Monday 27 October 2008

Being Green can help your profit margins

Everyone is talking about going “Green” and corporate social responsibility. But unlike a lot of people, we at EWA are doing something about it and so can you.

EWA understands the benefits of going Green, not just to the planet but also to a company. We are not suggesting you become eco-warriors, although we would be more than happy if you do become one! We don’t want to brainwash you or make you feel guilty about the way in which your company operates its marketing campaigns. What we will do is help you do your bit. ‘More action and less talk’ is what we say.

Over the last few weeks I have monitored my post. The amount of untargeted, un-personalised direct mail I receive each day is amazing. Not only is this hugely damaging to our planet, but it costs the companies who produce it a small fortune. None of this post has had ANY relevance to me at all. Now, I’m a girl who likes to shop, but I’ve not made a single purchase or registered with any of the companies that have contacted me. If I had been sent information related to products that are relevant to me then I would have been more likely to buy from the companies concerned. I’m afraid to say all the post I received went in the recycling bin, apart from one mailing that was delivered on recyclable paper which I actually took the time to read. What a huge waste of money and our planet’s resources.

Direct Marketing can cost companies huge amounts of money and because of the untargeted nature of some campaigns; often little return on investment is seen. Some surprisingly do not even monitor the campaign’s success or track the volume of responses. As my Mum would say, “you may as well chuck your money down the drain”!

In today’s world, being Green does not only help the environment, but can also help your company’s profit margin too, something I’m sure you are interested in. So what can you use to help you become Green and see a better ROI from your marketing campaigns? The answer is simple - Customer Insight.

Customer Insight is in my mind a green weapon that all companies that care about the planet and profit should be using. Customer Insight is the collection, deployment and translation of information that is essential for a business to acquire, develop and retain the RIGHT customers.

Customer Insight makes sure all communications to potential clients and existing customers is relevant to them as individuals, avoiding mass marketing, huge amounts of paper wastage and cost.

Customer Insight is an essential marketing tool in an increasingly competitive market place. A greater understanding of your customers will help you position products to them that are relevant and help promote loyalty, something that can only be good in today’s financial climate and above all it will give you piece-of-mind that you know your customer and what they want better than anyone else. You will increase your profit, save money AND help save the planet. Sounds good doesn’t it? So why not give it a try and see if you can do your bit and go Green with the added bonus of a bigger profit margin.