Green Branding & Marketing: Where to begin

So, you want to make your brand image more sustainable. You’re not alone. According to a recent survey, more than 90% of global CEOs say that sustainability is fundamental to the success of their business. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as turning all your branding assets green (we wish it was).

Whether you’re a start-up establishing your position in the market or a small business looking to dip a toe in more sustainable waters, green branding and marketing requires buy-in at every level of your business. If you’re wondering what exactly green marketing and branding is, very simply, it involves selling your products or services by highlighting your green credentials and emphasising your commitment to the greater good.

The question is, where should you even begin with green branding and marketing? We’ve pulled together top tips and things you need to know as you begin your sustainability journey.  

Be clear in your approach

First things first, you need to be clear in your approach. Knowing what you stand for is the most crucial element of green branding and marketing, so take the time to consider your purpose and how you can connect your wider business goals to your vision of a more sustainable future. Identifying exactly what you’re doing and why you’re doing it is the crucial building block in the groundwork of your sustainability strategy. 

You should also consider how sustainability feed through into your branding, from the visuals you put out there, from the way you package and promote your products right through to the content you post on your social channels. Consistency is key here and will help clarify why customers should choose you.

We love the approach of Who Gives A Crap, launched in 2012, an ethical toilet paper brand. When they learned that 40% of the global population don’t have access to a toilet, they set out to create a product that would give back, donating 50% of their profits to improving sanitation in the developing world. All their products are made from sustainable materials, they stay away from chemicals and inks, and they’re plastic-free. It’s clear from their branding that sustainability flows through every element of their business. 

Start small and build from there

Rome wasn’t built in a day and creating your sustainability strategy isn’t a short-term project. You don’t need to jump in at the deep end and start promising zero net carbon in six months, think about what you can do now to make a difference, and then think about the long-term impact.

For example, rather than deciding to bulk buy tat to hand out at your next event that will inevitably end up in the bin, donate what you would have spent to good cause and shout about it on social media. Or instead of choosing the cheapest possible plastic packaging materials, consider environmentally friendly solutions. 

Do what you can, make noise about it but always be honest. Pretending you're doing more than you are is 'green-washing' and will do more damage than good. 

Otiumberg are an example of a small business doing it right. A family affair run by two sisters, they wanted to create luxury jewellery responsibly. They do this by sourcing responsible materials (no blood diamonds here), using recycled paper and 100% cotton in their packaging, streamlining their production process with pre-order and made to order products to reduce stock wastage, and using recycled metal in their jewellery range.

Make sure it fits your brand

Rather than going the generic ‘we’re reducing our carbon footprint’ route, think about how you can truly make green branding and marketing a part of your day-to-day brand. Customers are most interested in authenticity and if you don’t practice what you’re preaching, they’re going to call you out pretty quickly. 

When you’re thinking about how to be more sustainable, it makes sense to choose actions that align with what you do. For example, if you sell skincare products, it probably doesn’t make huge sense for you to be extremely vocal about fair pay for garment workers - it’s important, but it doesn’t make a lot of sense since it isn’t part of your supply chain.

Thinking about how all the pieces fit together is important. Staying on that thought, Lucy and Yak are a wonderful example of how to operate responsibly as a fashion brand. A popular brand known for their quirky dungarees operating out of Brighton, Lucy and Yak don’t forget their roots. They spend time highlighting how their clothes are made and the suppliers in their chain, ensuring garment workers are paid fairly and producing small batches to make sure workers aren’t exploited. Focusing on the people who play a part in their story is a powerful message, and one many customers support and appreciate. 

Get inspired

One of the best things you can do to get started with green branding and marketing is taking a look at how other brands, competitors or not, are approaching sustainability. We’ve included a few examples in this article, but there are tons of fantastic initiatives from businesses of all sizes out there that you can get inspired by. 

If you are interested in finding out more about your green branding and marketing then let’s chat.

This Article was crafted by Bo Beaumont, Director of Original Nutter Design, one of the UK’s leading logo design and web development agencies.