Author: Kim Sullivan

Boost your brand’s eco-credentials

With consumer concern for the environment at an all-time high, it’s now more important than ever to ensure that your brand’s printed items are as sustainable as possible.  But what materials should you choose and what do the logos and jargon actually mean?

5 ways to boost your brand’s eco-credentials:

  1. FSC® certified- paper and card ensure that our forests will be alive for generations to come. The “tick tree” logo is used to indicate that products are certified under the FSC® system.
  2. 100% recycled– materials have improved in recent years and now come in a vast range of sharp, bright and smooth paper stocks, meaning there’s no compromise on quality. 
  3. Recycle logo– if you have opted for recyclable materials, adding a recycle logo can help remind your customers to recycle the item at the end of its life. 
  4. ISO 14001 printing– guarantees that there is a robust environmental management system in place, with an efficient use of resources as well as waste reduction processes. 
  5. Carbon offsetting– balances carbon emissions through schemes designed to make equivalent reductions of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 

Following these simple tips should really help to boost your brand’s sustainability credentials. If you opt for FSC® certified paper or card, speak to your printer about seeking approval to add the converted “tick tree” logo to your design.

At POSITIVE+ we offer a wide range of FSC®, 100% recycled and recyclable materials.  All of our processes adhere to the highest environmental standards and we are ISO 9001, ISO 27001, ISO 14001, Fogra and FSC® certified.

In 2020 we offset 5,013kg of carbon emissions through the Antalis Future Focus Campaign. This enabled Forest Carbon to plant 20 new trees, creating a new woodland area of 125m2 at Lone Tree Thimby, Penrith, England.  

We would love to help you boost your brand’s sustainability.  Call Tony Dennington, Chief Commercial Officer today on 020 8544 5500 or email tony@wearepositive.com

Reach more customers with mail

Customer acquisition has become a key challenge for marketers.  The good news is there are three ways you can reach more customers with mail- Partially Addressed Mail, Direct mail and Door Drops. 

Many brands face the reality of depleted marketing lists, so attracting new subscribers and increasing customer acquisition has become a top priority. Royal Mail Market Reach has published a guide on 3 Proven ways to boost your acquisition strategy. 

How can mail boost your acquisition strategy?

Mail is a proven channel when it comes to boosting acquisition. Its physical and tactile nature grabs customers’ attention, putting your brand directly into their hands. And it’s this physicality that also means it’s a channel customers remember.

All reasons why mail, as part of a multichannel acquisition strategy, can increase awareness and help drive sales. Even digital first businesses like Google and Amazon use mail in their acquisition campaigns.

1. PARTIALLY ADDRESSED MAIL- Target new customers without requiring their data

Partially Addressed Mail is a highly targeted and responsible way to reach new customers.  Instead of addressing the mailing to an individual, you can target small groups of around 15 carefully selected households. 

There are a couple of ways of targeting new customers – ‘topping up’ and ‘lookalikes’. ‘Topping up’ targets people in postcode areas where you already have customers. ‘Lookalikes’ are simply new postcode areas identified as similar to those where your current customers live.

By combining both ways, you’ll get greater coverage of potential customers, helping to make your campaign successful. Partially Addressed Mail is therefore ideal for achieving targeted reach in specific locations, particularly when combined with other channels.

2. DIRECT MAIL- Reach new customers in a personal way

Direct Mail (DM) is addressed mail sent to a named person. It’s a strong acquisition tool because it opens a one-to-one relationship between your brand and prospective customers. In fact, 70% of people said mail made them feel more valued compared to 30% for email.

Personalisation is one of the reasons why DM has a 94% engagement rate, literally placing your brand into a named individual’s hands.  If you have a database or purchase third party data, make Direct Mail a tactile and engaging part of your multichannel acquisition strategy.

3. DOOR DROPS- Reach more households, locally or nationally

Door drops are a flexible and cost-effective way to get leaflets, flyers and brochures into customers’ hands, either locally or nationally. Their versatility is what makes them so appealing.

Whether you want to achieve a broad reach across a specific area, or nationally across
multiple areas, door drops are a targeted way to find the right people at scale. They’re perfect for things like new store openings, events, or promoting services in your local area.

Door drops work hard, too. Research shows that 90% of campaigns that included door drops saw an increase in new customers, compared to 59% of those without.

In addition, 67% of people were prompted to buy after receiving a door drop. So, it’s no surprise that these mailings can add a healthy boost to your sales.

Conclusion

In a world where acquiring new customers is proving ever more difficult, mail gives you a choice of three flexible and effective ways to boost customer acquisition as part of your marketing mix.

At POSITIVE+ we can manage all aspects of your mail campaign.  From data cleansing and personalisation to printing and postage, we can take care of the whole process to provide a seamless, cost efficient and high-quality campaign.

To bring your creative ideas to life call us today on 020 8544 5500, email hello@wearepositive.com or visit our Direct Mail page for more information.

Download Royal Mail’s 3 Proven ways to boost your acquisition strategy guide at marketreach.co.uk/3ways

Customer views on sustainability

The recent ‘Sustainability in Retail’ white paper from shop! and POPAI looks at the importance of sustainability from the perspective of customers, brands/retailers, designers and suppliers.  In this blog post we pick out the key customer views on sustainability, review how some brands are addressing sustainability and cover how to develop a sustainability plan for your business.

Customer views on sustainability

Studies show that many consumers value products and brands that are environmentally friendly. Brands, retailers and their suppliers can win the trust of consumers—and even cut long-term costs—by embracing sustainable practices and materials. 

A survey on customer views conducted by IBM and NRF found that:

  • 60% are willing to change shopping habits to reduce environmental impact.  
  • 80% believe sustainability is important.
  • 70% of sustainability believers would pay a 35% premium for sustainable brands.
  • Support for sustainability crosses all age groups.

How some brands address sustainability

Levi’s is a leader in reducing chemical and water use in products (did you know a pair of jeans can take 90 gallons of water to produce?). The company uses more than 20 water-saving finishing techniques and shares them with the industry.

H&M conscious collection green hang tags highlight products containing at least 50% sustainable materials.

Stella McCartney is leading the way in sustainable flagships. The London store is lined with recyclable foam and wastepaper from local offices and uses biodegradable mannequins.

Lush naked or plastic-free stores remove the need for packaging. The store fixtures are primarily made from re-employed, reused wood.

 IKEA has committed to using only renewable and recycled materials and to reduce the IKEA footprint by ~70% per product by 2030.

Developing a sustainability plan

According to the ‘Sustainability in Retail’ white paper, companies should begin their sustainability journey by identifying their largest environmental impact areas. For example, their biggest goal might be to reduce energy use and emissions in manufacturing or to minimize material use by improving product design.

Next, they need to research how to make measurable improvements to their products or services that will assist with the development of their green initiatives. When it comes to developing an organization’s sustainable initiatives, no one size fits all. Companies need to strive for eco-efficiency in their own way.

Finally, companies need to convey their sustainability message to their internal and external stakeholders without falling into the greenwashing trap. The sustainability communication strategy needs to address the motivations of the specific stakeholders.

The  ‘Sustainability in Retail’ white paper is available for POPAI members to download from https://bit.ly/2XW3tnC

POSITIVE+ is proud to be a member of POPAI UK & Ireland, a progressive industry association, promoting best practice and dedicated to enhancing the total shopper experience.

If you need help to boost your brand’s eco-credentials call Tony Dennington today on 020 8544 5500 or email tony@wearepositive.com