Strategy...

With the overabundance of advertising in our society, it is easily understood that it can be very tough to get the word out there about a promotion, product/brand, event, etc...

Making a flyer wont cut it anymore. There are so many outlets such as the internet and out-of-home mediums that can help market your message. Various advertising methods such as web banners, mall/elevator/taxi advertising and billboards can spread the message and might even do a better job than radio and television. 

One thing to consider is resources. Which outlets don't involve wasting a lot of natural resources besides energy. For one example, web banners are easy to initiate and even test one the campaign flight starts. You have also just eliminated printing anything. Another example, is out-of-home such as elevator marketing. It is being run on a network fed by satellites and again, not using resources. 

Just some food for thought. 

Marketing and Advertising Design

The art of graphic design is purely subjective in its own right. What looks good to one person may be visually unappealing to the next. Even though, this remains true - eco-friendly strategies can be initiated in the design process to eliminate resource waste. The first step is to not design with a full bleed in mind. Full bleeds will consume more paper and in turn waste more resources. The other way to remain environmentally sound is to not use to many colors which will keep the use of ink limited as well. White space looks good when designing! Let's try and use more of it. 

Eco-Friendly Web Hosting

It amazes me how easy it can be to be eco-friendly. Web sites can now be hosted by an eco-friendly server which means the site will be powered by windmills and solar panels. There are many sites out there such as ThinkHost. They offer a plan that only costs about 8 dollars a month which is no more expensive that any other server. This just goes to show that something as simple as your web server can preserve the environment and still maintain its purpose to host your web site. 

Just a thought and something to think about. If you have any questions about eco-friendly web hosting or concerns contact me at info@greenviewmarketing.com. My web site is currently hosted by an eco-friendly server and has been for over a year now. 

Soy you think it's more expensive - Do you think soy ink is that much more?

Soy inks is an eco-friendly alternative to petroleum-basked inks. Soy inks are made of soybeans. Soy inks have many benefits. They can tend to be brighter in color if wanted, easier to recycle papers and increase the life of a printer. After some research I found that using a printer that uses soy inks may not be as much as petroleum-based inks. 

Wizard Graphics offers soy-ink business cards for only $40.00 (quantity 500), which makes me wonder how easy it is to be environmentally conscious when it comes to small things like a business card. 

I think the most intriguing concept is how much easier it is to recycle paper that has been hit with soy ink. When we recycle paper we must separate the ink from the paper which is easier when it is soy-based inks versus petroleum based inks. 

Signed and Sealed...

After reading an article about eco-friendly shipping supplies, it started to make me think how many materials we use on a daily work day especially in mailings. Royalmailers.com announced that their company will now be offering shipping supplies which will be eco-friendly and environmentally safe. 

I think eco-friendly shipping materials is an easy way to be conscious of wasting natural resources, but I also think we can take it one step further by utilizing materials that already exists versus buying new ones. First, instead of purchasing bubble wrap or confetti maybe you can utilize old newspapers in the office. Secondly, boxes can be recycled that have been received already. Why use a new box when you can repackage an old one. If you have any other suggestions, feel free to post them! We should always be looking for dynamic solutions. 

Spread the word...with an eco-friendly state-of-mind

As many of us know, most companies buy and pass out items such as key chains, magnets and pens. The obvious perk to these give-a-ways is spreading the word and building brand awareness on a constant basis. Every time someone uses the pen or looks at the magnet on their fridge - it is the hope of the company that it will become a stronger and more reliable brand in the minds of those consumers.

I found an article written by Gareth Parkin that discusses a promotional item that still holds the ability to spread the company's image but also conserves the environment. Ideasbynet (www.ideasbynet.com/) is a prime example of a company selling pens made of recycled car parts and CD cases.

I did a google search on eco-friendly promotional items and found a wide array of products versus the typical, stereotypical products such as paper and bags. Epromos (http://www.epromos.com/) sells journals made with 100% post consumer waste recycled paper. This is the first topic to be on this blog because I feel its one of the easiest ways to get started on becoming eco-friendly. The amount of choice out there for products such as these is numerous these days which also makes it easier to search for the cheapest product.

Here is a list of some of the eco-friendly sites I found:

http://www.eco-friendlypromotionalproducts.com/
http://www.accesseco.com/

http://www.ecobranders.com/

http://www.gogreenimprint.com/

Please let me know if you want more information on this or any other posts. Email me at info@greenviewmarketing.com.