In September I wrote a column about environmental sustainability, saying that it is red hot and “everyone is talking about it.” It’s no longer just talk. According to “Outlook 2008,” a special report from B to B Magazine - The Magazine for Leading Marketing Strategists (www.btobonline.com), “going green” is becoming a mainstream goal for corporations. It identified green marketing as the most important marketing challenge that organizations will face in 2008.
Large corporations are pumping millions of dollars into positioning themselves as responsible. The widespread belief is that environmentally sustainable efforts will be rewarded by customers/consumers. So, of course the goal of these efforts is to increase goodwill and sales. By the same token, organizations are attempting to at least not lose sales by being dismissed as environmentally passive or, even worse, harmful.
Print is an obvious top candidate for these organizations—both as a target for reform and the vehicle for promoting a company’s success. If you are prepared, you can benefit greatly from this shift in corporate consciousness. But are you prepared?
What advice do you have ready for clients who are eager to make their print promotions more environmentally responsible? How knowledgeable are you about the papers, certifications and processes that enable companies to meet their goals? Do you understand the problem of “green-washing” and how organizations can really make an impact?
In 2008, every print solution provider (sales rep, manager, owner) should be able to speak intelligently about at least the basics of sustainability in print. Can you?
What’s your answer for print customers looking to go green? Should such efforts be left up to the individual printer, or would the industry benefit from a national program to define and promote green printing practices? Share your thoughts by posting a comment below.
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(Note: the 2008 Print Oasis Print Buyers Conference offers a Sustainability Intensive to help print buyers and printers discuss how to meet these new goals. The 2008 Print Oasis Conference will be held on Feb. 9-12 at Amelia Island in Florida. For more information, go to: www.printoasis.com)