Speakers will be:

Don Carli
Senior Research Fellow
Institute for Sustainable Communications

Brian Kozlowski
Director, Sustainable Development
NewPage Corp.

This free webinar will discuss the tools, processes, and success stories that exist to help direct marketers determine not only which media best fit the job at hand but also how to improve the carbon footprint of all channels.

Topics to be discussed include:

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Last year, the commercial printing industry information portal What They Think released a report on the status of green in the printing industry. This month, in Printing Continues to Go Green, WTT updated the report with fresh data, comparing the numbers year over year.

In the June 2009 survey, WTT researchers found the following year-over-year changes:

• Printers are far more likely to identify themselves in their marketing and promotional materials as environmentally sensitive businesses — 33%, up from 26% last year
• They are slightly more likely to justify new equipment purchases because of their more favorable environmental impact — 22%, up from 20%
• They are more likely to have special “green” certifications from independent organizations (Forest Stewardship Council, Green Seal) — 22%, up from 15%
• They are slightly more likely to say that promoting their green efforts helps their business image — 39%, up from 35%.

But it’s not all good news. Commercial printers don’t see a lot of customer gratitude for their efforts. In the June 2009 survey, they were noticeably less likely to say that it was essential to their customers and more likely to say that it was a major expense without a major business benefit. Only 2% said it was critically important to their customers.

This is a real problem. Why?

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One area of concern is paper.  As fuel costs have come down, publishers looking to save money on distribution are looking at heavier paper. Although the paper itself costs more than lightweight grades, the heavier stock allows them to take advantage of lower freight rates, which have come down significantly since last summer’s peak oil prices.

The Dead Tree Edition, for example, recently encouraged periodical publishers to consider this option in an article “Heavier Paper Can Save Money.”

But at what environmental cost? Heavier paper may cost less to ship, but it takes more fuel. You’ve got the same number of pages, carrying the same amount of information, but at a higher level of fuel consumption. Heavier paper also takes more energy to transport and ship before printing.

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I don’t want infinite investor minutea on every fund offered by every financial company I do business with. I don’t want spring, summer, fall, and winter mini-catalogs from companies I only purchase from at Christmastime. I don’t want business solicitations from companies I already do business with.

Want to green the planet and save money at the same time? Stop sending irrelevant junk! I’m not talking about purchasing prospect lists and launching into new territory. I’m talking about irresponsible direct mail behavior with the databases and customers you already have.

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At the same time — I would counter — direct mailers, catalogers, and others who produce massive volumes of mail can make a huge environmental difference (especially corporately) by making small, incremental changes individually. Simply because of those volumes. Once we start making changes at the source, the impact of the effort is magnified.

Here are some interesting nutshells from the report:

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In its Creative Zone blogs, one of its company bloggers, MJ Anderson, made a not-so-humorous post about extra print volumes that really struck me and I thought I’d reproduce part of it here.

Today I received a direct mailer at work that on the surface was funny, but after some thought was pretty sad. As a service to our clients, we buy printing from any number of companies with varying levels of expertise. As a result of this, we also receive solicitation for services from all sorts of different print service providers.

In today’s case, the direct mail piece was intended to tell me about the company’s new “environmentally responsible” policy on paper and soy based inks. Sounds like a great idea, right? I thought so, too, until I realized that not only did I receive this mailer, but six other people in my small office received the same mailer. Most of the recipients are not in a position to procure, use, or influence the purchase of printing services. The piece in question was a pretty elaborate envelope and well-designed brochure, letter and insert.

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]]> http://inspiredeconomist.com/2009/01/09/greening-print-marketing-no-office-needs-six-identical-mailers/feed/ http://inspiredeconomist.com/2009/01/01/greening-print-marketing-push-your-printer-to-go-green/ http://inspiredeconomist.com/2009/01/01/greening-print-marketing-push-your-printer-to-go-green/#comments Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:20:13 +0000 Heidi Tolliver-Nigro http://inspiredeconomist.com/2009/01/01/greening-print-marketing-push-your-printer-to-go-green/ Want to do something positive for the environment in 2009? Push your printer to go green!

We are increasingly hearing about commercial printers making a commitment to environmental sustainability. For some, this is making investments in “greener” production technologies. For others, it means environmental certifications such as Forest Stewardship Council. For yet others, it means purchasing carbon credits or alternative energy sources, such as wind power.

While we hear about individual printers taking individual responsibility, where is the industry at large on the “green curve”? According to Kodak research (conducted via client and Web surveys) . . .

