These days it sure feels like the sky is falling, or at the very least the area over Wall Street is. Business is down all over the place, and customers are reigning in their spending. Instinct would want you to believe that price is the most important feature in today’s marketplace, but you might be surprised.

A new survey from GreenBiz.com found, “68 percent of consumers say that even in a recession they would remain faithful to a brand if it supports a good cause; nearly seven in 10 would be prepared to pay more for eco-friendly products.” This is good news for anyone looking to begin greening their business. However, the article goes on to say that simply being green isn’t all there is to connecting with consumers’ wallets. To be successful a green product must also convey a sense of value and be perceived as equally effective as the conventional alternative.

Key to accomplishing this task is communicating the benefits of your green product. Neil Stern, author of “Greentailing and Other Revolutions in Retailing,” expands upon the importance of communication by stating, “You have to communicate what you are doing and what the value is to the buyer. And you have to do it consistently across all channels of communication, from the website and advertising down to the store shelves.” Effective communication allows you to educate your customers about your green efforts and is a key component to effective green marketing.  

Perhaps the most powerful tool of communication is design. As explained in a previous post, 2 Seconds to Save Your Business, design has the power to quickly connect with our decision making processes. By relying on previous experiences, well designed products and services can quickly gain favor with potential customers by taking advantage of snap judgements. Conversely, a poorly designed image can be detrimental to the success of a product or service. Design is just one of the many business tools available to business owners. Design is not simply how something looks, it is a strategic asset and a key element of any communication effort. Design is the visual and written representation of your product or service. To put it simply, for new customers your design is your business.

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