14 Tips on Going Green at the Local Level
Austin, Texas: As a marketer, it seems like it gets tougher and tougher to stand out from the crowd in a world of advertising, e-blasts, social media, etc.
As a green company, it is just as difficult. Many people are using the word “green” in their name, in their product description, on their packaging, etc.
How can you catch your customer’s attention while so many other companies are also going green?
Well, have you thought about going green locally? Going green at the community level?
Think of ways to promote green outreach to your community. It is easier to make an impact on a micro level, and it will build goodwill for your organization.
Here are a few simple ideas to keep your green message in front of your community:
1-Sponsor a portion of a highway for litter pickup.
2-Plant trees at a park or school or community center.
3-Speak at local organizations about how companies can “green their office”–such as at chamber of commerce meetings, Lion’s or Rotary Club meetings, etc.
4-Sponsor a booth or table at your city’s Earth Day Festival.
5-Start an Earth Day celebration in your town.
6-Team up with other businesses to promote green seminars, trade shows or fairs.
7-Get your vehicle wrapped with green messages and slogans.
8-Team up with other businesses and sponsor a Trash Pickup Drive–that takes oils, paints, batteries, prescription pills and other non-hazardous trash that cannot disposed of during regular trash pickup. Get involved with your city’s Solid Waste Department to see how you can help. You can also bring in the local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts to participate with you.
9-Work with your city’s solid waste or public utilities department and see if you can help with donations, giveaways, speeches to the general public, cross promoting with their programs, etc. City services have very tight budgets, and the more public support they get, the better.
10-Sponsor an e-Waste Trash Disposal drop off campaign. These drop off stations can be wrapped or logoed with your brand — and you can work with local e-waste recycling centers to handle the recycling and disposal of these items.
11-Put together a YouTube or PowerPoint presentation about green issues concerning your community – and use it internally, promote it on social media, lend it to local news outlets and to city services, who might utilize it in some ways. These presentations need to be 100% non-commercial, with just your logo and message at the end for a few seconds. If it reeks of commercialism, it will fail.
12-Give out eco-friendly promotional items instead of plastic ones. Each of these items, from imprinted environmentally-themed coloring books to information wheels should have educational value.
13-Practice what you preach in public. This would include having a recycling program both at home and at work, downsizing to a more fuel efficient vehicle, switching to CFL or LED lighting, etc. Don’t be caught in a lie, promoting yourself as “green” just for appearance sake.
14-Keep in mind: It is important at these events to keep the focus on education and outreach on environmental issues-and not be a shill for your company. You will have a much more positive impact on the audience.
Stand out from your competition.
Be creative.
How do you plan to promote your green organization to your audience?
I’d love to hear about it.
Let’s make Earth Day Every Day.
