environmental marketing

Oct

2019

Do Consumers REALLY Care about the Environment?

These 3 survey results tell us consumers genuinely care about sustainability

In 2018, we started an ongoing study to look at the sustainable purchasing habits and beliefs of average consumers. We wanted to understand if people care about their purchases in an environmental and health context, and if so, what percentage. The survey addresses the ways in which people prefer to be educated on environmental issues by the products that claim to solve them.

The survey is online and available for anyone to take. We will be releasing an extended version exploring all 30+ survey questions in the coming year.

First, however, we wanted to give a sneak peek of three questions in our survey that provide some insight into the power that people feel about their sustainable purchases. Here are three survey results that answer the question, Do consumers REALLY care about the environment?

Survey question #1 – How important is it for you to minimize your impact on the environment?

10 – Extremely Important (55.2%)
9 – Highly Important (17.2%)
8 – Very Important (13.8%)
7 – Important (6.9%)
6 – Slightly Important (6.9%)
0-5 – neutral or unimportant (0%)

Why do consumers care about their impact on the environment?

The results show that people ultimately value products and services that are safe for the environment. More than half of survey respondents shared that they care about minimizing their impact on air, land, water, food, and the overall planet.

While people care significantly about their impact on the planet, they are often unsure what to believe when a brand vaguely says they are “environmentally-friendly.” These very same people want truth and facts that are measurable, not greenwashed, because they actually care about the impact being made, not just about feeling good. The sentiment of “actually caring” means people want to see proof and participate with environmentally-focused brands who are influencing environmental policy, and not just promoting the same old greenwashed products with unsubstantiated sustainability claims. The quality of education, the amount of information, and transparency also impacts the level of involvement people will or won’t have in a brand’s mission. For businesses to actually reach and connect with this consumer group who values their environmental impact, education and transparency are required.

PATHWATER: the power of education equals motivated consumers

As a mini case study, let’s look at PATHWATER. PATHWATER created the first bottled water designed for reusability that is as affordable as plastic bottled water and made from aluminum, a highly recyclable material. PATHWATER’s mission is to disrupt the Bottled Water Industry by replacing all plastic packaging with aluminum, reusable bottled water. The company has positioned itself to continue along on the sustainability spectrum by committing to locally sourced water in every location PATHWATER expands to. Another part of their mission is to ensure clean drinking water for everyone, as they believe water is a human right.

To spread their mission, PATHWATER educates on all of the environmental issues their product addresses like plastic pollution, single-use packaging, and access to safe, clean drinking water. The PATHWATER Student Ambassador (PSA) Program was created with this mission in mind, to help students address plastic waste and clean water access issues. By providing information and transparency, students have a great desire to get involved to help push the PATHWATER mission on their campuses. Why? Because many students have the same agenda as PATHWATER – to ban single-use plastic. Students are provided with helpful instructions and support to ban single-use plastic bottled water on campus, and with these collaborative efforts, the planet, people, and PATHWATER’s business model are all succeeding. This type of environmental education creates a level of involvement most companies can only dream of, and that money can never buy. Education on a deep and genuine level, can’t happen with greenwashed companies, it’s a key indicator of an environmental company’s intentions. People, and in this case, students, find it easy to get involved in PATHWATER’s mission and voluntarily participate in taking action.

Survey question #2 – How important is it for you to minimize your exposure to chemicals deemed toxic or suspected toxic?

10 – Extremely Important (67.7.2%)
9 – Highly Important (16.7%)
8 – Very Important (10%)
7 – Important (3.3%)
6 – Slightly Important (3.3%)
0-5 – neutral or unimportant (0%)

These survey results show that people believe it’s essential to minimize their exposure to harmful chemicals

Minimizing exposure to toxic chemicals is directly linked to a concern for environmental pollution because of how pesticides, air pollution, and water pollution directly affect the quality of our health. When people care about environmental health issues, it’s essential to educate them on these topics and help them solve problems around chemical exposure as well as other environmental issues that align with your green brand’s mission and unique set of solutions.

