Merging Media and the Market

“Environments are not just containers, but are processes that change the content totally”

Marshall McLuhan

There is no doubt that new media has brought about many exciting opportunities to target and inform consumers. With the environment and the economy being of people’s utmost concerns these days the Internet has become an extremely effective way of targeting green consumers.  Green consumers being anyone who has integrated green activity into their daily life. 

Green consumers are a great target and are actively using the Internet as an information resource to gather green information.  Companies need to take advantage of their Web site’s ability to not only target the various levels of green consumers, but also in its ability to deliver them a plethora of information.  Research has shown that consumers feel that company’s do a poor job of providing information on any green benefits that are touted through their advertisements.  Furthermore, consumers who consider themselves to be green are oftentimes distrustful of advertising, especially television, yet they are active seekers and exchangers of information.

The obvious solution to effectively reaching these green consumers is by having an effective and engaging Web site.  I was reading an article about the Top 6 eMarketing Tips for Reaching Green Consumers and would like to discuss some of these tips in more depth because while they seem obvious there lack would be poorly received by green consumers. 

To insure that green consumers aren’t dissuaded by your Web site it is pertinent that they can easily find the information they are looking for the second the logon to your site.  As such, incorporating a standard green section or graphic link that brings consumers to a page with more information about the environmental initiatives of a product and company is a necessity.  Green consumers are interested in new products and actively seek information.  As such, it is inevitable that green consumers will gravitate to a product’s Web site to research for themselves. 

It is also necessary that companies targeting green consumers support their public relation efforts effectively through their Web site.  Since green consumers are skeptical of advertising in general they often seek out 3^rd party recommendations or the advice of other green consumers in making their purchasing decisions.  As such, any publicity that your product generates should be accessible through your Web site.  Don’t make these consumers search for endorsements about your product.  Enable them to find out how other reputable sources view your product.