Your Products Are Sustainable – But What About Your Packaging?
As we all aim to reduce our carbon impact, we have to consider our use of paper and fiber-based shipping materials. The cardboard boxes we use, the packaging materials inside, the letters and envelopes we mail, and the paper we use in-office — it all adds up. How can we offset that footprint?
Broadly, we should opt for 100% recycled or raw materials for packaging and only use suppliers that are committed to sustainability and/or a circular economy (by reducing waste through reuse and biodegradable materials). Check that their supply comes from sustainable, certified sources, and assess how the material is made. We should also be cognizant of the working conditions, if wages are aligned fairly, and that social factors are considered.
Bold assertions from a paper newsletter, right? The Morning Walk is printed on 100% recycled paper and is sustainable thanks to PrintReleaf™ technology.
PrintReleaf
Sustainable software programs can help your business overcome the paper and shipping material usage that negates some of the positive progress you’re making. Colorado’s PrintReleaf is a SaaS (software as a service) provider that automates environmental offsets.
By entering your business’s monthly paper consumption into their software
PrintReleaf
Alpha Dog Advertising used PrintReleaf technology in creating this newsletter. Scan the QR code to see where the tree planting that will offset its paper use will occur.
To learn more, come see us at Booth #349 — we’d love to chat more about it!
(via automated integrations or manual data transfers), it calculates how many trees were harvested and how much greenhouse gas was emitted from the paper consumed. PrintReleaf then connects with certified global reforestation projects to plant the equivalent number of trees.
When using PrintReleaf, your business receives Lifetime Impact Certificates for ESG reporting and social media sharing. Additionally, PrintReleaf tracks and audits its partners to be sure of compliance throughout the process.
Check out PrintReleaf’s full process, and more ways they can offset your packaging and paper use, at PrintReleaf.com
Target the Right Audience
Shouting into the void won’t get any attention for your brand and wastes time and money. Be sure you’re talking to the right audience with your marketing.
A few years ago, we were engaged by a builder who crafted incredible, breathtaking timber frame luxury homes — but to a frustratingly limited number of clients. We quickly determined they were marketing to the wrong audience. Instead of marketing to affluent homebuyers, we changed their focus to reaching residential architects and custom builders, with homebuyers as a secondary target.
By then communicating the value of the brand with digital marketing, print advertising, and direct mail, our client
stayed in front of potential clients year-round and gave them the information they needed to choose a design-build partner. Their revenue has since increased by an average of 20% year over year.
Creating a message map with a marketing agency will clarify who your target audience should be, either overall or for specific products your business offers. You’ll get a clearer picture of who you’re talking to and can then hone your message accordingly.
Our client’s revenue has since increased by an average of 20% year over year.
Market Your Sustainability
Consumers and B2B clients are increasingly looking for brands committed to sustainability — market your green products or services accordingly in all your outreach, from social media to in-store advertising.
Being transparent about your sustainability practices will engender a feeling of trust in your brand, even if you’re a little late to the green movement. How can you communicate your commitment?
1 2 3 4 5
Show the Numbers
Report your KPIs related to sustainability. Share hard data that shows you’re reaching your goals.
Partner with Others
Team up with an organization or movement that aligns with your business philosophy to carry you both further.
Be Consistent
All your marketing should embody your green initiatives.
Above all, be authentic. Mean what you say. Consumers and clients can detect feigned commitment and will avoid your brand if they suspect you aren’t sincere. Be sure to engage with a marketing agency that listens to you, understands your brand and your goals, and presents them to the right audiences. It’s the best way to grow your business.
Your booth is set up. Your collateral is neatly stacked. Your giveaways are piled on the table.
Now what?
Time to turn on the charm and sell your brand, right? Sure, but a friendly smile and engaging conversation are only part of the equation. You’ll also want to stand out from the rest of the exhibitors. Here’s how.
Make a plan for enticing visitors to come to your booth and hear your product pitch. Create a theme for the day: a product you want to highlight specifically, or a benefit you feel is perfectly suited for the day’s floor
walkers. And don’t forget to collect contact info from everyone you can.
Keep your message simple. Make it memorable. “Casual” visitors can dive into your website or grab your collateral, so don’t talk their ears off (but don’t say too little…it’s a delicate dance).
Use social media. Tag the show in posts on your key platform(s), whether LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Threads, etc. Add your location. Add hype — take photos of your staff and your booth. Tag @greenbuildexpo on Instagram.
See more trade show tips in tomorrow’s issue of The Morning Walk!