For instance, people are concerned about health issues related to plastic and plastic waste. Plastic concerns are incredibly daunting right now, and people are keeping a close watch on matters related to plastic with genuine worry. Unfortunately, regurgitated information is being spread on every media channel and social platform; leaving people with half information and half-truths that are more damaging in the long run. Meanwhile, in-depth studies are being conducted, updated, expanded on, and some journalists are missing the basic environmental science around these studies. They seem to be cherry-picking the statistics that seem to be the most newsworthy or shocking and missing vital details that would actually inform people and give them new information. This aiming low and delivering the same news as competing media sources is diminishing the efficacy of education and missing the green solutions available to solve these environmental problems. A resurgence in intellectualism in research and writing is imperative, as this is the only way to provide meaningful, transparent information to consumers. Here’s an example of an article which busts myths around plastic being framed as truly recyclable, a solution, and a part of a circular economy – Plastic Vs. Aluminum: People Are Debating Whether Plastic Can Be Part of a Circular Economy.

Here’s another article Is it Safe to Drink from Aluminum Bottles? This article answers some of the mythical concerns around aluminum, the unfounded health scares, and the origins of widespread aluminum myths. All environmental issues are health issues at the end of the day, and when businesses deliver ecological education to people looking to buy in their market, trust is naturally built, competitors are dealt with in a fact-based manner, and profits become an automatic tertiary outcome.

Survey question #3 – Have you ever changed a purchasing habit based on an environmental or health reason?

Yes – 76.8%

Not sure – 19.2%

No – 3.9%

This survey question is significant proof that there’s a wide-open market for green businesses to help consumers who are ready to make better purchases. People care about environmental and health issues; however, they lack the knowledge to make informed decisions. So most people stand on the sidelines waiting for clear education which has created the $1 trillion missed market opportunity.

Our research is proving that people are willing to make a shift to better choices, given the right information. 61% of Millennials are willing to pay more for eco-friendly products, according to GlobalWebindex. This is additional confirmation that a growing group of consumers are open to being highly involved in green solutions; however, this requires proper education. This market is too large to miss. People are here and ready to make better choices once they are provided with the proof they need.

Conveying truth to people who demand genuine environmental solutions

There’s a need for green companies to focus on full-scope environmental efforts which include fulfilling the educational gap and lack of trust consumers are feeling. Consumers are now in the driver’s seat; therefore, brands that wish to succeed in this new market opportunity must adhere to the truth in the ways they choose to address environmental issues and environmental justice. While 30% of consumers actively seek out sustainable brands, there’s another 30% waiting on the sidelines to connect with brands transparently inform on the claims made beyond branding and messaging. It’s time for all great brands executing impactful environmental solutions to take consumers by the hand and elevate the world, together.

Conclusion

At A.R. Marketing House, we are always researching and collecting data to create focused educational content that aims to illuminate humanity on environmental issues and fuel movements. We’ve realized this education-based approach to marketing takes a perfect balance of intellect, critical thinking, creativity, and knowledge of topics like business, environmental marketing, journalism, politics, environmental science, and design. The bottom line is that people want to feel good about the products they’re putting their money behind. But feeling good isn’t enough, not for people, not for the planet. What everyone needs on this sustainable journey is help over the steep learning curve of environmental science.

Our survey proves that people care, now it’s our job to teach consumers how to sniff out feel-good greenwashing vs. real solutions so we can make some headway. We can’t just promise consumers they’re making the best choices, we ourselves have to actively create, promote, and educate on genuine environmental and health solutions that elevate how we operate.

We are an agency far ahead of the curve because we understand that the gap which needs to be bridged is an all around WIN solution. Genuine environmental solutions require mass adoption. Mass adoption requires environmental education. Environmental education must be presented in the context of marketing. Education bridges the gap between our crusade for cleaning up the planet and a massive wealth transfer. Wealth meaning health, money, clean food, clean air, clean water and a good quality of life. Wealth transfer meaning, from the planet polluting companies whom we subsidize with our money only to get in return pollution and hospital bills, TO environmentally-focused companies who help clean up the planet and thus improve our overall health and quality of life in the process. And of course, this wealth transfer requires a solid, steadfast commitment to take our fellow human by the hand and educate. Ferociously, without apology, without hesitation and with the most empathetic action-oriented plan, we all must tackle the mission to educate.

