Kerigan Marketing Associates

January 17, 2008

The Color of Money:
Listen to consumers for a Great 2008

From school kids to CEO’s, the environment has become a hot topic. My Google search of “Florida Ecotourism” yielded 250,000 results where just two years ago I found little info for a client research project. Whether you consider yourself a tree hugger (I bet that image ain’t what it used to be) or just a business manager who needs to understand consumer desires, now may be the time for you to lift a finger to test the winds of change.

We just completed a web site for a new home builder with a specialty in green-building under the new LEEDS certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Another recent project included a new active-adult community based on environmentally-friendly construction that results in substantial energy cost savings for homeowners. One of our golf course clients just asked us to increase the prominence of the Audubon International designation on their web site. And, kayaks have replaced powerboats in our recent tourism design graphics. Those are just some of the trends that have impacted my work life.

The ‘green’ agenda has become a hugely important one for many businesses. Consider the evidence. GM reported that sales of its Suburban SUV model declined by 24% for the month of December, 2007, while this week's Detroit Auto Show debuted an ethanol-feuled Ferrari and a plug-in electric Maserati. J.D. Power and Associates projects steady growth for the hybrid segment for the coming years. CNN.com recently featured a report on new tourism trends stating, "We've started to see more and more companies that traditionally offer just sun and beach kind of packages embracing eco-tourism concepts."

So, how can seeing the world with ‘green’ eyes help your business?
Consumers are increasingly searching for green alternatives and as a result they’re typing these terms into search engines. It may be time to think about how you can leverage this opportunity with some updated copy on your web site’s home page. Here are some examples, with links, of environmentally-friendly solutions we’ve created to help our client’s assist their customers and employees:

For destination marketers, integrate relevant popular search terms into your home page like “walking trails,” “birding” and “pet friendly.”
Golf Courses can promote their Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary status, or eco-friendly practices.
Realtor web sites can offer easy links to nearby parks at the communities they are promoting.
Employers create online employment applications reducing paper and fax power costs.
Physician offices implement downloadable patient registration forms.
Construction companies integrate customer project update links on web site.
Establish a green policy at work which might include:

Turning off monitors, printers and lights after work.
Try cleaning out files and recycle papers you no longer need. Many organizations sponsor cleaning weeks.
Use spell check and proofread before you print or copy. Print double sided whenever possible. Minimize the amount of paper you use.
Buy reusable office supplies instead of disposable supplies.
Set up an area to store and exchange reusable office supplies, such as binders and hanging folders

The EPA offers a range of helpful ideas at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/atwork.htm

While we don’t punch out hundreds of cookie-cutter sites, we’ve designed and built a wide variety of successful custom web sites for our clients, including many ADDY Award winners. As marketers we approach web site design differently than internet-only firms. We see web sites as one [important] component of your marketing package, yet the site must be consistent with the overall design of your other marketing materials, including a familiar advertising look that led customers to the site in the first place. View samples of our integrated marketing campaigns