Create a Logo
A stamp, badge, or logo that represents your sustainability focus can be added to all your collateral, linking them as part of a green campaign.
Involve Your Client
Make your client or customer part of your story. Assure them that by doing business with your company, they’re making strides in protecting our planet.
Responsible Forest Management Is Growing
The sustainable use of natural resources is imperative in today’s building industry. For designers and builders of both traditional stickbuilt construction and heavy and mass timber structures, careful forest management is essential for future growth.
Reforestation: The Key to Timber’s Sustainability Once, large swaths of trees were simply removed — permanently. Today, foresters are dedicated to reforestation. Replacing felled trees with even more than were taken restocks woodlands and ensures an ample supply of timber in the future.
Membership in, and adhering to the guidelines of, the Forest Stewardship Council ® is an investment in the future of the industry. An independent international organization, the FSC® sets the standards for protecting the world’s forests. More than 550 million acres of forest are certified under their system, including 155 million in the United States and Canada alone. To minimize your impact on the world’s forests, be sure the timber supplier for your next project is an FSC® member — and boldly market that connection to your clients.
2 3 4 1 Take in and sequester CO2, then emit O2. Five Tree Facts Among their benefits, trees:
Filter air pollutants in urban areas.
Improve water and soil quality. Help prevent ground erosion.
5
Provide a home for entire ecosystems.
Behind the Booth
Q&As with Greenbuild Exhibitors
OLIVER LANG INTELLIGENT CITY, BOOTH #227
What are your 2025 marketing plans?
“We’re attending trade shows, plus using LinkedIn. We design mass timber urban housing from 6 to 18 stories tall, so we’re looking to reach developers, contractors, and engineers.”
PAM
HOCHMAN
LINGROVE, BOOTH #615
How do you plan to grow your brand in 2025?
“We’re a newer company, so we’re just getting ready to hit the commercial stage. We’re partnering with designers and architects to get them to spec our product, and we’re looking to build out our marketing list and reach out to new people.”
MIKE BANTA MID-ATLANTIC TIMBERFRAMES, BOOTH #342
What do you hope to get out of Greenbuild?
“Meet new people, make new connections, and reconnect with existing colleagues and industry professionals. We’re somewhat unique in that we’re design, engineering, fabrication, and installation, so we want to see who else is here, too, and look for new products and building components.”
JILL SAYLOR TRIVERE, BOOTH #718
How do you plan to grow your brand in 2025?
“We’re just starting out, so networking and marketing. We’re also working through trade shows to develop lead generation.”
JAMES NASH ACTIVESCORE/MODESCORE CERTIFICATIONS, BOOTH #601
Which marketing platforms are big for you?
“We do trade shows worldwide. Our certification encourages building owners to improve their structures to be eco-friendly in infrastructure and connectivity. LinkedIn is also a big driver for us.”
Morning Walk
Staying In or Going Out?
Your marketing message is your connection with the world. It’s your hook to attract the interest of potential customers and clients. As your business develops and grows, you’ll need to seriously think about how the ongoing marketing of your brand will be handled. It can be a challenging and confusing decision, but if you’re trying to decide between hiring an outside marketing agency or developing an in-house marketing team, take a moment to consider the following — you may discover that an outside marketing agency is the best solution.
“ Your marketing message is your connection with the world.”
1. You don’t need to train anyone. Businesses often spend months on the training process and/or developing the skills needed to fill a position. Once completed, there may still need to be time spent managing the employee and making sure they stay on task.
With an outside marketing agency, there’s no need for training. They’re already experienced in developing and growing brands and understanding how to evaluate various business models to establish a solid marketing program. The only “training” is the agency taking the time to understand your business and your audience, something they do on a daily basis for all their clients.
2. You’ll potentially save a lot. of money.
Contrary to what you may think at first, an outside marketing agency, over the long term, will probably be less expensive, and here’s why:
• There is no need to pay payroll taxes since they are an outside contractor.
• You won’t need to worry about rising healthcare costs or benefit packages.
• You won’t have to invest company capital for the tools, software, and training needed to run and measure marketing campaigns.
Also consider that to acquire the experience and expertise that an outside marketing agency would bring, you would need to hire employees with very specific skill sets. The several key marketing positions you’ll need earn nearly $90,000 a year on average;* an outside marketing agency may only charge your business $3,500 to $10,000 per month depending on your marketing needs.
The savings start to seem obvious.
