What Is Green Marketing: Definition and Examples

Green marketing became popular in the late 1980s but is still popular in modern business. The planet is changing rapidly, and the number of people concerned about the earth is increasing. Today, consumers don't just want to buy a product — they want to know that their choice helps preserve the environment. 

Meeting their needs is not only a noble mission but also an effective marketing strategy. We will explain in more detail how this approach works, its advantages, the difficulties you should be aware of and which companies have successfully implemented it. 

What is Green Marketing: Definition

Green marketing is a promotion technique that emphasizes the positive effect of a company's activities on the environment. It can emphasize the following decisions:

• reducing emissions, achieving energy and carbon neutrality;
• use of environmentally friendly materials that do not contain harmful substances;
• reducing resources consumption for packaging and design;
• compensation for the harmful impact on the environment caused by the production process;
• manufacturing of repairable products;
• increasing the share of recycled materials;
• spreading awareness of environmental issues;
• choosing a responsible approach to advertising and communications;
• fundraising for specialized funds, etc. 

If we were to define what green marketing is, we’d say it involves actively disseminating information about business activities that are environmentally friendly or have a positive impact on the planet. A company should not only implement new operational methods, but it should also tell its target audience about it. Such an information campaign will be the key to success. 

The definition of green marketing is very close to the concept of sustainable marketing, which is a broader category. The latter involves taking care of not only the environment but also society — overcoming social inequality, eliminating cultural discrimination, etc. 

Benefits of Green Marketing

Today, "green" components of a marketing strategy are a prerequisite for operating in many markets. Representatives of a dynamic young audience may fundamentally ignore businesses that do not pay attention to environmental issues. So, you can win their favor by demonstrating and proving your responsible attitude towards the environment.

Let’s look at what other benefits of green marketing businesses should consider:

• An opportunity to contribute to the preservation of the planet. This very important and responsible mission is gradually becoming a higher priority for humanity. Investments in green marketing are investments in comfortable and safe living conditions for future generations. 
• Increase in sales. Even if the environmental friendliness of a product is not a priority for consumers, they may consider it one of their choice factors. By emphasizing your concern for the environment, you can expand your customer base or even reach a new target audience segment. According to NYU Stern, sales of products with a "green" image grow twice as fast.
• Increasing the level of trust. One key benefit of green marketing is creating an image of a responsible company that truly cares about its customers and their future. Khris Digital's statistics show that establishing such an emotional connection with customers will increase their lifetime value by 52%. McKinsey & Company experts say that green marketing increases customer loyalty by 37%. 
• Long-term growth. 77% of companies implementing environmental initiatives report increased customer loyalty, and 63% see increased sales. Moreover, startups that care about the environment are twice as likely to survive in the market. Going green today and being consistent in your actions lays a strong foundation for your business's prosperity. You will be able to gain a loyal customer base and build a positive company image ahead of your competitors. 

What Do You Need to Know Before Launching a Green Marketing Campaign

Green marketing is oriented towards long-term prospects. When you invest in spreading the word about environmental protection, you won't have an immediate effect. Improving your reputation and attracting new customers is a slow process, so you may have to wait a long time for a return on your investment. Therefore, you should launch such campaigns only when you:

• share the values of environmental protection;
• have a clear goal, for example, to reduce harmful substances emissions to zero by 2040;
• are ready to constantly expand the scope of environmental protection measures;
• can make appropriate adjustments to the company development strategy. 

You shouldn't use green marketing just because it's a trend. If you don’t understand its essence and share its values, it could be a crucial mistake, leading to a deterioration in your reputation. This phenomenon has become so widespread that a special term has even been coined for it — Greenwashing. Its main signs are:

• failure to fulfill promises;
• fake certifications and labels;
• vague information campaigns;
• exaggerated contributions to environmental protection;
• lack of evidence;
• silence about the consequences of business activities. 

Greenwashing can turn a positive effect into a negative one, leading to severe losses.

Green marketing will also require additional costs at the initial stage. Of course, they will pay off in the future. According to PwC, companies can raise the price of environmentally friendly products by 5% on average without worrying about a drop in demand. However, we have already mentioned that this effect manifests itself in the long run, which makes analytics difficult. Sometimes, the impact of green marketing is mixed with the effects of other management decisions or even market fluctuations.

Five Green Marketing Strategies with Examples

Market leaders realize that using green marketing strategies is gradually ceasing to be an option and is becoming a prerequisite for market presence. By investing in them, they are investing in the future of the planet and humanity while also gaining positive effects for their own businesses. Let's look at a few successful marketing campaigns focused on environmental protection. 

1. Consistent development of environmental initiatives

Numerous greenwashing failure stories have taught us that if you make a commitment, you should be consistent. Develop a comprehensive plan and set strategic goals. You can start small; for example, you can decide to use recycled packaging. But then you can scale your strategy to preserve the environment — for example, connecting a delivery service with electric vehicles, investing in specialized funds or holding thematic fairs. 

Over time, environmental practices can be implemented in every aspect of your business, regardless of scale. And that's what you need to communicate to your customers. You can use the usual communication channels, including the company's website, to do this. 

For example, Claspo widgets can inform site visitors about all your new green initiatives and direct them to your blog or dedicated pages to learn more. Another option is to use a widget to invite your audience to subscribe to your newsletter and stay up-to-date on your environmental achievements, milestones, and contributions. This way, subscribers could see your consistency and commitment to your ideas.