• 20% have no plans for environmental sustainability
• 30% have investigated it, but not started any initiatives
• 35% have not yet achieved any environmental certifications, but they have programs underway
• 15% have environmental sustainability programs in place, including certifications

Source: “Sustainability Is the New Green,” What They Think Webinars

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]]> http://inspiredeconomist.com/2009/01/01/greening-print-marketing-push-your-printer-to-go-green/feed/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2008/12/18/10-companies-to-boycott-for-sending-you-junk-mail/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2008/12/18/10-companies-to-boycott-for-sending-you-junk-mail/#comments Thu, 18 Dec 2008 04:39:07 +0000 Alex Felsinger http://planetsave.com/blog/2008/12/18/10-companies-to-boycott-for-sending-you-junk-mail/

Conservation group ForestEthics has released their annual “Naughty or Nice” list of corporations regarding their treatment of our forests. These ten companies continue to fill your mailbox with junk at the expense of the trees.

The list, determined by four separate criteria, includes a “Checking Twice” category for companies in a gray area. JC Penny has decreased their direct mail use but still supports logging companies, so while they stay out the top 10 snail-mail-spammers, but still aren’t free of all charges.

Check out the rest of the list, along with 10 other companies who are being nice to the trees, below:

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2008/12/18/10-companies-to-boycott-for-sending-you-junk-mail/feed/ http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/12/17/greening-print-marketing-printingforless-goes-100-wind-power/ http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/12/17/greening-print-marketing-printingforless-goes-100-wind-power/#comments Wed, 17 Dec 2008 20:11:13 +0000 Heidi Tolliver-Nigro http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/12/17/greening-print-marketing-printingforless-goes-100-wind-power/ One of my favorite printing companies does it again. PrintingForLess.com (PFL), which calls itself “America’s environmentally-friendly print shop,” announced today that it now purchases 100% of its electricity from renewable power sources.

This means that every computer, printing press, folding machine, and light it uses is powered by a nearby wind farm. PFL is working with its local utility, Park Electric Cooperative, along with Basin Electric Power Cooperative’s Prairie Winds-Energy in Motion Green Tag Program, to make this green initiative possible.

“Though wind-powered electricity costs a little more, we believe that as more businesses purchase energy from renewable sources, green power will gain momentum and go mainstream, eventually providing our country with the best of all worlds: energy that is clean, cost-effective and made in America,” says Andrew Field, PFL President and CEO.

Why wind power? According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory:

• Read more of this story »

  ]]> http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/12/17/greening-print-marketing-printingforless-goes-100-wind-power/feed/ http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/12/10/greening-print-marketing-better-data-means-greener-direct-mail/ http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/12/10/greening-print-marketing-better-data-means-greener-direct-mail/#comments Wed, 10 Dec 2008 21:26:24 +0000 Heidi Tolliver-Nigro http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/12/10/greening-print-marketing-better-data-means-greener-direct-mail/ When we think about a “green” business, we don’t necessarily think about the quality of the data in your marketing and other databases. But maybe we should.

  When your marketing or mailing database has incorrect or missing information, your documents can end up being sent to the wrong person, the wrong address, or undelivered altogether. From a marketing perspective, this is a bad thing. But it’s bad from an environmental perspective, too. All that ink, paper, power, fuel — used to create and distribute a product right to the trash can.

  For this reason, making an investment in your data quality can have substantial environmental benefits. Eliminate redundant records, kill those bad addresses, and mail only to real, live people. Imagine the green implications!

  Take the following real-life example.

  Read more of this story »

  ]]> http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/12/10/greening-print-marketing-better-data-means-greener-direct-mail/feed/ http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/12/05/greening-print-marketing-is-there-a-double-standard-when-it-comes-to-paying-for-green/ http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/12/05/greening-print-marketing-is-there-a-double-standard-when-it-comes-to-paying-for-green/#comments Fri, 05 Dec 2008 02:42:45 +0000 Heidi Tolliver-Nigro http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/12/05/greening-print-marketing-is-there-a-double-standard-when-it-comes-to-paying-for-green/ Most of us have heard the popularly cited statistics that given the choice between two similar products, 83% of consumers will chose those that are “environmentally friendly” and will pay more for them.

  According to the DoubleClick study, not only are consumers interested in green products and companies, but nearly half are willing to pay at least 5% more for them.

  It’s not a new study. It came out in April, but I was cleaning out my email, and when I re-read it, the findings got me thinking. In our consumer lives, it’s true. We’re not just wiling to pay extra. We actually feel good about it, as if that extra few cents or a dollar, in itself, shrinks the hole in the ozone layer.

