Logan Voss
When a company decides to start eco-friendly initiatives, they want to ensure they achieve their intended goal and communicate to the right audience. While some think that going green is as easy as switching Keurig pods for a coffee pot, if they want to have an effective environmental initiative, they need to make more decisions than that. To avoid the pitfalls as you make changes, this list of common mistakes businesses make when they try to go green can help.
Symbolic Gestures
With so many companies employing “going green” marketing tactics to appeal to eco-friendly customers, consumers are becoming sensitive to empty, symbolic gestures. If you claim your company is going green and have only made your packaging beige and added a recycling logo, you may receive some backlash.
People want their brands to live up to their promises. There will be questions about the authenticity of every green decision you make, so you should prepare to answer them.
Doing Everything at Once
Some companies, in a desire to go green, make the mistake of overextending themselves. You do not need to switch to energy-efficient lightbulbs, buy locally, and have a company park cleanup outing all on the same day.
Like starting a recycling program, small achievements are reason enough to market your commitment to a greener future. Also, by teaming up with a waste cleanup company, you can set realistic, sustainable goals for your company.
Poor Customer Communication
A company that goes green wants customers to understand and appreciate their work toward improving the planet. However, one of the common mistakes businesses make when they try to go green includes an inability or unwillingness to communicate that progress with their customers.
All companies interested in going green should work with PR or marketing teams to effectively build awareness about these efforts. The public cannot support the changes if they are not aware they even exist.
