Green Marketing Gives Credibility To Green Businesses
TORONTO, June 1 /CNW/ - Businesses are missing one of the simpler marketing initiatives to make their business greener, according to a survey released today by traffic marketing + design inc., a sustainable marketing and communications agency. The results of the survey mark the increased focus on green businesses being that this week is Canadian Environment Week (May 31 to June 5).
The survey was conducted to gauge how companies are communicating 'green' to their customers, and to measure the usage of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper. Nearly 350 green businesses, government and not-for-profit exhibitors at the recent Green Living Show in Toronto, were examined. Surprisingly only 22% of exhibitors had marketing materials printed on FSC-certified paper.
"FSC is the only forest certification system supported by leading environmental and social organizations", states Maia Becker, Vice President FSC Canada. "Many organizations recognize FSC as the most rigorous and credible certification system for forest products in the world, including Canada Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), Forest Ethics, Greenpeace, National Aboriginal Forestry Association, Sierra Club of Canada, and WWF Canada."
Over 66% of survey participants lacked environmentally friendly marketing materials. However, 'green' organizations such as government and not-for-profit exhibitors had the highest adoption at 50% FSC-certified paper usage, whereas segments like Fashion & Beauty, and Health & Wellness had the lowest adoption rates of less than 10%.
While producing a company's marketing materials on eco-friendly FSC-certified paper is not the only measure of a firm's green marketing initiatives, it's clearly one of the easiest and least expensive ways to demonstrate sustainable leadership. "When it comes to marketing green" says Bernard Hellen, R.G.D. President and Creative Director of traffic marketing + design inc., "in this case, the medium really is the message."
About Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international non-profit organization founded in 1993 to promote environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world's forests. It supports the development of national and regional standards to evaluate whether a forest is being well managed. FSC's membership consists of a diverse group of representatives from environmental and social organizations, forest and derivative industries, Indigenous People's organizations, community forestry groups and certification bodies from around the world. For more information visit http://www.fsccanada.org
About traffic marketing + design inc. is a sustainably-focused marketing + graphic design agency in Toronto that works with businesses to market green products and services in an authentic, believable and sustainable way. traffic specializes in branding, graphic identities, print and web design and has been creatively thinking about marketing + design since 1994. Contact Bernard Hellen, at 416-504-8717, email [email protected] or visit http://www.trafficdesign.ca
For further information: Media Contact: Kelly Drennan, Third Eye Media, P: (416) 778-5934, C: (416) 458-1491, E: [email protected]
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