“Circular economy” is one of the phrases that generate a lot of buzz these days in the world of business. This is because the welfare of the environment is becoming a popular topic even in casual conversation. People are becoming more conscious about their carbon footprint. Some even watch with silent tears falling down their cheeks as they watch the environment struggle with climate change on Our Planet on Netflix.
But, even if the environment is gaining a lot of traction in the public’s consciousness, many are still quite unaware of the effective ways in helping save the world. This is where marketing comes in. It plays a key role in reaching out to people.
These are the marketing strategies that businesses should consider doing.
Embrace Digital Marketing
In a circular economy, the number one priority is reducing waste. Companies must adapt business models that minimize the materials that they consume and throw away. The same goes for marketing. Gone are the days when the most effective way of getting people hyped up is through the distribution of thousands of flyers. Those are, after all, paper that would inevitably wind up in the trash. Now, people can easily post online without making any trash at all.
This makes mastering digital marketing in a circular economy crucial for businesses. Everyone is online these days. It’s why big businesses invested thousands of dollars in developing their websites and mobile apps. That is why professional social media marketing services for small businesses are truly a game-changer in different industries.
It’s clear that developing a strong online presence requires a lot of investment from businesses. But, on the bright side, with this strategy, we aren’t making a ton of waste that will only end up in landfills.
Engage with the Market
Because a circular economy is, obviously, circular, one of its tenets is maintaining a give-and-take relationship with customers. This means that customers also play a key role in making sure that a circular economy becomes effective. This is why some business models are hinging on customer relationships. They are composed of sharing, bartering, borrowing, and trading products and services with customers.
This give-and-take nature can be applied to marketing as well. How? By engaging with customers. This is most effective through social media. We can conduct online games with customers. We can hold discussions about certain topics. Even just the comments feature in social media platforms already do wonders for this form of marketing.
By maintaining this form of marketing, we’re also building relationships with customers. We’re not just presenting online ads that people passively read or watch. We’re also inviting them to start a conversation with us.
Use Recycled Materials in Packaging
It goes without saying that not all aspects of a business are done online. Some offer products and services to people. If we’re, say, running a store that sells beauty products, we can’t fully commit to
zero-waste operations. What with the materials, product development, and packaging–it’s simply not possible at all. But what we can do is minimize our waste by using recycled materials, especially for packaging.
Again, if we’re selling beauty products, we can store them in containers that customers can use, too, even after they use up the product. They could come in glass or porcelain jars. Another way is storing the product in recyclable packaging. This way, the customers won’t feel too guilty about disposing of something.
Be Transparent and Specific
The last strategy is to be transparent and specific. This may be the most important one, too. It’s because many businesses fall prey to the appeal of greenwashing. It’s when companies share false information about their products and operations just to make it seem like they are being environmentally-friendly. For example, a company might proclaim that they’ve “significantly” reduced their carbon emissions. But because they’re not clear on what “significantly” might sound, that could mean that they’ve only reduced it by less than ten percent.
So, if you’re planning on sharing to the world your efforts for the environment through a marketing campaign, be as transparent and specific as you can be. Be honest about how you source your products’ materials, your company’s carbon footprint, etc. This way, you’re avoiding any allegations of greenwashing your company’s marketing.
Through successful ad campaigns, more people would be more aware of how to care for the environment. They’ll know how companies are exerting effort in saving the planet. We can promote the best practices in a circular economy. Building towards a successful circular economy is rooted in a clear vision of a bright future. So people must understand how this economy will work and how it will help the environment.