Green Marketing Key Terms

Some key terms for green marketing

More and more businesses are approaching the option of doing "green marketing."  What this means is that consumers are paying more attention to how their purchases are produced and distributed. Green marketing has become a big factor in almost every industry, with green marketing professionals and consumer organizations continuing to define the standards for progress. Government oversight has come to the table late, if at all, but the free market is taking its own steps toward a greener future as buyers make smarter decisions. Knowing about some of the basic terms used in green marketing will help a business compete in a "green playground."

 

Sustainability

These days, many companies use sustainability officers to develop "green" sustainability marketing solutions. Sustainability is really a common term for the energy used in manufacturing a product or the resources used to make it.
Try: Find out more about sustainability officers and sustainability marketing at this page from Advertising Age.

Carbon footprint

We hear a lot about the "carbon footprint" of a company or product. This term has come to be used for describing all kinds of environmental impacts of manufacturing, distribution, shipping and much more for green marketing.
Try: Take a look at a detailed definition with visual components at CarbonFootprint.com.

Renewable energy sources

One way to highlight a company in a green marketing campaign is with a reference to renewable energy use. Renewable energy sources include solar, hydropower, biofuels and wind energy.
Try: Find out more about the use of renewable energies in green campaigns for business at the American Wind Energy Association's Principles of Green Marketing page.

Greenwashing

One by-product of the huge ramp-up to green marketing by many companies is what's called "greenwashing." As more and more businesses jump into the fray, consumer groups and others are finding that not all of them practice what they preach.
Try: See a description of the greenwashing process and how it works on the markets and green marketing communities at this Time Magazine page.

Organics

"Organic" products follow another set of standards, generally those pushed by consumer organizations. Non-organic pesticides are restricted, and animals for consumption must be fed a healthy diet without routine use of antibiotics. The rise of organic food and other organic materials can be a huge part of any green marketing campaign.
Try: See more about organic transitions, organic standards and campaigns from the Organic Consumer's Association online.

Buy fresh, buy local campaign

A "Buy Fresh, Buy Local" campaign for green marketing highlights purchasing from local businesses as opposed to those that haul products from far-off countries, again with the aim of cutting down on the fossil fuels used in transport. There's also the health of consumers, a large plank in the buy local platform.
Try: Find out more about Buy Fresh, Buy Local for green marketing from the Community Alliance with Family Farmers online.

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