Where does this education start? It starts where people are looking for it online. Environmental education may begin with your website or any place your community finds you. This is where you have the ability to genuinely answer questions, cover all of the myths, educate, and often, reeducate. You’ve created a business that solves an environmental problem in the world, and consumers want ecological and health problems solved. The only thing keeping 80% of them from adopting your solution is education.

Unilever says there is a 1 trillion dollar market share for sustainable brands that educate, but when all factors are calculated, we presume the value for everyone is monumentally greater.

Resources

https://www.unilever.com/news/press-releases/2017/report-shows-a-third-of-consumers-prefer-sustainable-brands.html

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/03/01/millennials-overtake-baby-boomers/

https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popproj/data/datasets.html

https://blog.globalwebindex.com/chart-of-the-week/green-consumerism/

Aug

2019

$1 Trillion Market Share for Companies That Educate on Sustainability

A Lesson in Environmental Education-Based Marketing

“A $1 trillion market opportunity exists for companies that can successfully explain their sustainability efforts to consumers, according to a study from Unilever.” – Baldino, 2017.

Often, companies separate educational efforts from marketing efforts. These two things are seen as part of different “buckets” or departments. What happens when a green business who truly offers sustainable solutions doesn’t implement Environmental Marketing? They fail. They fail to realize that in order to have a successful marketing campaign; they will need an educated consumer/buyer. They fail at utilizing the one asset uniquely placed in their possession worth literally $1 trillion dollars (current market gap) that bigger greenwashed brands can never compete with. This is, the ability to be transparent, the ability to tell the truth, the ability to educate.

Education-based marketing is not a new concept; it’s something that has been done in the early years of John Deere and other companies that saw the value in a people-centric movement and discovered where their brand could create that connection, a connection which keeps on giving and thus, lasts. These companies who’ve invested in people, in educating them, in engaging them in a genuine way beyond a basic ad, beyond a PR stunt, beyond an influencer campaign, or even beyond traditional marketing itself, have been in business for nearly 200 hundred years. They were built on the idea of community enrichment, offering the best solutions, and ultimately support and education.

Environmental Marketing goes far beyond the greenwashing efforts we see today that fall flat in every way possible. People, especially Millennials, are not buying the plastic pitch anymore, no matter how hard coke tries to spin plastic jeans into an environmental campaign. There is no real movement of people because there is no real movement; turning plastic into jeans as a “green campaign” is merely greenwashing. Say that three times quickly. Try as they may, greenwashed corporate brands are a) falling flat on their promises and b) tanking trust with consumers on green efforts.

Market value for B2B and B2C sustainability solutions exceed the trillion-dollar mark. In the summer of 2019, the largest living generation switched from the Baby Boomer Generation to Millenials, who value sustainability at a rate higher than any other generation thus far. Millennials are the most educated generation in U.S. history, and therefore pay great heed to brands that help them learn more, uplift their quality of life, and lower their impact on their environment.

This is where the value of environmental education comes in. It’s a much bigger picture agenda and moves beyond the thinking of a “marketing strategy.” It’s an embedded ethos for a green company, their offerings, and is a pathway to make genuine shifts for the betterment of our environment and economy.

What is Green Content Marketing?

Green Content Marketing is a type of content marketing that includes environmental education and awareness as an integral part of a marketing campaign aimed to raise the knowledge level of average consumers about environmental issues; not greenwashing.

Why the $1 Trillion Gaps Exists for Brands & Consumers

Environmental degradation is on a steep incline, and so are the news stories that cover issues such as climate change events, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and China’s ban on importing plastic garbage. With this increase in awareness of the environmental problems plaguing our planet, the motivation for solving these problems is also on the rise. It may be challenging to solve such large-scale problems. However, most people realize that many of these issues are human-caused and can be course-corrected with the right choices moving forward. Increasingly, people are beginning to see that their purchasing habits are supporting a system of environmental degradation. The motivation to make changes on these issues comes from education and options to change their ways. However, marketing in the form of effective, transparent environmental education is lacking for consumers to make educated decisions. So, they sit on the sidelines and look away while major brands greenwash. This leaves us with an 80% plus group of eager to buy consumers, unable to get the information they need to make better choices.

