Jan 14, 2008 0
Green Brands vs. Green Products
Greenness is not goodness. While green motivated consumers will be influenced by products with sustainable attributes and brands with green credibility, greenness is no substitute for the tried and true differentiators of style, color, quality and feature set. For even the most ideologically driven fleece top buyer, the desire for a cozy, good-looking top comes first. In most instances, a green glow can influence buying decisions only when a potential buyer is already attracted to the product.
That doesn’t mean brands should bury their green messages. To decide where such messages fall in your marketing mix, it’s helpful to look at how they work differently at a brand and product level.
Green Products: Direct Participation
Products with green or sustainable components give consumers a way to directly participate in the green movement. By buying a green product, they are not only supporting a green brand, they are personally reducing environmental impact. They can take their participation home with them. They can show it to friends. In many cases, they can even measure their personal contribution to impact reduction. Buying a green product feels like you’re making a difference.
Green Brands: Indirect Participation
Brands perceived as green are likely to benefit from a halo effect. Green motivated consumers will think better of the brand and may be more inclined to associate themselves with it. At the product-evaluation level, this may be enough to tip the balance in favor of the green brand, but it’s less emotionally gratifying to consumers than buying a green product because it’s less tangible. Buying a green brand feels like voting for someone who’s making a difference.
The most effective combination of marketing messages for outdoor brands and retailers is to promote company-wide green initiatives at the brand marketing level and green product attributes at the product level. If you can only choose one, green products trump green brands. That is, if consumers want them to begin with.
More on Sustainable Marketing and the outdoor industry here.