When EcoFriendly Promotional Products Don't Work

With our society’s emphasis on green issues, it might seem unthinkable that there would be occasions not to use eco friendly promotional products. But there are.

Let’s look at one in particular. An office equipment dealer received most of his promotional products from a manufacturer he represented. One of the products was reusable grocery totes. Nice gesture. But did it support his efforts of selling office equipment? No. Hope these bags aren’t residing in a landfill somewhere.

What are the occasions when an eco friendly choice is not appropriate?

When It Doesn’t Align With Your Product or Service – It seems that everyone is giving our reusable tote and grocery bags these days. Let’s say you develop software for manufacturing, Does it make sense to have your customers flaunting your name and website in the local grocery store? Probably not. You’ve just wasted an important “green” resource: your money. That being said, when you do find a product that is appropriate for your business, seeking a greener version of it is the right thing to do.

When Your Company Has Not Made a Commitment to Green Initiatives – Integrity alert! Using eco friendly promotional products when your company is has not yet made a commitment to going greener sends mixed signals to your customers and prospects, decreasing your trust factor.

When You Don’t Really Need to Buy Anything – A key earth-friendly principle is to reduce your consumption. If you do have less environmentally friendly promotional products in your supply room, don’t run out to buy a greener product just to feel good. Use up what you have and then restock with a greener alternative when you run out.