Last but not least…
If hiring a marketing agency is something you’re interested in, be sure to evaluate your options carefully. Have a realistic idea of what you want to accomplish, along with an idea of what your annual marketing budget will be. Consider the agency’s personality and culture as well. Do they share the same values as your organization, and will you feel comfortable having an open and honest dialogue with them? Addressing these important first steps will help ensure a strong relationship and successful marketing for your brand.
*Salary ranges were provided by evaluating the averages at current employment sites such as Indeed, Glassdoor, and PayScale.
Marketing Strategy 101
Marketing success is achieved through a plan grounded in actionable goals, objectives, and strategy.
In creating a marketing strategy for your business, it’s important to define terms so that you and your team are on the same page and understand the results you’ll reach.
Goals
First, every burst of business growth starts with a defined goal. A goal is the broad outcome of what you want to achieve. For example, your goal might be to increase sales by 10% this year.
Objectives
The next step is to create objectives. An objective is a concrete deliverable that helps to achieve your goal. Objectives are often milestones you track to help you measure whether you will reach your goal.
To continue with our earlier example, an objective that supports increasing your sales by 10% is deciding to focus on an underserved territory or target a potential new market.
Strategy
The final step is to develop a strategy. A strategy is an approach that will help you implement your objectives and ultimately achieve your goal. Strategy is drilled down from your determined objectives and typically is a methodology or idea for helping to reach them.
With so many teams using these terms interchangeably, it’s easy to get confused and lose sight of what you were trying to do in the first place. Define these terms for your team and work toward the results you want — together.
Getting the Most Out of Your Trade Show — Part 2
Hopefully, you had a fantastic experience yesterday, met tons of new contacts, and have all of their emails entered into your CRM, ready to message after the show.
Today, let’s talk about that — “after the show.” To get the most out of your exhibit experience, you’ll want to leverage all the advantages possible from these few days. And, be sure to apply any newfound knowledge that will help your business be a better exhibitor in the future. Let’s explore some ideas:
Create a response email. All of those contacts that you’ve made aren’t worth a dime if you don’t use them to their fullest potential. From your CRM (Salesforce, Shopify, HubSpot, etc.), you can send follow-up emails thanking them for stopping by your booth and offering to continue the conversation. In that email, create a link to a landing page, if you have one, or to an appropriate page on your website.
Get bold with booth design. Is your booth all it could be? An inviting booth design, one that clearly and concisely states your brand message, will attract passersby and leave an impact. Word of mouth can spread fast about unusual or exciting booths, activities, and giveaways, so be sure to be bold!
Build a landing page. Use Google Analytics to integrate with your CRM. This can be a challenging process if you’re not familiar with it — engaging a digital marketing firm might be a more efficient use of your time and budget.
Use the data. With Google Analytics and your CRM working together, you’ll see a lot of data that will be useful in understanding customer behaviors and preferences. From this knowledge, you can fine-tune your marketing efforts to maximize leads into conversions.
Pick the right show. Does attending this or that particular show reach the right crowd with the right product? Your time is your most valuable commodity — don’t spend it somewhere that’s not worth it. Talk to other exhibitors and walkers about where they’ve been and what they’d recommend. Choose a good show and a good spot on the floor (intersections and main avenues are best). And be sure to use your email contacts to hype your appearance at that show!
Don’t do it alone. An experienced marketing firm can take care of show planning, designing your booth, messaging, and tracking responses before and after the show. They’ll help you get the most out of every show, every time.
Best Be Blogging
Maintaining a blog can significantly enhance your brand’s online presence and engage your target audience(s).
First, blogs improve your SEO, helping your website rank higher on search engines, which drives more organic traffic. By regularly posting valuable content, you’ll establish your brand as an authority in your industry, building trust with potential customers.
Blogs are a platform for you to share insights, tips, and industry trends. This not only helps to educate your audience but also keeps them coming back for more, fostering brand loyalty.
Blogs can also enhance your social media strategy. Each new post can be shared across your key social platforms, increasing visibility and encouraging shares. Moreover, you can generate leads by incorporating callsto-action that guide readers to your products or services.
Set Up for Success
The most successful trade show displays do more than just showcase products or services — they create engaging brand experiences that connect with attendees on a deeper level, leaving a lasting impression and fueling lead generation.
Navigating Greenbuild’s bustling exhibition hall, we’ve been struck by how many exhibitors created immersive environments that not only highlight their offerings but also reflect their brand’s values and commitment to sustainability. Here’s a look at some of the most creative and impactful booths bringing the spirit of Greenbuild to life this week.
MERCER
