This document discusses three case studies of companies using sustainability and creative direct marketing solutions: [1] Harvard Business Review used a direct mail campaign promoting sustainable leadership, [2] A Fortune 5000 brand developed sustainability messaging and digital marketing strategies, [3] A Brazilian supermarket chain used direct mailings like greeting cards and newsletters to promote recycling and reusable bags. The document also covers best practices for integrating sustainability into the creative process and direct marketing communications.

1. 9/30/2011
Direct Marketing Creative:
Green, Brand, Direct Power
Sandra J. Blum
Karen Rice Gardiner
3 Creative Cases
• Sustainability  part of creative
• Sustainability  primary driver
• Each creative solution takes us closer to a
sustainable future
• Creative process behind solutions
valuable asset for our customers and
community
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2. 9/30/2011
CSR Gains Ground
Global brand CSR statements
• “Sustainability is not a pro bono project but a business
model - indeed a very profitable business model if you
do it right."
• "Sustainability can - and must - give rise to new, highly
ambitious business models and become a lever of
competitiveness for our brands."
• "Our consumers and customers care about the
benefits that certification delivers. That's good for
business."
Case #1: Harvard Business Review
• “The demand for creative leaders who
know how to make a difference has never
been greater.”
• “How will you measure your life?”
– Oct. 2010 to present: one of “most popular”
magazine articles
• Big Idea May 2010: The Sustainability
Imperative
Case #1: Harvard Business Review
New Subscriber Direct Mail
HBR’s foremost thinkers hold that most
leaders want their careers and lives to have
a larger purpose—to leave something behind
that makes this a different and better world.
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3. 9/30/2011
Case #1: Harvard Business Review
Case # 2: Fortune 5000 Brand
Sustainability Directives
• Marketing to partner with sustainability
team
– Develop messaging platform to communicate
sustainability program strategic and operating
plans
– Develop sustainability “credo” and messaging
platform for marketing and thought leadership
collateral.
– Communicate efforts internally and externally
to key stakeholders
Case # 2: Fortune 5000 Brand
Sustainability Directives
• Marketing to lead conversion to digital
marcom
– Migrate printed collateral to digital formats
– Develop advertising in digital formats
– Print on recycled paper and/or sustainable
sourced paper
– Source digital client relationship gifts
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4. 9/30/2011
Case # 2: Fortune 5000 Brand
Sustainability Directives
• Marketing to “go greener” with gift and
event programs
– Explore attend vs. exhibit
– Explore virtual events
– Use sustainable materials for event booths
– Change client relationship gift strategy
• promote meaningful dialogue
• source sustainable items that represent brand
• donate in lieu of premiums and gifts
Case # 3
Welcome to the First Green Supermarket of Latin America
Socio-environmental concern integral to the Pão
de Açúcar group’s identity
• First retailer in Brazil to pick up recyclables (more than
40,000 tons collected since 2001).
• Makes a strong impression in the stores’ neighborhoods
with its commitment to sustainability education, not
usually present in the private sector or in the
government.
• Part of virtuous cycle: recyclables go to cooperatives
who provide local employment.
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5. 9/30/2011
Two illustrations of the sustainability
commitment expressed in the direct marketing
of Pão de Açúcar:
• Tsuru birthday mailing
• Ecomailing
Response objective  trigger sustainable habits
Tsuru Birthday Card
• Relationship direct mail
• Gift of Tsuru origami, symbol
of good luck
• Produced by the NGO Mães
do Brasil (“Mothers of Brazil”)
– devoted exclusively to teaching
trades and reintegrating ex-
homeless people from São Paulo
metropolitan area back into society
• Printed on 100% recycled
paper & included instructions
on recycling at the chain
outlets
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6. 9/30/2011
Ecomailing to Customers
• Trigger continued use of
reusable bags
• Thank you to 50,000 opinion
makers who were eco-aware
• Showed number of plastic bags
the customer did not discard into
the environment
• Printed on 100% recycled paper
• Included seed infused paper to
plant and grow real flowers.
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7. 9/30/2011
Eco-mailing Case
RESULTS
Currently (ongoing) this program has
prevented 642,262 plastic bags from polluting
the environment.
The customers approached by the direct
mailing maintained their participation in the
reusable bag promotion.
*On the right: the final cycle of the program,
showing the customer’s happiness with the
flower grown by the seed-paper.”
Green Store
Green Store – Indaiatuba, São Paulo
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8. 9/30/2011
Other Green
Actions
Recycling Station
Medicine Disposal
Batteries Recycling
Mobile Devices Recycling
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9. 9/30/2011
CO2 Control
Green Cashier
Organic Products
Reusable Bags
More than 60,000 gallons
of cooking oil recycled
Good use of
natural resources
www.giovannidraftfcb.com.br
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10. 9/30/2011
Creative: Green, Brand, Direct…
Effective
• Sustainability  part of creative
• Sustainability  primary driver
• Each creative solution takes us closer to a
sustainable future
• Creative process behind solutions
valuable asset for our customers and
community
Catalog Evolution
“The catalog is not a (sales) channel
anymore; it's really just another method of
communicating with the customer,”
John Lewis, director of database marketing at Jos. A. Bank
• Shifting from mailing large catalogs to
testing smaller, targeted books, as well
postcards, coupons and other tools for
customer acquisition
• Tracking decision dynamic
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11. 9/30/2011
Catalogers Embracing
Personalization via VDP
• More than a quarter (28%) of catalogers
surveyed in early 2010 were using variable
data printing (VDP) to customize catalogs
• Close to 21.5% surveyed were actively
considering utilizing VDP to customize
catalogs this year.
