Print shop clients are increasingly eco-conscious, yet print shops aren’t always well-positioned to deliver the eco printing services clients need. In this post, we’ll explore how delivering a more sustainable product is about more than simply what you sell – it’s about who you are.
While customers are becoming increasingly eco-conscious and demanding more from their print partners, not all print companies are in a position where they can meet these requirements. However, it is important for printers to remember that delivering a more sustainable product is about more than what you sell, but also about who you are.
Soyang Europe’s latest Print Industry Report found 45% of print businesses were being asked for sustainable printing by customers. While this figure is only set to increase, along with the growing green expectations of customers, some print shops are still lacking in how they are able to respond.
Printers may be using recycled materials and solvent-free inks in production but fail to market these services effectively, meaning they miss out on this type of work. So, the question must be “why?” Why are you not making more noise about your offering?
In Soyang Europe’s discussions with printers, three core reasons stand out. Firstly, being eco-friendly is not a requirement. If your clients do not place sustainability top of the agenda, it is less likely that your print shop will.
At the other end of the spectrum are print businesses that operate with eco-friendly materials so consistently that they no longer see it as remarkable or a differentiator. Clients, however, would likely challenge this view.
Then comes the largest category: print shop owners who continue to market their business as they always have, because it has always worked for them. However, shifting strategy to tap into a market that increasingly needs and expects sustainability could offer greater returns.
How do you market eco-friendly print?
So, what can you do to evolve your marketing efforts? Sustainability is about much more than simply selling recyclable material; it is about aligning your clients’ needs with the products you sell and the values you hold. On this, consider three points: what your market wants, how you market what you sell, and how you market who you are.
How to deliver what your market wants
The first step in any marketing journey, but the one most often skipped, is to consider what you know about your clients and what matters to them.
Sustainability is of growing concern to clients for many reasons, but perhaps the most powerful in terms of driving action is that tendering exercises increasingly include environmental considerations. If you are not able to demonstrate that you are a sustainable business offering sustainable products, you are immediately at a disadvantage when pitching for eco-conscious projects.
As to how to know if a client wants to see your sustainability credentials, their website will offer up a number of clues. For example, if they have a sustainability page or have won environmental awards, then the chances are that you will need to showcase your own eco printing services to trade with them.
How to market what you sell
Eco-friendliness is such an everyday part of any print business that it can be easy to forget just how much more sustainable the print industry has become over the past decade. Whether it is recyclable materials, solvent-free inks, natural fabrics or PVC-free banners, yes, these are sustainable materials, but it is important to reassure clients that sustainability does not come at the cost of visual impact or durability.
You should also be looking to champion the benefits of using these types of materials beyond pure sustainability. Saying something is “sustainable” is not enough; you will need to showcase the wider benefits.
For example, working with PVC-free banners means you will not have to deal with the distinctive PVC ‘whiff’ of PVC materials, meaning this will be better for air quality, especially if your banner is being used in indoor settings.
How to market who you are
Selling a PVC-free banner or using a solvent-free ink does not alone make you a sustainable business; you must tie this in with who you are as a company. The good news is that this need not be a complicated process.
Try to be sustainable in every sense. The Sustainable Development Goals identified 17 distinct areas that all contribute to organisational sustainability. For most printers, the most relevant goals relate to clean energy, decent work, responsible consumption and production, and climate action.
So, when you talk about your sustainable credentials, there is an opportunity to look beyond the products you offer and also talk about waste, recycling and social good. If you commit to taking on apprentices or paying a Living Wage, talk about it publicly.
Do the same if you carry out lots of work in your community. On top of this, if you have invested in energy-saving printers or are doing something new to tackle waste, then shout about it! This will not only benefit your reputation but give potential clients a clear understanding of what sustainability looks like in your business.
Also consider using sustainability credentials to showcase your efforts. A sustainability ‘badge’ is a powerful shorthand for showing potential clients your eco-printing services really are eco-friendly. While common certification standards such as EcoVadis or B Corp can feel a little onerous for those starting out on their sustainability journey, not all standards are equally as challenging. For example, Support the Goals, offers a simple rating with lots of resources to help improve sustainability.
There are plenty of effective – yet easy – steps that print companies can take to showcase themselves in an eco-friendlier light. Making simple changes to your marketing efforts can have a big impact in the longer run.
For additional advice on guidance to becoming a more sustainable business including exploring the different material options available, speak to the team at Soyang Europe.