  Yet, when it comes to paying more for recycled paper, or spending those extra dollars improving our database for more targeted marketing, or switching to a Web-to-print document management system, and other initiatives that green our print marketing programs in ways that have equal, if not greater, environmental impact, all of a sudden, it’s, “Oh, no. That’s too expensive.”

  Do we have two different standards for paying premium for green?

  View all my “Greening Print Marketing” posts.

  ]]> http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/12/05/greening-print-marketing-is-there-a-double-standard-when-it-comes-to-paying-for-green/feed/ http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/11/29/greening-print-marketing-why-are-printers-green-survey-reveals-reasons-behind-green-marketing/ http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/11/29/greening-print-marketing-why-are-printers-green-survey-reveals-reasons-behind-green-marketing/#comments Sat, 29 Nov 2008 16:14:16 +0000 Heidi Tolliver-Nigro http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/11/29/greening-print-marketing-why-are-printers-green-survey-reveals-reasons-behind-green-marketing/ In my “Greening Print Marketing” posts, I’ve looked at a wide variety of reasons (and ways) for marketers to see their print marketing projects as green. But what about the flip side? Why do printers market their green initiatives?

  The number one reason seems to be a reflection of their own personal commitment. In a recent survey by What They Think (Source: “Economic Outlook Webinar with Dr. Joe Webb” 3/26/08), 43% of printers said that their green initiatives were “more important to our company than to our customers at this time.” Only 8% felt that it was more important to their customers than it was to them.

  Thirty-five percent felt that promoting their environmental sustainability initiatives was good for their business image. Nearly one-quarter (24%) saw it as a necessary cost of doing business in today’s climate.

  Read more of this story »

  ]]> http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/11/29/greening-print-marketing-why-are-printers-green-survey-reveals-reasons-behind-green-marketing/feed/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/11/17/9-ways-to-eliminate-direct-mail-waste/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/11/17/9-ways-to-eliminate-direct-mail-waste/#comments Tue, 18 Nov 2008 04:27:09 +0000 Jennifer Kaplan http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/11/17/9-ways-to-eliminate-direct-mail-waste/ Are you ready for the holiday mail season?  Maybe this is the year to trim your DM waste.  The fundamental problem is that direct mail marketing is inherently inefficient. 44% of all direct mail is thrown in the trash without ever being opened and that which is opened only yields an average of a 2.77% response.  So, if you want to get 1,000 customers to respond to your direct mail piece, you have to mail, on average, 36,101 pieces of mail.  Multiply that by millions of customers and millions of companies and you can see the problem. The good news is that a March 2008 Aberdeen Group study found that direct mail waste reduction is an area where “environmental concerns and shareholder interests coincide.” But, you may already know this. They also found that 40% of companies said direct mail waste reduction was one of the top two areas being focused on for improving eco-friendly business practices.

  The goal is to achieve the greatest precision with the lowest number of pieces mailed, but there a lot of other benefits. You can save money and enhance customer satisfaction which will in turn improves customer loyalty, purchase behavior and profitability. Here’s 9 ways:

  #1: Maintain good list hygiene. Updating your mailing list to remove unwanted, duplicate and undeliverable addresses regularly and thoroughly is a cheap, quick and effective way to reduce waste. There are several ways to verify mailing lists and all outside list mangers are able to perform this function or you can buy your own address verification software. You will mail fewer pieces and, under some circumstances, lower your mailing rates. Consider offering incentives (such as the offer of a discount on their next purchase) for notification of duplicate mailings and incorrect addresses.

  Read more of this story »

  ]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/11/17/9-ways-to-eliminate-direct-mail-waste/feed/ http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/10/31/greening-print-marketing-inkjet-recyclability-suspect/ http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/10/31/greening-print-marketing-inkjet-recyclability-suspect/#comments Sat, 01 Nov 2008 03:20:55 +0000 Heidi Tolliver-Nigro http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/10/31/greening-print-marketing-inkjet-recyclability-suspect/

  I got a surprise this month. I was writing on “green” issues related to inkjet ink, and much of what I expected to write went out the window.

  In the world of offset printing, the difference between solvent-based inks and water-based inks matters—a lot. In the world of toner-based inks (digital inks), on the other hand, there really is no difference. As I’ve written here before, this is because nearly all toner-based inks are dry toner inks, which are solvent-free. Of those inks (liquid toner) that do contain solvent, it’s such a mild form that the practical difference is negligible.

