Power of Personalization (18 February 2020) Forbes.
- Nick Runyon, How To Develop Direct Mail Campaigns That Are Effective & Eco-Friendly (4 May 2020) Demand Gen Report.
- WDM, How Direct Mail is Becoming Eco Friendly (date unknown) WDM.
- Nathan Reif, What’s the Environmantal Impact of Cryptocurrency? (13 May 2021) Investopedia.
- Edelman, Edelman Trust Barometer 2021 (16 March 2020) Edelman.
