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Deck 16: Using Effective Promotions
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Finding a Competitive Advantage in Sustainability
One way marketers are gaining a competitive advantage is by touting their efforts on behalf of the environment. Mars Drinks North America sells its Flavia brewing machines and hot drinks through distributors. Many of the companies that Mars sells to have sustainability goals, and Mars uses its promotions to sell its efforts to promote sustainability. The overall promotional effort is called "Thirsty for Change." Under that rubric, the company promotes its efforts to use less water, send less waste to landfills, and help customers reduce their own energy use and waste. The company uses several means to get its message across: direct mail, print media, and a new Web site that explains the company's position on sustainability and its activities, such as turning used filters into energy.
How do you compete against such well-known and respected companies as FedEx and United Parcel Service? The answer for First Global Express (FGX) was to use "greening" as a promotional tool. FGX decided to cut the number of miles it flew (thus using much less gas and causing much less pollution) by shipping packages to customers on direct flights. Typically, courier packages go through three or four waypoints before reaching their final destination. FGX used print advertising as well as a completely redesigned Web site, e-mail marketing, thankyou cards, and other salesrelated materials to promote its carbon-cutting program. The punch line in the company's ads said, "Ship Greener. Ship Direct." There is also much copy talking about green efforts, including a green thermometer that displays FGX's efforts to make its operations more ecofriendly. FGX also has a ShipGreener blog that talks about environmental and humanitarian topics. The company also helps its customers do a "green audit."
What other companies have you noticed promoting green products and green processes?
One way marketers are gaining a competitive advantage is by touting their efforts on behalf of the environment. Mars Drinks North America sells its Flavia brewing machines and hot drinks through distributors. Many of the companies that Mars sells to have sustainability goals, and Mars uses its promotions to sell its efforts to promote sustainability. The overall promotional effort is called "Thirsty for Change." Under that rubric, the company promotes its efforts to use less water, send less waste to landfills, and help customers reduce their own energy use and waste. The company uses several means to get its message across: direct mail, print media, and a new Web site that explains the company's position on sustainability and its activities, such as turning used filters into energy.
How do you compete against such well-known and respected companies as FedEx and United Parcel Service? The answer for First Global Express (FGX) was to use "greening" as a promotional tool. FGX decided to cut the number of miles it flew (thus using much less gas and causing much less pollution) by shipping packages to customers on direct flights. Typically, courier packages go through three or four waypoints before reaching their final destination. FGX used print advertising as well as a completely redesigned Web site, e-mail marketing, thankyou cards, and other salesrelated materials to promote its carbon-cutting program. The punch line in the company's ads said, "Ship Greener. Ship Direct." There is also much copy talking about green efforts, including a green thermometer that displays FGX's efforts to make its operations more ecofriendly. FGX also has a ShipGreener blog that talks about environmental and humanitarian topics. The company also helps its customers do a "green audit."
What other companies have you noticed promoting green products and green processes?
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Deck 16: Using Effective Promotions
Finding a Competitive Advantage in Sustainability
One way marketers are gaining a competitive advantage is by touting their efforts on behalf of the environment. Mars Drinks North America sells its Flavia brewing machines and hot drinks through distributors. Many of the companies that Mars sells to have sustainability goals, and Mars uses its promotions to sell its efforts to promote sustainability. The overall promotional effort is called "Thirsty for Change." Under that rubric, the company promotes its efforts to use less water, send less waste to landfills, and help customers reduce their own energy use and waste. The company uses several means to get its message across: direct mail, print media, and a new Web site that explains the company's position on sustainability and its activities, such as turning used filters into energy.
How do you compete against such well-known and respected companies as FedEx and United Parcel Service? The answer for First Global Express (FGX) was to use "greening" as a promotional tool. FGX decided to cut the number of miles it flew (thus using much less gas and causing much less pollution) by shipping packages to customers on direct flights. Typically, courier packages go through three or four waypoints before reaching their final destination. FGX used print advertising as well as a completely redesigned Web site, e-mail marketing, thankyou cards, and other salesrelated materials to promote its carbon-cutting program. The punch line in the company's ads said, "Ship Greener. Ship Direct." There is also much copy talking about green efforts, including a green thermometer that displays FGX's efforts to make its operations more ecofriendly. FGX also has a ShipGreener blog that talks about environmental and humanitarian topics. The company also helps its customers do a "green audit."
What other companies have you noticed promoting green products and green processes?
