Why green issues aren't black and white

Direct marketing’s environmental record has once again been under scrutiny recently, thanks to a highly misleading Panorama programme on scam mail and the launch of the Green Preference Service (GPS). Green concerns have inevitably been central to discussions, with the founders of the GPS in particular citing the benefits of email marketing over print practices.
However, it is not – and never has been – as simple as saying that email is environmentally friendly and print is not. Firstly, that argument is flawed, as email material can of course be printed, and secondly, there is still a great deal of misunderstanding around how environmentally unfriendly printed direct marketing is. As with any modern business practice, today’s marketers are dedicated to finding better ways of working in terms of efficiency, value for money, and, crucially, sustainability.
Never has the marketing industry been so aware of its mark on the world, both figuratively and literally, and there are countless measures and schemes in place to make sure that environmental targets are hit.
The trouble with the “green” message in any industry is the tendency to make the issue too trendy or worthy – often, the environmental cause is wheeled out at any opportunity and misused purely to impress or make a point. Such abuse of a serious issue is misleading and potentially damaging, as it devalues the efforts and progress being made by firms and industries to make a real difference environmentally. That said, what marketers can, and should, be doing is making the best decisions they can to run efficient marketing practices that in turn have a positive impact on a number of factors, including the green issue.
It is simply not the case that some marketing techniques are green and others are harmful – every channel can be misused and wasteful if not managed correctly, just as each channel can be hugely powerful and
efficient if managed well.
The beauty of the marketing industry is the diversity of the approaches that marketers are able to pursue in order to deliver messages to consumers. Today’s marketing landscape is rich with a variety of touchpoints, channels and tactics which brands can employ in order to create effective and meaningful relationships with their audiences.
Added to this, there is also a real commitment to exploring and understanding those audiences before any communication is even made.
Data resources and techniques are now sophisticated enough that brands and marketers have the power to discover exactly who they should be targeting, what channels they should be using and the information they should be including in order to connect with these consumers.
This level of detail not only leads to better consumer trust and enhanced relationships, but ultimately results in more efficient communications, cutting down on wasted resources, materials, money and time. Good business sense also makes good environmental sense, and companies which are getting their targeting and their communications spot-on will also be making a positive impact on green targets.

Jason Cromack is chief executive of Lateral Group