Is Mobile Text Marketing Green?

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As I write this, we’ve just celebrated Earth Day. So anything green seems to be a hot topic around this time of year. That got me thinking about mobile marketing and how that can fit into a company’s greener marketing objectives. Let’s look at the pros and cons of it.

WHY IT’S GREEN

Less Paper – Obviously, with e-communications of any sort, less paper and plastic are generated in distributing information or advertisements. As of 2007, the worldwide consumption of paper had increased by 400% in 40 years. While recycling of paper does result in 35% less water pollution and 74% less air pollution than virgin paper according to the U.S. EPA, 22% of the wastepaper weight recycled can create a de-inking sludge that could go direct to a landfill. Plus, it takes one tree to make 16.7 reams of paper. Paper products can make up to 40% of the composition of landfills. Yes, we need to go paperless!
Less Plastic – If I get one more rewards keytag, I’ll need a shoulder holster to carry around my keys. Those just drive me nuts. So one day I pared it down to just four tags that I use multiple times a week. I’d rather flash ‘em a text message, promo code, or barcode that’s on my phone. Less plastic, less hassle.
Higher Read Rate Means Less Waste – With mobile text messages having a reported read rate of 97%, there’s less need for multiple messages, whether electronic or physical. And that also means more effective communications, too.

WHY IT’S NOT SO GREEN

Electronic Devices Increase Environmental Impact – No way around it. Whether you use mobile phones, desktop computers, tablets, or gaming equipment, the environmental impact of the equipment itself is an issue that needs to be addressed as we move forward into more virtual communications. I’m encouraged to see retailers such as Best Buy launching buyback programs that will help people keep their technology current. This also increases the likelihood of messages being transmitted properly across all networks, again reducing the number of e-transmissions or paper communications needed to get a message through. As well, it keeps these devices out of landfills and the materials can be recycled for use in other products. A win all around.
E-Communications Use Energy and Have Emissions – Did you know it takes approximately 90 joules of energy to send a tweet (which is equivalent to standard text messages)? And what does a tweet emit? 0.02 grams of CO2 according to a report mentioned in the Green Data Center Blog. Doesn’t sound like a lot until you realize that there are 50 million tweets a day which translates into a metric ton of CO2 per day. And with teens in a texting frenzy of thousands of texts a month each, e-communication energy use and emissions are significant.

So what’s the verdict? Is mobile marketing green or not?

Though I understand the environmental impact of both the equipment and messages, I still think mobile marketing is greener. All I have to do is look at my own residential recycling bin each week and see the pounds of paper I throw out in just seven days. Probably in the neighborhood of at least 10-20 pounds per week. And it’s not only the trees you have to consider in the paper trail. It’s the water and air pollution it generates, as well as the potential volume going to landfills. I’d rather delete a quick text message.

As well, I anticipate greener mobile devices on the horizon which use less energy and/or alternative energy such as solar. In fact just the other day I saw a solar keyboard at Best Buy. And as more devices become multi-functional, we can reduce the number of devices we actually have, thereby reducing the impact. My iPhone is a miracle… as close as you can presently get to a Star Trek tricorder.

Even considering that, there are some ways you can make your mobile marketing campaigns even greener…

Limit Your Text Messages to One Standard Message – Sure, you can technically send a mobile text message of up to 459 characters which spans three messages. But that drives up the cost, both environmentally and financially. Need practice saying what you need to say in 140-160 characters? Get active on Twitter.
Opt-In Programs Eliminate Wasted Electronic Communications – People who opt in to your mobile marketing program really want to hear from you. And while it may seem like a small number when compared to blasting an email to everyone in your database which uses energy and emits CO2, you will be reaching only those who are your best customers and prospects. This saves you money and the earth too, while making your communication more effective.

What do you think? Is mobile marketing green or not? Share your thoughts with us in Comments.

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