The world celebrates Earth Day on April 22 every year. Though people are aware of the issues surrounding our planet, we cannot ignore the fact that pollution is growing at all levels at an alarming rate. Global warming is another factor that is bound to create challenging situations for everyone to survive on Earth. All these things indicate that we are not taking enough care of our planet.
On the occasion of Earth Day, pledge to take care of Earth in your own little ways. Use vehicles only when essential, stop cutting trees, plant new trees every year, and recycle waste materials to curb pollution. However, these things can only prove to be fruitful when they are accompanied by mass movements and initiatives taken by governments across the globe.
Even brands are becoming aware of the depleting natural resources. Therefore, most of them have incorporated sustainable measures in their manufacturing processes and other operations. As a digital marketer, you need to be aware of the green companies that are not only contributing to a healthier ecosystem but are also creating a powerful impact on society.
The customers prefer these brands over others due to their eco-friendly measures. Therefore, you can adopt some of these measures for the brands you are marketing and achieve an edge over your competitors. Here are some popular brands that take care of Earth in their own ways:
There might be some furniture or household accessory in your home or office labeled as an IKEA product. One of the leading brands when it comes to affordable furniture, IKEA has created its own market in several countries. Also, due to the wide-scale production of furniture and household accessories, IKEA consumes around 1% of the Earth’s cotton and wood. The founders of IKEA are aware of this fact and try to give back to Earth in every way possible.
For example, you will see plants growing on the roof of their outlets and stores. Also, they have fitted solar panels for energy production in their big outlets and use LED lights to save electricity. They provide reusable bags to their customers to align with their eco-friendly measures. The use of renewable or recyclable materials to build furniture and the procurement of cotton and wood only from sustainable providers are some of the best initiatives taken by this brand. All these things create a positive image of the brand among consumers, who are delighted to contribute by buying their products.
Currently, 60% of IKEA’s range is based on renewable materials, while nearly 10% contain recycled materials. By 2025, IKEA pledges to design every product from the very beginning to be reused, refurbished, remodeled, remanufactured, and finally recycled, by involving their circular product design principles during the product development process.
People might not be completely aware of the green initiatives taken by Apple over the years. However, you cannot ignore the fact that it is one of the most responsible and sustainable brands across the globe. The durable digital devices created by Apple ensure that you don’t have to buy new devices for years. Some of their devices like MAC Mini, MacBook Air, and the latest iPhones contain 50% aluminum in their design. Apple is committed to implementing this move in more products in the future. Also, the old Apple phones are either recycled or reused. This prevents the wastage of resources and helps the company promote its image as an environmentally aware brand.
Apple is consistently making efforts to build energy-efficient devices. They are using solar energy panels to light their data warehouses and offices. According to some reports, Apple will step into the market of electric cars by 2025. If this happens, it will help reduce fuel consumption across the globe as loyal customers of Apple are present worldwide.
Apple is sharing new ways for customers around the world to learn about climate change and other environmental issues, with a focus on environmental justice. Apple is driving environmental progress with innovative solutions to meet its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030 and providing a blueprint for other companies to do the same.
As part of its 2030 goal, Apple recently announced over 110 of its manufacturing partners around the world are moving to 100% renewable energy for their Apple production. Apple has also committed $4.7 billion in its Green Bond spend to invest in projects that address carbon emissions, supporting renewable energy projects that bring clean energy to local communities, and announced a new $200 million effort to protect the world’s forests, accelerating natural solutions to climate change.
This work is detailed further in Apple’s recently released 2021 Environmental Progress Report. Earlier this week, Apple also announced that the all-new iMac, iPad Pro, AirTag, and Apple TV 4K will lead the industry in their use of recycled materials.
Indian brands aren’t far away when it comes to setting a precedence in the green movement. Mamaearth is one environmentally aware brand that actively participates in restoring the earth’s depleting natural resources.
They are manufacturing green products and have also started initiatives like a green investment to support local farmers who practice eco-friendly farming. Also, their products do not contain any toxins or chemicals that can degrade the ecosystem.
They have also been indulged in plastic recycling for the packaging of their products. All these initiatives make Mamaearth one of the most reliable and trustable brands when it comes to saving the Earth.
Mama earth as a brand believes that every small action counts be it a choice of using lesser plastic each and every day. Every individual should add some goodness to everyday life and eventually all this will help us make the world a better place to live in. Mamaearth pledges to continue making the world a better place by making the right choices of choosing green solutions for a greener, healthier planet earth.
A French cosmetics brand, L’Oréal Paris has been one of the pioneers in the world when it comes to eco-friendly initiatives. It has set a mission to cut down the carbon footprint by 50% for each of its products. Also, the plastic used for packaging its cosmetic products is completely recycled to prevent environmental degradation. The latest conditioners and shampoos formulated by this company will be packaged in aluminum. Also, the buyers would be able to return these aluminum bottles back to the company through the retailers.