The reasons consumers are in desperate need for environmental education

Consumers are tired of greenwashing and are looking for real solutions
There’s a desire to make better choices, without the knowledge to effectively do so
There’s a lack of in-depth environmental education in K-12 schools
Complacent media that spotlights soundbites, instead of genuine environmental issues
Tired greenwashed marketing by major brands is becoming outdated
Consumers want to connect with unsung green hero businesses that are truly solving environmental problems
Millennials who are now the largest adult population, value education, and value companies who effectively deliver it

The Value of Environmental Education

Uses marketing dollars for education and increases public good
Millennials value sustainable brands that can convey their solutions
Millennials value education and brands that can deliver a genuine and informative marketing message
Uplifts a brand into the territory of genuine problem solvers
Goes beyond the confines of greenwashing
Can be used as a vehicle for grassroots lobbying efforts
Drives down PR and Advertising dollars as consumers begin to seek out and uplift your brand

Conclusion: Environmental Problem Solving & Big Returns Go Hand-in-Hand, Every Environmental Company Must Commit to Environmental Education for B2B and B2C Customers

It is not enough for a marketing or PR agency to think you have a “great” product and want to take your company on as a client because they believe in your cause. Often, this is the downfall of many marketing relationships for green companies. Marketers must go beyond the feel-good factor for green products and elevate above sustainability as a sound bite. The bigger picture environmental issues behind a product or service must be deeply and scientifically understood, lest great marketers take on greenwashed products and create the same planetary mess we’re in today. What must be understood deeply are the enormous impacts businesses are having on biodiversity, ecosystem health, weather patterns, cradle to grave, and environmental justice issues, to name a few.

Want to learn more?

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We hope this article allows you to consider how your environmentally-focused business or organization can build a pathway to the $1 trillion market opportunity with the utmost integrity. If you are looking for a dedicated team or for help to support your current team, we’re here to build out your journey. Give us a shout and let’s get to work! People and the planet are desperately waiting.

Resources

https://www.unilever.com/news/press-releases/2017/report-shows-a-third-of-consumers-prefer-sustainable-brands.html

https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/rubbish-jeans-levis-plastic-fashion

Jun

2018

This is How you do Environmental Content — Honoring 5 Gyres on World Oceans Day

World Oceans Day takes place every June 8th to recognize that there is one global ocean that connects us all. On this day, global citizens work to prevent plastic pollution and encourage solutions for a healthy ocean.

The Non-Profit Organization, 5 Gyres is a purveyor of ocean health, educational content, and empowerment for change.

“Our mission is to empower action against the global health crisis of plastic pollution through science, education, and adventure.” – 5 Gyres

They have taken their mission to the max and created a multidimensional platform with content that supports the following:

1) Education on the harms of plastics to animal (including humans) health and the ocean.

2) Collaboration with other environmental organizations, research entities, and retail businesses.

3) Introduction to and sales of #plasticfree products via their #plasticfree shopping guide.

4) Making policy involvement easy for visitors with quick links to take political action against (polystyrene, plastic microbeads, plastic straws, etc.).

You can see the results of their efforts via the 5 Gyres History in Numbers. For example, the politically powerful community of 5 Gyres was able to put enough pressure on 16 major personal care product companies to remove microbeads from their product lines, including Johnson & Johnson, Proctor & Gamble, and The Body Shop. And in another instance of action, 5 Gyres was able to divert ~ 16 billion microbeads from oceans and lakes because of their #beadfree campaign pledge.

Co-founders Anna Cummins and Marcus Eriksen have merged their respective experience in Environmental Science Non-Profit and Marine Research to develop the amazing platform that is 5 Gyres. With a Ph.D. in Science Education and Research, Marcus is now launching Leap Lab a science center working to build the modern city that addresses ecology, food and water cultivation, waste, community building, and clean energy. We look forward to seeing how Leap Lab dispels barriers to mass adoption of sustainable modern cities.