Source: Multichannel Marketing Magazine's 2010 Outlook Survey: Catalogs
Eco-analysis Checkpoints for
Creatives in the Wild
• Client CSR credentials • Carbon footprint
• Required messaging • Paper
• What the Brand will • Printing
never do • Standard icons, e.g.,
• Anti-greenwashing “recycle please”
• Imagery beyond clichés
• Green creative
possibilities
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12. 9/30/2011
World Business Council for
Sustainable Development
• How can we ensure sustainability is part of
the creative process?
• How can we ensure that sustainability
considerations are part of the management of
a development process?
• When and how can external viewpoints
enrich the creative and development
process?
• What processes are going to leverage the
value of our intellectual capital?
National Geographic Case
and more…
• “Green”ness in direct marketing
– Commitment to Consumer Choice
– Please Recycle
• LEED certification and what it means to
the brand and the workforce
• Push vs pull marketing
National Geographic ethos
“Conservation has been at the core
of National Geographic
throughout its 123-year history.”
— National Geographic Society President
John Fahey
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13. 9/30/2011
Messaging
• Direct mail pieces carry opt outs for future
mail
• Magazine renewals, email and catalogs
promote green behavior
• Inherent respect for the environment and
conservation
Renewal
email
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14. 9/30/2011
Communicating with
customers
Catalog copy
Service chit
Enewsletter
for
consumers
National Geographic’s
staff community
Tweets
NG Green Team-
authors columns on tips
about reusing, recycling,
energy savings and
other green practices via
employee newsletter
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15. 9/30/2011
What is LEED
NGS LEED
Certification
• In 2003, National Geographic’s
headquarters became
– first office building complex in the country to be
certified by the U.S. Green Building Council LEED for
Existing Building program, receiving a Silver rating. In
2009, the Society applied for recertification of its
building complex and was awarded LEED EB Gold
certification.
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16. 9/30/2011
What did NGS do to earn LEED?
• Extensive recycling program in place that
includes:
all paper, cardboard, aluminum, glass, plastic bottles, metals, VHS
tapes, shipping peanuts, carpeting, batteries, cell phones,
computer/electronic equipment, fluorescent lamps/ballasts,
acoustical ceiling tiles, used furnishings, masonry products and
landscape waste.
• Other activities
The cafeteria’s composting program, which currently diverts 54 tons
of landfill waste to compost each year, was instituted in 2006.
Recently, paper towels were added to the program.
What did NGS do to earn LEED
• Use paints, adhesives and other construction
products that contain few, if any, volatile organic
compounds or chemicals that contribute to indoor air
pollution
• Low-flush toilets reduce water consumption
• Auto-light shut-offs (“occupancy sensors”), reflective
window films and cool roofs reduce energy
consumption.
• Green Seal-certified cleaning supplies/equipment
and electric- or battery-powered tools.
Impact
These conservation initiatives, among others,
result in an annual savings of 4.3 million
fewer kilowatt-hours (23% reduction since
2000)
- 4.7 million fewer gallons of water
(20% reduction since 2000)
- over 621,000 pounds of recycled material
being diverted from landfills.
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17. 9/30/2011
Employee Report
• Enthusiasm across all age groups and
areas of expertise
• Healthier work environment, less illness
and overall “better” place to work
• Active participants in looking for new ways
to reduce carbon footprint.
• Proud and loyal
• Executives love it…
Research
http://www.costar.com/webimages/webinars/CoStar-Webinar-
CurrentTrendsinGreen03082011.pd
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18. 9/30/2011
Push vs. Pull marketing
• Push media- direct mail, email, mobile
messages, telemarketing
A model of media distribution were the bits of content have to be
requested by the user, e.g. normal use of HTTP on the World-Wide
Web.
• Pull media- websites, social media,
television infomercials
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19. 9/30/2011
Active paid search and website optimization Access Intelligence
Pop Up
Access Intelligence
Pulling you in…
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20. 9/30/2011
Be smart when you mail
• Participate in the DMA’s Commitment to
Consumer Choice
• Practice good hygiene (list hygiene that is)
How it works
Consumers can make choices if they
want to:
• postal mail or email
• email only
• no third party sharing
• no direct mail
• collect consumer data to enact
preferences
• notification renewals will continue
Examples of mail choice
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21. 9/30/2011
Example of mail choice
Notification of choice vehicle
Recognizing that consumers have a choice
• weekly reports of consumer
feedback
• bi-weekly feeds to the marketing
database
• consumers opt out of specific
product promotions.
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22. 9/30/2011
Thank you …
Questions?
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