Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Love this article

Here is the essence, looking at the consumer side, of the business side of green...the investment and return of branding green.

This from Environmental Leader:

Will Customers Pay More for ‘Green?’

"Will people pay to go green? That’s a key question – maybe the question – for any company committed to sustainability. At Walmart, we’ve learned that the answer is a bit nuanced: Basically, usually not – but it depends.

Some customers will pay more for certain products that are better for the environment, and their top purchases include chicken, milk, fruits and vegetables, household cleaners and laundry/dish care. The environmentally responsible products they are less likely to pay more for? TVs, cell phones, computers, beer, pork, mops and sponges and printers.

The economy remains a far more pressing concern. More than 70 percent of consumers say they worry more about price than whether a product is good for the environment or socially responsible, according to an October 2010 study by the Harrison Group.

What does that mean for us? Our approach to sustainability must be nuanced as well.

We’ve found that there is a group of shoppers who are fans of items such as free-range eggs and green cleaning products like Seventh Generation and Mrs. Meyer’s. We stock a full offering of those products in many of our stores. They can be more expensive but some people will pay more because they feel good about them.

But many shoppers cannot or will not pay more. That’s where we are getting creative and using our size and scale – and partnerships with suppliers – to drive down prices. We can do a lot of good by helping to make the products people are already buying more sustainable so they don’t have to make changes to what they buy to make a difference.

For instance: televisions, lettuce and laundry detergent.

Flat-panel TVs can use a lot of energy, but this is a category where many people don’t want to pay a premium for a more sustainable option. We committed to stocking only more energy-efficient panels, and because of our scale, the cost of the technology came down as did the prices for our customers..."


Here's the link for the rest: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/02/07/will-customers-pay-more-for-green/

Our company has worked to brand as the greenest moving company in the world, and it has brought us new business, no doubt. However, we live it, breath it and invest heavily to make sure it is true.

The bottom line is passion for what you do, what goods or services you deliver, and giving customers, regardless of whether your product or service is green, the very best value they can fine.

With that, you will get a very good ROI on your investment in being a sustainable company.

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