5 Gyres is the perfect example of how we can all be doing better, as in building communities with educational content that influence policies. Collectively contributing to the movement toward outlawing environmentally damaging products and practices that have been proven by the scientific boards and researchers around the world is key, and 5 Gyres embodies this collaboration with their contributing partners:

As a content marketer with an environmental science background, it is my opinion that there needs to be this trifecta of empowerment for better solutions to take on the market. We cannot live in a black and white landscape of hyper-environmentalism that in its quest for perfectionism alienates consumerism and market needs. We are a consumer society, but the hopeful part is that we consume media as well and in this, we are capable of consuming educational content that is strategically marketed.

In order to proliferate positive change and mass adoption of sustainable thought processes, as well as products, we need the same trifecta of:

1) Research/Data

2) Market solutions/political action/lobbying (that replace detrimental products like plastics, petrochemicals, petrol, pharmaceuticals, etc.)

3) Educational content and programs that empower people and forces governments toward solutions.

On this World Oceans Day, we want to thank 5 Gyres for breaking ground on a potent model that incorporates this trifecta for effecting positive change for our world’s oceans, this day and all year long.

Consider a donation to 5 Gyres, a sincerely dynamic Non-Profit!

Mar

2018

What is Edu-Marketing?

What is Edu-Marketing for Environmental Products & Services?

True Edu-marketing vs. White or Greenwashing

Edu-Marketing, or educational-based marketing, is the concept of creating an educational curriculum and transforming it into digestible marketing content for the masses in various forms (articles, videos, magazines, infographics, interactive quizzes, email updates, online courses, etc.) thus helping people better understand your area of expertise and positioning yourself and/or your organization as an Industry Leader. As opposed to whitewashing and greenwashing, which are the deceitful practices of covering incriminating or unpleasant facts about an organization with inaccurate niceties. In this blog we’ll dive into the importance of edu-marketing and take a look at some examples and contrasts to whitewashing and greenwashing. Let’s jump in!

[bctt tweet=”Edu-Marketing, or educational-based marketing, is the concept of creating an educational curriculum and transforming it into digestible marketing content for the masses in various forms, thus positioning yourself as an Industry Leader.” username=”@armarketinghse”]

While nearly any industry and any topic can technically employ the edu-marketing strategy, it is especially necessary for industries that are making a positive impact on society and the planet; those leaders and individuals that take the lead and enlighten the masses on the topics that have the potential to truly benefit humanity. It’s so important that we begin to shift the focus from marketing tactics that take advantage of society and manipulate truths to benefit the few.

Why is this? Well, it seems that we have experienced a massive amount of miseducation and frankly, lies for the sole sake of profits. For example, in the book Trust Us We’re Experts, journalists Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber dive deep into the ways that big industries have paid off “experts” and created front groups of fake scientists to lead false movements and misguide people.

Like the time SmithKline Beecham paid the American Cancer Society $1 million to use its logo on products + in ads for the smoking cessation product NicoDermCQ and other Nicorette anti-smoking aids.

This is a perfect example of how edu-marketing for natural herbs that help with smoking cessation like Catnip, Coltsfoot, or Horsetail plant, would be a better benefit to humanity. However, big pharma and willing-to-be-bought non-profit organizations, have teamed up to misguide the public with false reasoning to push their products.

Unfortunately, the reality remains that we’re more likely to recognize and have access to Nicorette, a $60/box pharmaceutical drug when it comes to quitting smoking rather than Catnip, a $10/high quality organic tincture bottle, or any other herb that we are probably more willing to take than a pharmaceutically synthesized product.

