Effective Green Marketing Begins with Credible, Green Products
Al Iannuzzi
September 25, 2012
The most important thing these campaigns must do is to clearly communicate the benefits of these eco-improved products. Based on my experience in product design and marketing at Johnson & Johnson there are three keys to proper green communications.
1. Have a credible product story: At J&J, we do this through our Earthwards® greener product development process, a four-step process that enables product developers to easily understand how to make products more sustainable. (I will be talking more about this at NAEM's upcoming EHS Management Forum in Naples.)
2. Meet your customers' product demands: Understanding what's important to your customers helps inform greener product design. For example, our hospital customers are interested in reducing waste and energy, so any product improvements that address this issue should be emphasized.
3. Appropriately communicate the product's greener attributes: We are very careful to communicate the greener attributes of products. The Earthwards® process helps because we know that any claims we make come through a rigorous process. One of the best ways to insulate your product from "greenwashing" is to use credible third party verification of your claims. This reduces the possibility of making a mistake. Also, research indicates that customers tend to gravitate towards products that have third party verification.
In your experience with green product development and marketing, what are some of the strategies you've used to explain the value proposition to your customers? How have these products fared in the marketplace? Have they helped you gain competitive advantage?
Al Iannuzzi is a Senior Director in the Worldwide Environment, Health & Safety department at Johnson & Johnson, and author of the new book, "Greener Products: the Making & Marketing of Sustainable Brands" (CRC Press 2011). He will share more insights from his experience at NAEM's EHS Management Forum on Oct. 17-19 2012 in Naples, Florida.
Topics:
Sustainability
Related
About the Author
Al Iannuzzi
Johnson & Johnson
Al Iannuzzi, Ph.D. is a Senior Director of Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability for Johnson & Johnson, where he directs the global product stewardship and green marketing programs. He is the author of the books, "Greener Products: the Making & Marketing of Sustainable Brands" (CRC Press 2011) and "Industry Self-Regulation and Voluntary Environmental Compliance" (CRC Press, 2002), and has written numerous articles on product stewardship and environmental compliance.