Refuse. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Rot.
Over the last decade, there has been a massive emphasis on the environment that has pushed a curious generation to explore sustainable living. The fashion industry has felt the effects of this shift having to seek eco-friendly options in goods that they produce. Consumers are aware that a good amount of the earth’s pollution comes from the waste that is created by fast fashion manufacturing.
With consumers becoming more informed and eco-conscious than before, brand transparency is often a make or break for consumers. If you are a fashion brand that is trying to work towards being more sustainable in your production, there are a few ways to capitalize on your initiatives.
In this article, we will look at some green marketing ideas that will help you gain loyal customers and grow your brand like:
- What is Green Marketing?
- Consumers trending towards sustainable, ethical products
- How to market for Green Initiatives
WHAT IS GREEN MARKETING?
There are some buzzwords that have been surrounding green marketing. In a lot of situations, lots of people throw words around that they do not understand or understand the impact behind them. It is important that every new fashion brand to understand the actual importance behind what green marketing actually is. It is also important to get a handle on where you stand on all of them.
Some buzzwords are associated with Green Marketing are:
- Sustainable – In order to change the impact of a brand on the workforce and environment, sustainability is the process of implementing and fostering an environment of social justice and eco-conscious processes.
- Ethical – If you are claiming to be an ethical company, you need to understand and actively work to right the humanitarian practices that weren’t exactly positive associated with fast fashion. If you want to claim that you are an ethical company, you need to partner with manufacturing houses that offer fair wages and quality working environments.
- Locally Sourced – When you are locally sourcing products, it means that you are partnering with local manufacturers to provide everything from raw materials to localized manufacturing.
- Organic – You need to make sure that the growers of your raw materials have a true organic certification before making these claims especially if you make organic claims on your website. It will most likely refer to the naturals materials used in the production of your garments.
CONSUMERS ARE TRENDING TOWARD SUSTAINABLE, ETHICAL PRODUCTS
From studies and trends, it shows that consumers are genuinely trying to look for sustainable companies. The decline of the environment is basically on everyone’s minds. Companies especially in the fashion industry are definitely taking bold stands against waste and quick consumption products.
If a fashion brand’s infrastructure cannot support a total manufacturing upheaval, there are definitely a few ways to start making the trend towards sustainability.
Here are a few ideas to try out:
- Incorporate a recycling program for your in-store or online packaging. Offer a small incentive if customers bring their own bags or recycle their shipping containers.
- Investigate every step of your manufacturing process to see if any part is sustainable. While you might not be able to see firsthand the working conditions of the sewing houses, you may be able to confirm that none of the chemicals and dyes are tested on animals, for example.
- Get involved or make donations to an environmental or social cause you’re passionate about. Be sure to do this on behalf of your company.
DON’T LEAD YOUR CONSUMERS ASTRAY FOR THE SAKE OF MARKETING
You need to make sure that whatever claims that you make as a brand needs to be substantiated. With the internet, consumers are smarter than ever and if you don’t live up to what you claim, you will be discovered. This is definitely hurt your brand credibility in a lasting way. If you are afraid that you may not know how to create an effective marketing strategy, you can talk to Public Relations companies like Pressfarm where their specialists will use their expertise to create everything needed for companies to get the proper and right Public Relations.
HOW TO MARKET FOR GREEN INITIATIVES
So, if you’re already invested in green marketing and sustainable practices you’re going to want to share that marketing message with every audience possible.
Below are a few thought-starters on how to market for your eco-friendly processes:
Have a Thorough Explanation on Your About Page
You are going to want to work keywords into your About page and Home page if you have a website. You will also want to include green keywords in your product description because this is for both your consumers and for SEO purposes. Green keywords are trending and have been for a while. Identify some of the most relevant ones for your brand and use them throughout your website.
Be as Transparent as Possible
Know your green initiatives. Take a page from brands like Sezane and Everlane who go as far as listing out the percentages of fabric makeup for each product produced as well as sharing videos of their overseas production warehouses and fair working conditions.
Share Your Passion for Sustainability on Social Media
Use social media channels like Pinterest and YouTube to curate content that trends toward relevant, sustainable messages. Create a Pinterest board or two with creative recycling programs, cute re-commerce ideas, and upcycling projects.
Try your hand at vlog-style videos documenting your thoughts on eco-friendly fashion, the industry in general, and how your company supports the sustainable message. Share those videos on YouTube and even IGTV for extended exposure.
Use Subliminal Green Marketing in Your Brand Colors
If you’re very passionate about creating a green company and have yet to nail down brand colors, a logo, and website design, consider trending your brand colors toward earthy tones. This is great for some subliminal “green” marketing.
You wouldn’t actually have to create your logo out of only shades of green, but earth-focused tones can help reinforce your initiatives.
Showing your brand’s dedication to bettering our world is extremely attractive to new customers. Implementing these green marketing ideas can also help set you miles apart from your competitors.
Conclusion
Green marketing is becoming the new way of Fashion Marketing and it is important that companies who claim that they are implementing green marketing that they are true to their word because in the world of social media, it will come out and could ruin a business.