Edu-Marketing with integrity is so clearly needed now. We have been inundated with sellouts and front groups, whitewashing and greenwashing so much so that we likely have beliefs skewed in their favor, whether we know it consciously or subconsciously. And this has mostly been successful because less than honest companies with substantial financial backing can easily justify the cost for fraudulent “experts,” creating front groups, funding lobbyists, and creating corporate spin that act like real causes and sound logical on the surface. Take for example the front group People of Color United, that was established in 2004 by the (anything but color) conservative group Bradley Foundation whose aim was to diminish John Kerry’s perception during the 2004 Presidential Election via personal attack radio ads aired in swing states on primarily black radio stations.

You see, we are in dire need for education-based content marketing with integrity to uplift the well-intentioned and honest companies and movements that need to happen in our soceity. This is especially true for industries like cannabis and energy where major players can either side with greed and harm public good or greatly serve humanity with things like broad-spectrum medical cannabis and sustainable energy. These things when conceived of solely on logic shouldn’t technically need marketing. Clean water, natural health, sustainability, renewable energy, decentralized economy, these are things we all want for ourselves and when we set corrupt politics aside, our neighbors as well. Unfortunately, though, we have come to a juncture in our society where these things do need marketing. MASSIVELY smart marketing at that, to combat the missing or false information that has created mass self-sabotaging, false belief systems that have been implanted in us all at some level.

[bctt tweet=”There is a dire need for education based content marketing that uplifts sustainable products and renewable energy over the barrage of bad choices that we’ve become so accustomed to accepting.” username=”@armarketinghse”]

It’s time to start disrupting the status quo of industries that have taken advantage of the dumbing down of society in order to tell lies or at the very least cover up truths, solely for profits-sake. It’s an era for NEW Industry Leaders, and if you are like me, you don’t care where the solutions to the big issues of today come from. You just care that they happen at the highest integrity, highest efficiency levels, and are the longest-term solutions that get to the heart of the issues we face.

Arguably this can be accomplished in many ways from many organizational standpoints. Yes, of course, our government should be ensuring that its citizens get their basic human needs met like clean food, clean water, and housing. As we move forward, we will need all hands on deck. This includes every type of organization, non-profit, small business, church, enterprise corporation, and local community be involved with educating about the truths which affect humanity and the planet.

How do we do this?

By holding to integrity. By educating. By incorporating edu-marketing.

It’s with great hope that we see more of these earnest edu-marketing tactics that serve to win back the minds and the reasoning of people.

Below are some contrasting white/greenwashing vs. true edu-marketing strategies.

Fake vs. Real Edu-Marketing

The Cannabis Industry

Cannabis Propaganda + Fear by Above the Influence

VS.

Cannabis Edu-Marketing from Jenasis Medical Group

Sustainable Laundry

The health of our laundry is a very overlooked topic in most people’s lives. Yet, laundry is a very intimate thing when we really think about.Both household laundry and dry cleaning have the potential to be extremely toxic when using traditional detergents and traditional methods of dry cleaning. The 4 top toxic ingredients in common laundry detergents are 1) Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)/sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) 2) 1,4-dioxane 3)NPE (nonylphenol ethoxylate) and 4) Phosphates. Likewise, the singular most toxic method for dry cleaning clothes is PERC, a chemical known to induce spontaneous abortions in women who are pregnant and work near the chemical, among a long host of other violent afflictions. Below is an example of a laundry detergent who calls itself green but hasn’t quite quit all toxic junk and a dry cleaning company that uses truly non-toxic methods that believes in educating on dangers of the mainstream dry cleaning toxin, PERC.

Planet Laundry Detergent, though better than most still contains 6.1 ppm of 1,4-dioxane not listed.

The Eco Laundry Company Educates by sharing data on the health effects of chemical exposure to PERC .

Renewable Energy

The Greenwashing of Nuclear Energy vs. Education of Solar Energy

Nuclear energy is entirely greenwashed now. Some try to defend nuclear energy as renewable energy but uranium deposits are a finite resource on this planet, so the designation should not include this option. Read this to learn more about the debate.

However, the Nuclear Sector has done a fine job explaining away the problems of toxic nuclear waste and letting us forget about the radiation still wreaking havoc from the long list of nuclear disasters that occurred around the world. Most recently the Fukushima Disaster and the radioactive materials that now spread across the pacific ocean and U.S. Coast poisoning our oceans, wildlife, and seafood.