One way marketers are gaining a competitive advantage is by touting their efforts on behalf of the environment. Mars Drinks North America sells its Flavia brewing machines and hot drinks through distributors. Many of the companies that Mars sells to have sustainability goals, and Mars uses its promotions to sell its efforts to promote sustainability. The overall promotional effort is called "Thirsty for Change." Under that rubric, the company promotes its efforts to use less water, send less waste to landfills, and help customers reduce their own energy use and waste. The company uses several means to get its message across: direct mail, print media, and a new Web site that explains the company's position on sustainability and its activities, such as turning used filters into energy.
How do you compete against such well-known and respected companies as FedEx and United Parcel Service? The answer for First Global Express (FGX) was to use "greening" as a promotional tool. FGX decided to cut the number of miles it flew (thus using much less gas and causing much less pollution) by shipping packages to customers on direct flights. Typically, courier packages go through three or four waypoints before reaching their final destination. FGX used print advertising as well as a completely redesigned Web site, e-mail marketing, thankyou cards, and other salesrelated materials to promote its carbon-cutting program. The punch line in the company's ads said, "Ship Greener. Ship Direct." There is also much copy talking about green efforts, including a green thermometer that displays FGX's efforts to make its operations more ecofriendly. FGX also has a ShipGreener blog that talks about environmental and humanitarian topics. The company also helps its customers do a "green audit."
What other companies have you noticed promoting green products and green processes?
The given case describes about promotional strategies companies are adopting to gain competitive advantage. The firms are trying to gain competitive advantage through sustainability. There are few examples given in the case, where the firms have adopted various practices to save environment and the firms are 'going green' to reduce their carbon footprints and fulfill their responsibilities towards the environment and society. The firms also use these 'green' strategies as a promotional tool to gain competitive advantage.
Now days, firms are coming up with an innovative 'green marketing' concept to promote their products and services. The 'green marketing' can be defined as a process of promotion of a product or a service which is assumed to be environmental friendly and safe. Green products are defined as innovative products that are made from recycled materials, conserve resources such as water and energy, reduce amount of toxins released or consumed. The basic aim of manufacturing green products is to reduce waste and utilize the resources efficiently. And green process implies production of green products with minimal waste, emissions, energy consumption and in an eco friendly way.
There are various firms that have adopted green product and process. Those are:
• IKEA: The leading furniture manufacturer uses various strategies to reduce waste and renew energy. Maximum of its buildings are powered by solar panels. The company has planted many trees and sends only 15percent of its waste to landfills.
• Starbucks: The firm uses green material to produce, package and deliver its products to consumers. The firm also plans to open 10000 environmental friendly stores by the year 2025 and completely eliminate use of plastic straws by 2020. The company's 'green store' aims at reducing waste, less use of water and less power in the production process.
• Seventh Generation: The Company manufactures cleaning products, detergents, soaps, baby diapers, wipes etc. The firm produces its product in an eco friendly manner. They use plant based and recycled material for packaging of their products. They do not use added fragrances and chemicals that can prove harmful to the consumers.
Green marketing is adopted by firms that believe in sustainable development and fulfill their corporate social responsibility. Many organizations have understood the importance of sustainability and are trying to implement business practices that help in making products with reduced waste, energy consumption and efficient use of resources. Demonstrating a concern for society and environment would help companies in long run by earning customer loyalty and reputation.
Now days, firms are coming up with an innovative 'green marketing' concept to promote their products and services. The 'green marketing' can be defined as a process of promotion of a product or a service which is assumed to be environmental friendly and safe. Green products are defined as innovative products that are made from recycled materials, conserve resources such as water and energy, reduce amount of toxins released or consumed. The basic aim of manufacturing green products is to reduce waste and utilize the resources efficiently. And green process implies production of green products with minimal waste, emissions, energy consumption and in an eco friendly way.
There are various firms that have adopted green product and process. Those are:
• IKEA: The leading furniture manufacturer uses various strategies to reduce waste and renew energy. Maximum of its buildings are powered by solar panels. The company has planted many trees and sends only 15percent of its waste to landfills.
• Starbucks: The firm uses green material to produce, package and deliver its products to consumers. The firm also plans to open 10000 environmental friendly stores by the year 2025 and completely eliminate use of plastic straws by 2020. The company's 'green store' aims at reducing waste, less use of water and less power in the production process.
• Seventh Generation: The Company manufactures cleaning products, detergents, soaps, baby diapers, wipes etc. The firm produces its product in an eco friendly manner. They use plant based and recycled material for packaging of their products. They do not use added fragrances and chemicals that can prove harmful to the consumers.
Green marketing is adopted by firms that believe in sustainable development and fulfill their corporate social responsibility. Many organizations have understood the importance of sustainability and are trying to implement business practices that help in making products with reduced waste, energy consumption and efficient use of resources. Demonstrating a concern for society and environment would help companies in long run by earning customer loyalty and reputation.
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