When it comes to environmental impact, 77% of consumers are worried about the products they buy. Global warming, pollution, and other environmental issues are clearly huge sources of anxiety for consumers.
In the meantime, while promotional products are a great way to grow your business, they aren’t always the best thing for the environment. Instead of contributing to the problem, your business has the power to choose greener alternatives.
Sure, green-washing is a real problem when brands do superficial things to appear more “green.” But opting for eco-friendly promotional products is a great way to make your brand more green for real—even if being green isn’t officially part of your brand.
The benefits of being eco-friendly—even if you aren’t a “green” brand
The environment is everyone’s responsibility. Eco-friendly promotional items will not only keep your biz top of mind, but it will make a lasting positive impression that has a real effect on your bottom line. We guarantee that your consumers will admire you for making a change, too.
Not sure why eco-friendly is the way to go? Let’s dive into the five reasons why more brands are investing in sustainable promotional products and how to make the switch for yourself.
1. Boost brand buzz
Want to get your name out there? You’ll build way more hype if people know you’re giving away eco-friendly promotional products.
And since eco-friendly products are usually made out of durable materials, they have more staying power. Translation: you’ll get more buzz for your biz for less marketing spend.
2. Be on the right side of history
Climate change, landfill waste, and pollution are critical issues. As a business, you have an opportunity to make a change that’s far greater than what you can do as an individual consumer.
Promotional products are an easy way to dip your toes into becoming a greener business. And honestly, environmentally-friendly products are the right thing to do. Avoid contributing to the destruction of the environment by taking a stand as a business.
3. Green products are more durable
Sick of giving away promotional products that snap in half after a few uses? Eco-friendly products are designed specifically for durability. After all, how eco-friendly would it be to create with plastic that breaks?
If you want to get more bang for your buck, go with eco-friendly products. Their durability means they have more extended staying power, which translates into a more significant ROI.
4. It’s affordable
Green products used to be an expensive novelty, but now that more brands demand green products, they’re much more affordable. Plus, going for cheaper recycled materials (that just happen to be eco-friendly) will cut your costs, too.
Since some eco-friendly products are often just as affordable as regular promotional products, there’s really no reason you can’t go for the greener option.
5. Increase sales
Did you know that corporate responsibility initiatives can increase your sales by as much as 20%? Promotional products are just one facet of this, but your customers will trust your brand if you consistently show you care about the environment. And more often than not, that trust translates into more sales.
How to incorporate eco-friendly products in your brand promotions
Consumers care about the impact your company has on the environment, and you probably do, too. After all, nobody wants to see a mountain of unused materials with your name on it at the landfill.
Choose products that your consumers will feel good about using for months and years to come. Follow these five tips to incorporate eco-friendly products into your brand promotions.
1. Choose eco-friendly materials
Items don’t have to technically be “green” to be eco-friendly. If you’re trying to reduce your carbon footprint, go with green materials like:
Recycled goods (like frisbees made out of recycled flip-flops)
Bamboo
Hemp
Recycled cardboard or paper
When in doubt, look for organic materials. Cotton does use a lot of water, but if you love the feel of a cotton tee, opt for the organic cotton fabric to make it a little greener.
2. Minimize packaging
You know that extra plastic packaging that comes on every single product you order? You don’t need it! Either you or your audience is going to toss it straight in the trash.
Instead, go with promotional products that don’t have extra plastic packaging. If you want to earn extra brownie points here, you can opt for unbleached cotton sachets instead of plastic.
3. Go for reusable products
How many times will someone be able to use your product? Go for highly reusable products if you want to squeeze the most ROI possible out of your promotional campaigns (and save the Earth in the process).
That might mean choosing promotional products with more staying power, like:
Metal or silicone straws
Stacking capsule water bottles
Mineral-based pens
Wheat straw phone chargers
Bamboo umbrellas
Reusable tea bags
Feel free to get creative here, but stay away from single-use products whenever possible.
4. Let people know it’s eco-friendly
Sure, you’re doing this for the Earth, but the point of promotional products is to make a splash with your audience. If you put in the effort to buy eco-friendly promotional products, make sure people know about it!
That might mean adding signage at your giveaway booth about your eco-friendly products. You could also add phrases like “Plant Power” or “Made From Recycled Bottles” to the products, so it’s clear that the product is eco-friendly.
5. Tie the products into your brand mission
We love wooden coasters as much as the next person, but what do they have to do with your brand? Don’t go green just for the sake of it; make sure your promotional products still tie into your marketing objectives. For example, if you’re a pet brand, give away hemp-based dog collars. An IT company could give away a recycled computer backpack or bamboo charger.
It’s easy being green
Who says green marketing has to be a hassle? Eco-friendly promotional products help you reinforce a positive brand image, which is what promotional products are all about in the first place. Even if you don’t define yourself as a “green” brand, you can still save money, attract loyal customers, and boost sales with the right mix of eco-friendly products.
You don’t need to do this alone, either. Get in touch with Boundless to source the perfect promotional products for your biz. See how we create more Brand Love moments with eco-friendly promotional products.
Originally published by our partner Boundless on Dec 15, 2021