  But on the issue of inkjet, the issues are completely different. Solvent vs. water inks matters very little, but for completely different reasons.

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  ]]> http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/10/31/greening-print-marketing-inkjet-recyclability-suspect/feed/ http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/10/22/greening-print-marketing-direct-imaging-presses-help-you-%e2%80%9cgo-green%e2%80%9d/ http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/10/22/greening-print-marketing-direct-imaging-presses-help-you-%e2%80%9cgo-green%e2%80%9d/#comments Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:47:22 +0000 Heidi Tolliver-Nigro http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/10/22/greening-print-marketing-direct-imaging-presses-help-you-%e2%80%9cgo-green%e2%80%9d/

  Presstek, the inventor of chemistry-free platemaking, is offering a free white paper entitled, “Growing Your Business by Going Green.” The paper speaks to both the environmental and economic benefits that can be realized by in-house print shops or third-party print providers who adopt the practice of “green” printing. This is also relevant to marketers who are looking for information to help them select a print provider that will help them meet their green marketing goals.

  Despite the broad range of topics covered, the white paper is largely designed to discuss the economic and environmental benefits of Presstek DI digital offset presses. Most of my posts involve the business and marketing models relate to toner-based (digital) printing, but I’ve discussed the green benefits of the DI process in my posts before. This white paper goes into far more detail than I can cover here.

  Like toner-based printing, DI printing eliminates many of the chemicals used in the print production process, although it is an offset process—it looks like traditional offset printing. But compared to a traditional offset press (comparisons are made to both 500-run and long-run quantities), it eliminates waste from

  • press developer,
  • press replenisher,
  • press finisher/gum,
  • fountain solution
  • fountain substitute
  • waste water

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  ]]> http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/10/22/greening-print-marketing-direct-imaging-presses-help-you-%e2%80%9cgo-green%e2%80%9d/feed/ http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/10/01/greening-print-marketing-getting-serious-about-greenhouse-gases/ http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/10/01/greening-print-marketing-getting-serious-about-greenhouse-gases/#comments Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:51:43 +0000 Heidi Tolliver-Nigro http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/10/01/greening-print-marketing-getting-serious-about-greenhouse-gases/ Many printers say they are “green” or “eco-friendly” because they print using soy inks, are FSC-certified, or print on recycled paper. But if you want an example of a printer who is really serious about its stewardship of the environment, take a look at Green Printer.

  Using sources from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Green Printer estimates that it helped its customers save 74,645 pounds of greenhouse gases and 38,116 pounds of solid waste since the eco-friendly printing company opened in June 2007.

  Green Printer is so serious about its environmental stewardship that it actually offers an “Eco-Calculator” that helps its customers calculate how much greenhouse gas and trees they, too, can save by using its services. These savings are achieved, among other things, by using sustainable printing methods (such as waterless printing) and printing on treeless and recycled paper. (See Green Printer’s story.)

  This adds a completely new dimension to the issue of socially responsible printing—a more active sense of participation.

  As I wrote last week, one of the benefits of using the document management and marketing models driven by digital printing is that you can see the positive impact you are making on the environment by what is missing—piles of wasted inventory, unread mail, and trash cans filled to the brim. But Green Printer offers another way to quantify your impact on the environment, one that allows you to “see” the invisible.

  That’s a very powerful motivator to positive social action—to the tune of 74,645 pounds of greenhouse gases so far.

  ]]> http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/10/01/greening-print-marketing-getting-serious-about-greenhouse-gases/feed/ http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/09/23/greening-print-marketing-new-report-on-digital-printing/ http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/09/23/greening-print-marketing-new-report-on-digital-printing/#comments Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:05:18 +0000 Heidi Tolliver-Nigro http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/09/23/greening-print-marketing-new-report-on-digital-printing/ This week, everybody is watching the stock market and talking about the economy, but I want to do a little reality check here. Other than tweaking our portfolios, there isn’t much we can do about it. Was the bail-out the right decision? Was it not the right decision? Talking about it makes us feel better—as if it gives us some kind of control—but the reality is, it doesn’t. Why not take all that nervous energy and channel it into something really productive? A place where we can make a difference right away?

  Did you know that by making some basic changes in your document management and print marketing, you can reduce your carbon footprint, use fewer trees, use less petroleum, and improve your bottom line at the same time? In today’s time of financial crisis, that ought to get any company’s attention. It starts, not with the paper or ink you spec, but with the fundamental way you print at your documents.

