KBB - August 2008 - (Page 68)

Green Growing Green Get a piece of the action with a clear environmental marketing strategy Today, the green movement presents new and rewarding opportunities for growth. One study predicts that annual growth rates for green building products will hover near 20 percent over the next five years. But recent discussions with kitchen and bath industry professionals often contain variations on a frustrating theme: “We know linking a product or service to environmental benefits can be good for business. We just don’t know how to get started.” Developing a responsible green marketing plan that results in revenue growth can be difficult, but with the handful of strategies below, any dealer, designer or manufacturer can begin to build the framework for an effective green marketing program. 5 Engage your customers. Find out if they are deeply committed to environmental issues, or simply fashionably green, by addressing green issues in customer questionnaires or initial consultations. Because the kitchen is often the focal point of a home, some clients will want their design choices to reflect their green philosophy. Hearing and understanding their priorities can help you balance budget, resources, efficiency and expectations. Focus on energy efficiency, sustainability and indoor air quality. These three elements are the primary factors in a consumer’s buying decision about green products. If possible, quantify your products’ effect on energy usage, VOCs and responsible use of resources, and clarify those key messages. Review all marketing communications. Step back and perform an audit of all your marketing communications: brochures, website, sell sheets, direct mailers, signage and all other materials. You may also want to review logos, taglines and color schemes. Develop a plan for gradually modifying all materials to maximize your green message. Focus on your website. Make sure its content and design reflect the green benefits of your services and your company’s sustainability efforts. In addition, review your search engine optimization (SEO) program—be sure all key words, links and other SEO tactics work to boost your site rankings for online visitors using greenrelated search terms. 1 Create an environmental policy. Take a close look at your operations and programs, and develop a written policy statement that underscores your commitment to sustainability and details the specific steps you have taken to go green—consider everything from developing green products to focusing on recycling and energy efficiency. Have a genuine understanding of green trends and issues. Keep yourself educated. Meet with vendors and business partners about new green products, research or marketing approaches. Also, consider building your own green advisory group of informed builders, designers or others your organization works with who can provide guidance and support on an ad hoc basis. Designate someone in your company as a green expert and make them responsible for staying on top of the newest policies and developing trends. This way, the entire team does not have to research every new trend, and you maintain a “go-to” resource for your customers and your staff. Know your position in the marketplace. Most successful green marketing programs begin with some sort of research: How large is the market for your product or service, and how important are green messages and product characteristics to them? If you don’t have a large research budget, start by interviewing a dozen or so key customers. In addition, knowing the green claims your competitors are making can help you better position yourself. 6 7 8 2 3 9 4 68 Know more than your customers about green. Consumers have grown increasingly savvy about all things green. Stay ahead of the curve by determining the aspects of your offerings that contribute to sustainability: not just end-user benefits, but also manufacturing processes, use of recycled or renewable materials and others. Be sure to back up all claims with verifiable support. Get everyone on board. Take time to train employees, sales representatives and business partners about your green marketing program—your key messages, ways in which your company has modified its marketing approach and why green is important to growth. Educating your team is an inexpensive but effective way to build momentum and bring consistency to a program. Of course, there’s much more to building a green marketing program, but these tips provide several practical ways to get started. In fact, the most important step is this: Do something, and do something now. Those who procrastinate are simply forfeiting their opportunity to capture their piece of a burgeoning green market—a market that shows no signs of slowing. s —Jim Groff is president of Baublitz Advertising, a full-service marketing firm that serves the building materials and construction industry. + K BB August 2008 / www.kbbonline.com / The Official Sponsor of K/BIS www.kbis.com http://www.kbbonline.com http://www.kbis.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of KBB - August 2008

KBB - August 2008
Contents
Online Contents
Online News
Editorial
Feedback
Dates
Digits
Opinion
Consumer
Trends
Products
Options
Profile
Design
Garden Variety
Privacy Act
Green
Access
Tech
Additions
Practice
Education
Editorial Index
Ad Index
Favorites

KBB - August 2008

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