Earth Day is April 22 and in honor of this special day, we want to talk about how sustainability is an important differentiator in the marketplace for fresh produce brands. Not only do your company’s sustainability efforts do right by Mother Earth, but they provide fresh produce marketers with valuable opportunities to connect people to your brand.
Hundreds of food and beverage brands have been officially recognized for their successful sustainability efforts. The three main reasons companies adopt ethical and sustainable practices are to mitigate risk, reduce operating costs, and/or to elevate their brand image to grow sales.
Here are 3 things you can do to adopt sustainability into your marketing efforts:
Publicize any efforts you may ALREADY have in place.
The increasing popularity and commonality of plastic bag bans favoring the use of recyclable paper and reusable cloth bags, local farm-share programs, home-sharing programs, ride-sharing programs, and eco-friendly initiatives across all markets have in part made sustainability part of our consciousness, especially if you’re a Californian like me (born and raised in the Bay Area).
Do you have reduced water waste? Are your production lines energy efficient? Even though those are mandated policies in places like California, you can still share that your company has those eco-friendly practices in place!
Consider adding food kits and re-portioned meals to your product offerings.
Food kits have become phenomenally popular in recent years – and just recently Amazon Fresh partnered with Martha & Marley Spoon. In a 2016 interview about why Martha believed that food kits were so successful, she referenced the statistic that “40% of what they put out every week is thrown away because it’s wasted,” stating that “food kits eliminate all waste, because [as] the food kit maker, I’ll know this week what I have to order for next week,” and consumers don’t have to worry about throwing anything away.
Consider using eco-friendly plastics.
We’re not saying that we need to ban plastics (we love those steamable veggie bags!), but maybe think of a scenario that helps you win as marketers and as global citizens. Bio-Plastics and recycled plastics are a great way for brands to show that they’re making a conscious effort to marry convenience and earth-friendly materials.
If you need guidance on how to market these efforts to your business partners, everyday consumers, or your social media audience, we’re here to help! We appreciate the fact that produce marketers and manufacturers do their part to promote healthy eating and healthy living, so this Earth Day and every day, let’s remember to be kind to the planet and continue to be ambassadors for fresh produce, fresh ideas, and a fresh planet!