  By utilizing today’s digital production technologies, you can move to document management models that have a major impact on the environment. By printing shorter runs—even for high-quality, four-color documents—you eliminate warehousing costs and the cost of outdated print, but on the environmental side, you avoid cutting down trees for nothing. Every time a book, a pamphlet, a flyer goes out of date and gets thrown in the trash, you just contributed to needless deforestation.

  By making smarter use of your database—say, mailing to only the top 10% of your customer base—you reduce the amount of printed material you use. If you combine it with smart use of print personalization, you could earn even more revenues than on a larger static mailing.

  Some great examples can be found in a new report on digital-printing-driven marketing models entitled “Digital Printing: Transforming Business and Marketing Models,” released yesterday.

  Read more of this story »

  ]]> http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/09/23/greening-print-marketing-new-report-on-digital-printing/feed/ http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/09/22/greening-print-marketing-xerox-gives-customers-more-green-printing-choices/ http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/09/22/greening-print-marketing-xerox-gives-customers-more-green-printing-choices/#comments Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:59:54 +0000 Heidi Tolliver-Nigro http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/09/22/greening-print-marketing-xerox-gives-customers-more-green-printing-choices/

  Wall Street is in financial crisis. Individual investors are reeling. The world is watching. If ever there were a time to get serious about our world stewardship, it’s now.

  While we’re used to thinking along broad, expansive lines such as international policy and national priorities, the fact is, there are changes you and I can make in our daily lives to make things better, including in the world of marketing. We don’t have to change the world. We just have to change our world.

  That’s what “Greening Print Marketing” is about.

  Along those lines, I got a press release from Xerox today. The company has released a new series of papers and tools to help companies reduce the environmental impact of printing in their organizations. This starts a comprehensive program of papers, resources, and Web tools to help customers identify the right paper, the right supplies, and the right way to print with the environment in mind.

  Read more of this story »

  ]]> http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/09/22/greening-print-marketing-xerox-gives-customers-more-green-printing-choices/feed/ http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/09/12/greening-print-marketing-how-much-is-brightness-worth/ http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/09/12/greening-print-marketing-how-much-is-brightness-worth/#comments Fri, 12 Sep 2008 22:46:42 +0000 Heidi Tolliver-Nigro http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/09/12/greening-print-marketing-how-much-is-brightness-worth/ Earlier this week, I talked about printing with recycled paper and how the decision on which stock to select goes beyond merely “recycled” to include other factors, including the percentage of postconsumer waste content and whether or not the paper is elemental chlorine-free.

  Printing with recycled paper ought to be a no-brainer. Not only do you save trees, but according to Friends of the Earth, the production process used to create recycled paper uses up to 70% less energy than for virgin pulp. It also requires fewer chemicals.

  Some marketers sniff at recycled paper, however, because it’s not quite as bright as virgin stock. Yet, one could make the argument that the positive social image associated with recycling can easily offset any loss in brightness—if that was ever really important at all.

  More Reasons to Use Recycled

  If the points above aren’t enough to overcome the “brightness” appeal, here are just a few more reasons to favored recycled stock. This list is compliments of Barefoot Press of Raleigh, NC.

  Read more of this story »

  ]]> http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/09/12/greening-print-marketing-how-much-is-brightness-worth/feed/ http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/09/03/four-%e2%80%9cgreen%e2%80%9d-characteristics-of-digital-printing/ http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/09/03/four-%e2%80%9cgreen%e2%80%9d-characteristics-of-digital-printing/#comments Wed, 03 Sep 2008 18:03:45 +0000 Heidi Tolliver-Nigro http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/09/03/four-%e2%80%9cgreen%e2%80%9d-characteristics-of-digital-printing/

  If you want to “green” your print marketing, one way to do it is to print using digital production printing. How is digital production “green”?

  There are three types of digital print production:

  • Dry toner (xerography)
  • Liquid toner (used exclusively in the HP Indigo presses)
  • Continuous inkjet (used both for light production and high-volume presses)

  Because of the number of variables that impact the lifecycle of a printed product, and because of the strides being made by offset printers to green their operations, it is difficult—if not impossible—to make a categorical statement that “digital production is greener than offset.” However, there are some unequivocal factors about digital print that will please those looking to become more environmentally sensitive in their production and management of print.

  Read more of this story »

  ]]> http://inspiredeconomist.com/2008/09/03/four-%e2%80%9cgreen%e2%80%9d-characteristics-of-digital-printing/feed/