The Greenwashing of Nuclear Energy via NEI

Edu-Marketing on Solar Energy via the Union of Concerned Scientist

These are just a handful of examples that display the importance of integrity based educational marketing, or edu-marketing. When dealing with truth, there is no wiggle room. When it comes to integrity and becoming the master of your content, true edu-marketing is the cornerstone for leading a movement and leaving a legacy.

Join the movement to educate by working with us! Contact our environmental edu-marketing team.

Want to push environmental agendas and help well-intentioned companies and organizations find their educational voice? Become an affiliate!

Apr

2017

Earth Day Data Dashboards

An Opportunity to Learn the Impact of Data Dashboards on Educational Marketing

Do you know how a Data Dashboard can push your Environmental Educational Marketing efforts to the next level? We do! In honor of Earth Day, we are sharing some of our favorite earth-centric Data Dashboards that you can take note from, model after, and create your own to do things like promote species conservation, educate on sustainable development, or build content for travelers that buy ecotourist packages.

What are data dashboards?

Data dashboards are a way to visualize key data in a way that numbers and statistics alone cannot convey to a general audience. Commonly, data dashboards are used for making business decisions and modeling data in a way that allows decision makers to visualize the information they need to know in order to make data-based educated decisions. Often these business dashboards display KPI (key perform indicators) and key data points across company departments that drive business decisions. Taking this same methodology and applying it to important worldwide topics and issues like the health of the planet, particular species, ecosystems as well as environmental and sustainable development can help educate and market on important efforts.

In honor of Earth Day, I would like to spotlight some great earth-centric data dashboards created by different designers who showcase their creativity in an inspirational way that you can learn from and begin developing your own online interactive tools for your audience.

Raise Awareness, Raise Funding

Raising awareness and education for a species, cause, or non-profit effort. Educational facilities, aquariums, an animal rescue center, or any related entity can use similar efforts to this beautifully built dashboard by Jonni Walker exploring Hawk Migration. In this Data Dashboard of the Swainson’s Hawk you can see the use of map interactivity, video, and well-displayed visuals and data. The chart is click-able and highlighting the migration journey of the Swainson’s Hawk through the Americas. By creating tools like this, you can up the interactivity factor of your content while raising awareness of a particular cause or species. You can even add an interactive component to your dashboard soliciting donations or data collection participation to continue the research and support efforts of your program.

Environmental and Sustainable Development

Urban Forests are a key value to city dwellers and large green spaces promote the sequestration and natural breakdown of common hazardous urban pollutants like ground-level ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide. Displaying these key-to-health urban forests and developing an educational program for citizens can allow City Planners and Eco-Development businesses alike to garner the support of residents and investors to opt-in to sustainable development. Using these interactive tools, companies can expand their innovations to inspire a wider audience to live better, be wiser, and invest intelligently in our cities, energy usage, and our homes. It would be interesting to see these innovative Prefab Sustainable Homes Companies like Hive Modular, Living Homes and IdeaBox drive educational efforts like Urban Reforestation to drive their combined efforts of education and sales to develop healthier cities and homes.

In this example Urban Forest of NYC Authors Ann Jackson and Josh Jackson have developed a hover over map that shows tree species locations as well as a bubble chart that updates carbon sequestration data.

Digitizing Your Ecotourism Content & Promoting Conservation Efforts

Ecotourism is a huge and growing sector of the Travel Industry. With growth in this more educationally driven travel cohort, more and more ecotourism companies are upping their educational game and turning to data dashboards for teaching ecotourists subjects in more interactive and clever ways. This data dashboard, Endangered Safari by RJ Andrews shows very interactively, the population stability as well as the endangered status of African mammals. This is a perfect example of using digital educational tools that travelers can pull up on their smart devices while taking a tour and learn as they journey along on their ecotravels during and after their trip. It is also content that will be highly shared amongst educational institutions, museums, and special interests groups related to the conservation efforts of your travel agency.