Amid growing urgency to combat climate change, brands around the world have begun reevaluating their production practices. L’Oréal Paris has announced its sustainability program – “L’Oréal for the Future, because our Planet is Worth it”, on the occasion of World Earth Day.
The brand has vowed to embrace the ambitious mission of decreasing its carbon footprint by 50% on every finished product. It has also announced that it’ll contribute €10 million to environmental projects whose beneficiaries are communities of women across the globe.
Among the key pledges made by the brand -they also aim to use 100% recycled plastic, and 100% sustainable cardboard and operate 100% carbon neutral factories by 2030.
KitKat is a popular brand in the market of chocolates. It has set an aim to be a carbon-neutral brand by the year 2025. It hopes to achieve this by cutting down the carbon emissions that occur while procuring the resources, manufacturing the products, and distributing them. Movements like restoring depleting forest lands and supporting regenerative farming are ways to reduce the impact of its products on the ecosystem.
KitKat Japan Releases New Mini Maple Chocolate Bars For Earth Day. In accordance with Earth Day, which is set for April 22, Nestlé released its limited-time KitKat Mini Maple on Monday to raise awareness of environmental issues and the future of the planet.
Most emissions occur when producing KitKat’s ingredients like cocoa and milk. The brand will reduce these emissions as much as possible through initiatives like restoring forests and sustaining a transition to regenerative agriculture. For any emissions that cannot be eliminated, the brand will invest in high-quality offsetting based on natural climate solutions.
KitKat is also working with The Carbon Trust, a global climate change and sustainability consultancy. It has promised to expand its regenerative agriculture, and accelerate the transition to renewable electricity.
Canon is a renowned brand that sells high-quality printers, cameras, and other digital devices across the world. It is also one of the most sustainable brands across the globe. At each stage of the product life cycle, Canon tries to reduce environmental impact. It does so by minimizing the use of non-renewable resources like raw materials, fuels, etc. Their production units and plants are built in a way that reduces the overall power consumption by maximizing energy consumption per unit. It designs its printers in a way that reduces carbon emissions. Even environmental education programs are held for the employees to educate them and make them aware of their responsibilities toward building an eco-friendly and sustainable world.
Canon’s vision is based on kyosei, a concept that is based on building a society where there is harmony between mankind and the Earth. Environmental sustainability forms a major part of any company’s sustainability efforts.
Canon has long been committed to environmental sustainability when it comes to its product lifecycle, consisting of the following five stages:
✅ The manufacture of raw materials and parts
✅ Operational site activities
✅ Logistics
✅ Customer use
✅ Recycling and disposal
Besides this, Canon has also consistently engaged its employees around the world when it comes to the issue of environmental sustainability. With Earth Day just around the corner, here’s some inspiration for potential activities to carry out with your employees this year.
The Message
From all the brands, we come to know how important it is for us to contribute to the health of our planet. Also, we see the increasing use of eco-friendly measures in these brands’ marketing and promotional campaigns. By including the eco-friendly aspect in their marketing strategies, these brands are not only spreading awareness about eco-friendly measures and products but are also improving their image. People around the world feel connected to these brands because of their sustainable and environment-friendly practices.
As a digital marketer, you can incorporate these strategies for your brands as well. However, before that, you should discuss the impact of environment-friendly policies with the employers and major stakeholders. A brand cannot get eco-friendly overnight, but it can surely implement changes in its production, packaging, and design.
Organizing events like planting trees on the company premises and marketing them through social media can help brands improve their perception among their target customers. Here are some advantages of implementing eco-friendly policies:
1️⃣ Recycling cuts down production cost
Recycling used materials and products is a great way of building your brand recognition through social media platforms. However, it also gives you the advantage of cutting down production costs. For instance, recycling paper or plastic to package products can significantly reduce manufacturing costs.
2️⃣ Attracts new customers
Millennials are the most active buyers on e-commerce platforms. Also, their awareness of eco-friendly measures makes them the biggest buyers of brands involved in sustainable and environment-friendly activities. The example of brands like Mamaearth has shown us that even eco-friendly businesses can thrive and succeed by creating a huge revolution and impact on the market.
3️⃣ Enhances sustainability
Enhanced sustainability reduces a brand’s dependence on natural and non-renewable sources. Therefore, such brands are able to cope-up with the increase in the cost of resources due to natural calamities.
Resources like water are limited, and we need to use them carefully to preserve them for our future generations. As someone who is involved in the marketing business, it is your duty to spread awareness about depleting natural resources and increasing the degradation of the environment. It not only helps you outshine your competitors but increases your relevance in the market.