A great example of a company that clearly understands the definition of a green marketing strategy is Starbucks. It set out to improve welfare in densely populated neighborhoods of American cities. The tools used to achieve this were 96% recyclable paper cups, solar power plants to power coffee shops and investments in social infrastructure. 

The implementation of these solutions was widely publicized in multichannel advertising campaigns — on Facebook, billboards, TV and posters in retail outlets. According to a scientific study, the effect of this strategy went far beyond the company. It has led other business owners to adopt sustainability practices and changed consumer preferences in the United States.

2. The first changes are from the inside

It is difficult to develop environmental initiatives if a company uses outdated production technologies and management systems. Therefore, the first thing to start with is to change your approach to the use of resources, energy and working time.

Therefore, an effective green marketing strategy often includes the following elements:

• equipment upgrades;
• change of suppliers;
• staff retraining;
• establishing an internal environmental and ethical monitoring system. 

These changes should be highlighted in advertising campaigns. They can be presented as traditional press releases or "insider" news. You can also use other ways to motivate consumers, partners and competitors to join your initiatives.

Johnson & Johnson implemented this approach by starting changes from within. It has switched 80% of its production capacity to renewable energy and plans to increase this figure to 100% in 2025. The company management regularly organizes seminars on the principles of sustainable development for employees and rewards employees for the best environmental initiatives. This approach has enabled the corporation to generate additional revenue of $800 million over the past 10 years, which it plans to invest in developing new green technologies by 2030.

3. Creating a new collection or brand

Another idea for making changes to go to the "green side" is to create a separate eco-friendly product range or collection. It can be a great addition to your other environmental initiatives and a logical consequence of modernizing your production. In addition, launching a "green" collection will prove to your audience the seriousness of your intentions in saving the environment and even allow them to contribute to this noble mission by purchasing your new products.

With Claspo widgets, you can announce a new collection, offer discounts and bonuses for the first buyers, and explain how your eco-friendly products benefit the planet. This way, you motivate your existing audience to make environmentally conscious purchasing decisions and reach new segments.

But you can go further and create a new eco-brand. This is a smart strategic move if selling green products does not meet the needs and interests of your existing brand's target audience. In another scenario, your product collection mentioned above may gain huge popularity and support among your customers, inspiring you to take such a radical step.

The world-famous Unilever Corporation provides an example of starting a green marketing strategy from scratch. It has created a separate brand called Love Beauty and Planet. The name alone implies its message and mission. The products in its catalog are made from environmentally friendly raw materials and have 100% recyclable plastic packaging. 

4. Strategic partnership

Solving environmental problems is a matter for all humanity, not just individuals and companies. Therefore, in business, you should also look for partners to help you create and develop marketing strategies. These can be other businesses, nonprofits or even government organizations.

Knowing what a green marketing strategy is, you should realize that this approach works not only for corporations. Here are some examples of strategic partnerships for small businesses from different industries:

• Partnering with local farmers allows restaurants to source fresh, organic produce, reducing carbon footprint and supporting the local economy. In return, farmers can promote the restaurants that use their produce, fostering a mutually beneficial relationship.
• Beauty brands can partner with suppliers offering biodegradable or recyclable packaging solutions. This partnership can help reduce plastic waste and appeal to consumers looking for eco-friendly beauty products.
• Collaborating with consulting firms specializing in sustainability can partner with carbon offset organizations to help businesses measure and offset their carbon footprint. This provides businesses with expertise in reducing environmental impact and demonstrates a commitment to sustainability.

Claspo, in turn, will help you promote such partnerships on the site. Our widgets are great for:

• announcing new partnerships and collaborative initiatives between businesses;
• encouraging visitors to sign up for newsletters or updates from both businesses involved in the partnership;
• redirecting visitors to the websites of partner companies to increase visibility and engagement for both parties;
• offering exclusive discounts to customers who support your partnership (for example, a beauty brand might offer discounts to customers who return empty packaging to a supplier partner for recycling).

H&M entered into an agreement with several companies that recycle natural and synthetic fabrics. As a result, it created a successful marketing campaign that motivates people to exchange old clothes for discount coupons. The result was an additional $600 million in revenue over seven years. 

5. Involving customers in environmental initiatives

It's great to make a contribution to the environment. Letting customers feel the impact of their actions is even better! To get the most out of green marketing, you should involve your customers. They can play different roles:

• supply your company with recycled materials;
• share information on social media;
• generate interesting content on environmental topics;
• propose their own initiatives;
• participate in charity events,
• donate to non-profit organizations.

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In addition, customers should not only perform targeted actions but also feel their consequences. For this purpose, information campaigns are launched to highlight the results of environmental initiatives. They evoke positive emotions in the target audience, including pride, satisfaction, assertiveness and confidence in the future.

An example of a green marketing strategy that uses this approach is Timberland. The company launched the Timberloop program, which allowed customers to return used products. Clothes and shoes were repaired, refurbished and re-sold. All this was accompanied by an information campaign emphasizing cleaning the planet from landfills, saving non-renewable resources and reducing drinking water contamination.

Green Marketing: How can Claspo Help

Green marketing is not just our present; it is the future of business. If this article has convinced you to use it consciously and consistently, we have already helped you improve your business. Your environmental initiatives, in turn, will improve our planet, right?

As you noticed above, Claspo widgets are a great addition to any green marketing strategy. And all because they are a powerful tool for conveying your messages to site visitors. Another beauty is that Claspo is an affordable platform for businesses of all sizes. Promoting your environmental initiatives on the website will definitely not be a significant expense when going green.

Get started with our free plan and take the first step towards change today.