Your customers may ask how they can buy print and still tell a sustainability story. Print may seem counterintuitive to an eco-conscious landscape where everyone is looking for ways to minimize their environmental impact, but for print resellers, embracing sustainability presents a unique opportunity. The options expand constantly, bringing new products to attract a growing market segment and differentiate your services from the competition.
Partnering with 4over is an excellent start. Since 2008, 4over has been a partner of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and proudly maintains its Chain of Custody Certification (Number C013635). The FSC is a global certification organization that ensures forests comply with the internationally agreed-upon FSC principles for Responsible Forest Management. Working with an FSC-certified partner allows you to share your participation in the global sustainability supply chain with your clients.
Consider your sustainability efforts, too. Talking to your customers using the right keywords can help position your efforts. If you are looking for ideas, consider the United Nations Global Compact a reliable source. According to a study for the organization by Accenture, most CEOs believe sustainability efforts are critical to their role. That means your customers may have a checklist with sustainability requirements in their print buying and business partnering criteria. Look at their guidance for how to incorporate sustainability into your talk track for strategy, building your organization, your supply chain, and how you manage your resources. It can lift your positioning!
Review your catalog and highlight the products and papers that appeal to customers who want to tell that story. Recycled and recyclable paper options highlighted in your product catalog, both in print and online, paired with sustainable business practices, are a good foundation. Remember to update your sales team so they can highlight your sustainability story as they talk with current and prospective clients.
If you have invested in more efficient equipment, process automation, waste recycling, or renewable energy options, you have more pillars for promoting your business as eco-friendly. Tell your clients about those efforts as part of sales calls, on your website, and in your brochures. Share your sustainability success!
As you build your stories, remember that the papers available today can empower your options. A popular approach is to pivot to brown kraft paper for print projects. This is the paper you see that is light brown and has an organic look and feel. Uncoated stock can help clients meet their goals and is eligible to be used with white ink that can help add contrast to text and images. The 4over brown kraft stock is 100% recycled with a minimum of 30% post-consumer waste content.
Another option is the 14pt natural stock. It is a light cream paper with a smooth finish, perfect for business and announcement cards. Add options like round corners or matching envelopes for announcements, save the date, and greeting cards for a classic approach to communication. Help your customers tell their stories by adding information about the stock to the content. The natural stock is environmentally friendly, with a minimum of 30% post-consumer waste content.
As you sell these products, remind customers that most recycled stocks have slight color variations including natural flecks and fibers within the paper stock.
Sustainability is a great topic to promote, so review your marketing collateral, including your website, to tell the world about your green options for printing. Highlight your sustainable print options and eco-friendly practices. Consider adding informative blog posts, infographics, and videos about the benefits of sustainability when buying print and offer tips on choosing eco-friendly paper and printing options.
Ask your clients to help tell the story by capturing testimonials and video case studies that show how they use sustainably printed products. Talk to your 4over team for pointers to the 4over Sustainable Printing story for ideas.
Remember, sustainability is a journey, not a destination. Identify your business as an environmentally conscious, sustainable provider to your market. Feature your eco-friendly products and adopt a transparent communication strategy. Tell everyone that you are there to answer their questions! For more ideas, reach out to the 4over team!