If you’re in the building and construction industry on any level, you most likely have some form of energy-efficient offering tied to your product or service. Energy efficiency and the “green movement” have reached critical mass, and these benefits are most likely part of your marketing message. There’s a good chance your customers aren’t receiving that message, though. Even if your leading color is some shade of green, your customers may not be getting the picture. If the phrase “energy efficient” is part of your brand, logo or tagline, this still does not guarantee message penetration.
Why? According to a new report from BBC News, people just don’t understand the benefits you’re selling. This applies to both residential and commercial industries and customers. First, understand that there is most likely some form of premium price involved with environmentally friendly technologies, solutions or products. As an example, LED lights are more expensive than traditional alternatives. Smart-home systems are more expensive than just having a thermostat in your home. As much as you talk about savings, the cold, hard reality is that your customers aren’t seeing the value. This is because you haven’t established what Merit Mile calls an “evidence marketing” message and campaign.
All Chief Marketing Officers must realize the power of this type of campaign. Evidence marketing is your ability to clearly define the technology, show the savings, and illustrate the all-up benefits to the customer. Clearly, it’s not enough to simply say your products are “green” or that you offer energy efficiency. To the average customer, there has been so much saturation and dilution of this message; it’s difficult to truly know what you mean in your literature, offer or promotion. Show Them The Evidence It is a known fact that we now live in a data-intensive world. “Big Data” is utilized by every industry, and it is even analyzed and digested on a large level by everyday consumers when they make purchase decisions.
This data serves as the foundation of the evidence you need in order to tell the story of how your products will help the environment or save money. There are four parts to a successful Evidence Marketing campaign:
1. Compiling impactful data, or evidence
2. Using this data to construct a powerful and compelling marketing message
3. Integrating into your marketing and communications strategies
4. Measuring the effectiveness of your campaign and making adjustments
Show Them HOW To Realize Savings If you want to truly be successful in marketing your green products, you have to go a step beyond the green rhetoric. Part of your marketing and communications message needs to show them HOW to realize their savings. Spell out to them what they need to do to see environmental benefits and spending differences. According to a recent report in The Guardian: “While many see beauty in a city skyline lit up at night, energy efficiency researchers see wasted resources and missed opportunities.
Leaving lights on in empty buildings is just the tip of the iceberg. A recent behavioral study by the University of California Davis and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) concludes that low cost changes in building operations can save from 5% to 30% of buildings energy usage, but often these changes aren’t made.” These changes aren’t made most likely because the end-user hasn’t required employees to implement change on the product side. If LED lighting is installed in a large high-rise facility, and the promoted cost savings is only realized when the facility utilizes these lights differently, it is your responsibility to make sure your customer understands what behavioral changes are needed.
Why is this on you? Because this is where the savings take place. And the more successful customers you have, the more evidence you have for future marketing opportunities. What are the most effective marketing and communications elements in an Evidence Marketing campaign? Merit Mile works with client partners on a variety of the following initiatives: Website development Strategic programming Demand-generation campaigns Marketing and advertising messaging Corporate, product and service branding Corporate and product communications Media relations (industry, business and consumer)
Success stories, testimonials and case studies
Content marketing Social media conversations Program measurement and reporting When you implement an Evidence Marketing campaign, be sure to measure your results regularly to make the right adjustments and set new benchmarks. Download Merit Mile’s recent white paper on marketing measurement insights here to learn more. Is your energy-efficient marketing lacking punch? Schedule an online meeting with Merit Mile to learn how an integrated Evidence Marketing campaign can boost your sales and elevate your overall credibility.