Give the Green Light

The most universally supported cause right now is the need to protect our environment. Since Earth Day is coming up on Friday, April 22nd, now is the perfect time to start going green. Don’t believe us? The numbers don’t lie.

• According to researchers from Yale, 70% of Americans believe that the environment is more important than economic growth.
• About 85% of Americans are in support of funding the use of renewable energy sources.
• Studies conducted by CSR found that 87% of consumers think more highly of companies that support environmental problems. These studies also revealed that 88% of consumers are more likely to be loyal to companies that care about the environment.
• CSR studies show that 92% of consumers are more trusting of companies that show support to environmental causes.
• A global CSR study stated that 90% of consumers would stop buying a company’s products if they learned of “irresponsible or deceptive business practices.”

As statistics have shown, making your business environmentally conscious not only has a positive impact, but it also attracts loyal purchasing customers.

Socially Responsible Marketing Strategies
This is where business owners can get creative. There are countless ways to incorporate environmentally friendly practices into your business strategy while attracting your target audience. Just take your pick!

• Use recycled packaging and materials for your product. You can even encourage consumers by offering a discount on their next purchase every time they send back packaging.
• Donate to and or sponsor non-profit organizations that are dedicated to protecting the planet.
• Use alternatives to animal testing for your products such as cell cultures, computer models, and volunteer studies.
• Utilize renewable energy wherever possible, and dispose of waste responsibly.
• Go paperless!
• Make use of socially responsible phrasing on your website, in advertisements, and social media content. Below are a few examples of socially responsible phrases.
• “Exist naturally.”
• “Impact in every purchase.”
• “Fund” or “support” instead of “buy”.
• Organize company events, fundraisers, and marketing campaigns that focus on going green.
• Use content marketing to your advantage. Create social media posts that promote and educate your followers concerning the importance of environmental awareness.

Our Fav
One of our favorite examples of a socially responsible business is called Death Wish Coffee, home of “the world’s strongest coffee.” This coffee company sells all organic products and only uses fair trade. As an added bonus, they also offer 15% off discounts for veterans. What makes them stand out? Let’s break it down.

• Their mission statement is totally on-brand, and relatable to the target audience.
• “We lead with an alternative point of view, providing bold cups of the World’s Strongest Coffee to our people. We find fresh ways to enjoy coffee, and we foster community along the way. Disrupting the status quo interests us, so we create edgy, sarcastic content. We live to rebel against blah beans—and a boring, lackluster life.”
• The use of catchy, clever, yet socially responsible phrasing in their digital marketing. For example, they refer to their team as “rebels with causes”.
• The website features a section that describes the excellent treatment and benefits that Death Wish Coffee employees enjoy, which shows that the company truly does care about Fair Trade and humanitarian ideals.
• The web design is bold, consistent, and absolutely stunning.
• DWC content is aligned perfectly with their branding.

Other Causes
There are so many different causes to choose from, so pick one that speaks to you. Some of the highest trending causes today include those listed below.

• The Ukraine crisis.
• AirBnB announced that they will provide free, short-term housing for 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, which the company will pay for through donations.
• A Salvation Army spokesperson told Newsweek that “All donations will go directly to efforts on the ground in Ukraine, Poland, and other surrounding countries taking in refugees,”.
• Etsy is canceling all owed balances and fees from Ukrainian sellers, which Forbes says adds up to about 4 million dollars, to lessen financial hardships.
• Mental Health.
• Our client VIP hosts fundraisers and has an online store that funds free services such as counseling and court accompaniments for survivors of domestic violence, sexual abuse, and human trafficking.
• To Write Love On Her Arms uses funds from their online clothing store to help people who struggle with mental health and addiction.
• Animal Rights.
• Arm the Animals is a clothing company that raises awareness while funding animal welfare organizations.
• Burt’s Bees doesn’t use animal testing for any of their products.
• Feminism.
• 10% of Sustain’s profits before taxes are donated to women who don’t have access to sex education, family planning, and basic healthcare services.
• Raven & Lily employs over 1,500 marginalized women from around the world.
• Children in need.
• Pact sells children’s clothing and allows used ones to be returned and donated.
• Jackalo “buys back” used kids’ clothes and allows customers to trade-up.

For help setting up a socially responsible marketing strategy or rebrand, contact our digital marketing agency. Let’s get to the matter at hand, and do something that matters.