Almost 10 years ago, I worked with a company that produces a consumable for kitchen use with a very high market share. Their primary marketing strategy was (and still is) to encourage consumers to use more of their product once they have purchased it. They identify new and novel uses for their product and try to make consumers aware of them so people use their product more often, and therefore buy their product more frequently.
Pete Kazanjy, a product manager form Silicon Valley, has turned this old idea around. He has developed "Remember... These Come From Trees," what he calls a guerrilla public service announcement. The idea is that organizations can affix these stickers to things like paper towel and napkin dispensers and consumers will think twice before taking extra. His research suggests that, on average, one sticker saves 100 lbs. of paper each year.
This illustrates one of the biggest issues with the nuts and bolts of green business (and admittedly this blog). There is a level of inconsistency with the idea of green consumption. The most sustainable thing one can do is not consume anything. One of the problems that companies and entrepreneurs have is that we want to make money and this often results in our attempt to sell more of whatever we produce. There are numerous strategies (e.g. products of consumption and service) that can enable companies to make money while being environmentally responsible.
This sticker is another example of how a company can benefit from encouraging consumers to use less.
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