We hope you have learned a little bit more about how Data Dashboards can be used to help educate and market your environmentally focused efforts. If you need help Managing your Data Dashboard Projects, contact us. We’re always happy to geek out with your content and grow your efforts!

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Feb

2017

5 Proven Strategies for Growing Your Eco-Friendly Business with Education-Based Marketing

The field of marketing has evolved significantly in recent years, and one of the most effective strategies is education-based marketing. Also known as inbound marketing, this approach focuses on attracting customers to your business rather than trying to reach as many people as possible with one-way communication.

Be the educator

Before inbound marketing became mainstream; the goal was to cast a wide net, getting a message in front of as many people as possible to finally turn them into customers. Now is the time to put yourself in your consumers’ shoes. Do you enjoy commercials? Do you love telemarketing calls? These practices are called “outbound marketing.” Sometimes these methods are necessary; often, they can cause overload; we want to meet customers where they’re at by delivering the content they want. We have officially moved into the day of practical education in the form of helpful content.

Taking the role of educator to engage and empower your audiences is far more beneficial to society than just converting. Get excited; this method of marketing is not only empowering for your audience but also elevates your business and your brand.

Use an Inbound Marketing Strategy

Adopting an inbound marketing strategy can be a highly effective and cost-efficient way to reach and engage with your audience. Instead of interrupting people with outbound marketing techniques like commercials and telemarketing calls, inbound marketing draws customers to your business by providing valuable information about your industry and sharing relevant experiences. This approach is preferred by many modern B2B and B2C customers. It can help your company stand out among competitors by offering a range of resources and options that benefit those seeking your services. Say goodbye to traditional marketing methods and hello to infographics, educational videos, and other engaging content that helps you attract and retain customers.

Attracting your customers to your business instead of trying to reach massive amounts of people with a one-way conversation is the preferred way to approach your potential customer base in a more effective, impactful way. Say bye to commercials and hello to infographics & educational videos. Providing your target audience with a range of resources and options will allow your company to shine amongst competitors and benefit those needing your services to improve their lives and communities.

Lead your customers to educated decisions

In today’s digital age, consumers have access to a vast array of options and information. To stand out in a crowded market, it’s essential to establish trust and provide value to your customers. This can be achieved through educational marketing, which helps lead your customers to make informed decisions that benefit their health, community, or environment. By sharing your expertise and providing valuable knowledge, you can differentiate your business and build a loyal customer base. Use educational marketing as an opportunity to enrich people’s lives and improve the world around us.

What consumers yearn for is knowledge, education, and wisdom. So, be the leader that delivers your specialty knowledge to them. Educational marketing is an opportunity to lead your consumers to make educated decisions, whether it’s for their health, community, or the environment. Realize how you can incorporate these ideas to enlighten people and improve lives.

How much to share? Using the 80/20 Rule

When it comes to sharing information with your audience, it’s important to follow the 80/20 rule. This means focusing on what your audience wants to know and delivering value to them rather than constantly promoting your products or services. For example, instead of discussing how you built your first product with a small budget, focus on how your product meets your customers’ needs and addresses their specific concerns or interests.

To effectively deliver value to your audience, provide them with useful and relevant content about your industry. This might include addressing common misconceptions, highlighting important issues, or simplifying technical information for beginners. By becoming a trusted source of valuable information, you’ll encourage your audience to continue seeking you out and, eventually, consider your products or services.

Of course, you want to generate publicity for your company, but balancing that with a focus on delivering value is essential. Use your content to encourage your audience to visit your site, attend an event, download an e-book, or schedule a consultation. By continuing to add value to their lives, you’ll build trust and create a deeper, more meaningful connection with your audience.

Be consistent with content

Implementing an effective educational marketing strategy requires dedication and consistency. At A.R. Marketing House, we specialize in creating compelling content for environmental companies that helps to expand their reach and drive business growth. We understand the power of education and are committed to providing valuable information to our clients and their audiences.

If you’re ready to see your company thrive through inbound marketing, we’re here to help. Our team of experts can research, create, and share content that engages and empowers your audience. Contact us to learn more about how we can support your success, or check out our other resources for additional insights and inspiration. As Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”