You’ve done it – you’ve made the switch to a more ecologically sound way of doing things. Now it’s time to let the world know you’re here to help. You’ll need a marketing plan.
First,
you’ll have to know who to talk to in order to get your message across clearly
and efficiently. Knowing your customers
and their motivations allows you to make an fairly well-educated guess as to
what is likely to motivate them. You
should use this information to tailor every aspect of your marketing to the
people you want to impress. While some
of your potential new customers are part of large demographic groups, others
are not, and may even be the niche you’re looking for.
Having
identified whom your potential audience is, (Braden and Roth 246) you’ll want
to find a few things out about them.
The first step is to consider their demographics. What might you find out about them on a
census report? More subjective and
speculative are the psychological characteristics that the demographic tends to
display. These observations don’t apply
to any one individual, but to a theoretical average customer, so consider it a
general guide.
Some
people call them hippies or the “crunchy folk.” They may be new or old, but they definitely know to tare the
washed-out yoghurt container before putting mung beans in it. They willingly eat things like vegan barley
loaf as comfort food. They seal
business deals with hugs. While some
people who claim to be arbiters of fashion hold them in contempt, we wouldn’t
have much of a green movement today if it weren’t for these stalwartly
eco-conscious consumers.
In
short, your Traditional Green consumer has been doing this a long while and
ecology is in the forefront of their minds much of the time. It is very likely they make their purchasing
decisions with thermodynamics in mind, whether they know it as such. While the rigid confines of University
training make it likely that the average educational level lies somewhere
between an associate and bachelors Degree, they are perhaps more apt to be
self-educated than most.
They
also tend to be a rather handy lot, so things that are packaged and processed
may not do as well in this segment, however products that allow people do for
themselves are well-suited to this demographic. That’s not to say they don’t like gifts or won’t hire a fine
crafts-person to do work they can’t, but if you’re open to barter, they
probably are, too.
They
do not all follow Phish, make soap, go barefoot, worship the sun, drive
microbusses, consult their astrological charts or even eat tofu. You may not even be able to spot or smell
them in a crowd. However, should you
figure out a way to make healthy, vegan
marshmallows, they’ll beat a path to your door.
While
you certainly can’t count on women to be kinder and gentler, it would seem they
see themselves that way. Women are
thought to be at least twice as likely to be interested in making green
purchases than their male counterparts.
It is believed this is a result of having children and households to
take care of. It may simply be that
they like to think of themselves as the sort of people that care. The latter is data that’s mighty had to come
by, but they both seem plausible if the statistics are to be believed.
If
true, this segment is interested in value and safety, as well as
convenience. Think about any mother of
young children you know, and consider what her priorities are. While ecology is all well and good, of
immediate concern are the health and well being of the household and simple
ways that allow a purchase decision to be the extent of the commitment. They want to set a good example for the
little ones, but not at the expense of their college funds. As such, it’s good to do whatever you can to
remain as competitively priced as possible for this segment of the market.
It
is very likely that the average woman that makes green purchases works outside
the home, has a family or household and holds at least a bachelor’s
degree. Claims about the safety of a
product had better be backed up with some facts, because they’ll check. This demographic tends to stick with purchase
decisions unless convinced otherwise, but are not beyond responding to
interesting and new packaging. They are
very likely to also make essential item purchases for their partners.
The
same highly wrought products and basic services that the “dedicated green”
above might shun have an audience here.
These women would love to have time to make soap or bath salts or hummus
from scratch – but until something gives, there is just enough time for hummus
mix or takeout/deli food. They are
likely to give themselves “treats,” so gift type items and non-essential
services would do well to consider the feminine marketplace.