Consumers judge environmental credentials of a business through direct mail marketing
By: Mark HaslanMarch 5th, 2010
With green consciousness going mainstream, many businesses realize it is important to demonstrate their commitment to the environment. A recent survey by ONEPOST, in collaboration with the Direct Marketing Association and fast.MAP found that the single most effective means of convincing consumers of a company’s environmental credentials takes place in an unexpected medium – direct mail.
"Environmentally responsible product packaging and direct mail are the key elements that shape consumer perception of a company’s environmental image, rather than in depth information on their websites," says DMA chief of membership, Robert Keitch. "In this sense, brands must therefore treat these media as their environmental message."
The inaugural Sustainability Tracking Study reports that product packaging is the highest ranked consideration by consumers in terms of a company’s environmental image – nearly 60 percent of respondents rated it as an influencer. A significantly smaller number – 47 percent – named the products themselves as an important consideration. Only 16 percent of consumers do independent research into company practices to determine their environmental friendliness.
One-third of respondents reported that seeing a recycling logo on an envelope, brochure or other item of direct mail marketing would positively affect their perceptions of a company. Homeowners are more conscious of recycling than they used to be, recycling five times the volume of direct mail than they were 18 months ago. Direct mail accounts for up to 15 percent of their total recycling volumes. Half of consumers consider plastic wrapping a negative sign, while 30 percent feel the waste generated by mislabeled mail is a strike against a company’s image.
Graham Cooper, managing director of postal advice and management company ONEPOST, which commissioned the study, said that it "unequivocally shows companies using environmentally friendly direct mail are much more likely to be to be well received by consumers." He adds that environmentally friendly postage can also be a money-saver.
A recent survey by Burst Media, a provider of advertising representation, services and technology to independent web publishers, consulted more than 1,500 adults on how environmental considerations played into their consumer activity. Ninety percent of respondents reported that they have incorporated green habits into their everyday lives. Though one out of four are confused about what makes products green, more than half respond positively to advertising claims about a company’s environmentally friendly practices.
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