Marketers from Leading Companies Join Forces

  Tag : Printing On FabricHacker Group, a full-service direct marketing agency, hascreated the Green Marketing Coalition (GMC). Realizing there wereno industry-wide green marketing standards or guidelines, HackerGroup formed the GMC to provide tools to organizations interestedin incorporating green marketing into their businesses practices.For Hacker Group, the green process began last year, and it hassince changed the way it operates from top to bottom. Hacker Group management invested time and money, researching howthey could reduce their company ’ s carbon footprint. They began phasing in green initiatives,allowing employees to adapt and educate their clients on thebenefits. It was this discovery process that led to the creation ofthe GMC. Hacker Group invited representatives from Microsoft, WashingtonMutual, Kawasaki, MSP, Nahan Printing, Inc., Data-Mail, CascadeLand Conservancy, American Recycling, KP Corporation, OptimaHealth,BECU and FastSigns to join the GMC. The first item on the agendawas to define and establish green marketing standards andguidelines. Coalition members now meet quarterly and are helpingdemystify green marketing, making it accessible for companies ofall sizes. “ After seeing how easily we could incorporate our own greeninitiatives, we have dedicated ourselves to helping otherorganizations do the same," commented Spyro Kourtis, President,Hacker Group. “ Through our dialog with marketers from around the country, we foundthat many of them didn ’ t know where to start; it seemed overwhelming, ” Kourtis continued. “ We heard that they wished there were guidelines or standards.Without them, they didn ’ t know how to get the buy-off from management to make the switch togreen marketing. By partnering with like-minded companies throughthe GMC, we are developing tools to help marketers easily integrategreen marketing into their companies. ” Prior to the development of the GMC, Hacker Group employees alreadyhad introduced green marketing into their business practices. Thefirst phase incorporated state-of the-art data processing toeliminate mailings sent to the wrong addresses. Then they beganworking with production vendors who were committed to recycling,using UV print presses and complying with hazardous waste disposalstandards. Next, employees and clients began using Hacker Group ’ s extranet to track documents electronically, offeringopportunities to proof and edit material using Adobe PDF filesrather than hard copies. And finally, Hacker Group made the promiseto clients that whenever possible, marketing materials would beprinted on recycled paper using 10-percent post-consumer waste. The next phase involved moving the company from Bellevue, Wash. toSeattle to reduce the commuting impact its employees were making onthe environment. Through a better-designed new office space, thecompany reduced the square footage needed per employee for betterenergy efficiency, and used environmentally friendly paint, fabric,lighting, furniture and equipment. Adopting green marketing practices doesn ’ t have to break the bank. Members of the GMC believe all companiescan begin to take small steps towards reducing their carbonfootprints.