Come clean as you go green

Educate the consumer. It is a given when it comes to easing shoppers’ product selection, but how often do marketers take the time to educate shoppers about the packaging that holds their products? Why it is necessary and isn’t excessive?

Anecdotally, some shoppers have made it clear they won’t purchase a product if they believe the packaging is excessive and/or harms the environment. Dr. Trefor Owen, a scientist with Sharp Interpack, a plastics manufacturer, alludes to this point in an article posted on Greenbag.

How many sales are brand marketers losing because of false consumer perceptions about a product’s packaging? Here are a couple of thoughts: If you’re already using a foldout label, leverage it to include information about the composition of your package materials and their recyclability and refer them to a page on your Web site to learn more. Second, avoid the common pitfall of speaking in technical or marketing jargon and talk to consumers in words they use.