Trade show attendees are about to get hit with less brochures and mailers. Recognizing the benefits of going green, marketers of late have expressed a greater interest in eco-friendly communication materials, according to a new study by Eloqua.
The firm interviewed 150 marketers for its Green Marketing survey and found that 90% of the marketing industry wants to be more environmentally friendly. Sixty percent said they believe that green marketing provides a competitive brand platform, while 60 percent expressed plans to switch from paper-based marketing materials to digital communication protocols in the next 12 to 18 months.
Eloqua recently adopted this approach at its Experience '08 Conference in Las Vegas. The conference featured an online portal where attendees could access the latest panel and speaker information, bypassing paper agendas. Also, instead of disposable name badges, attendees were given electronic devices with built-in digital networking capabilities.
Brian Kardon, Eloqua's CMO, said marketers are embracing the green movement for two reasons: Companies with a green platform tend to appeal to consumers, and the transition also results in increased cost savings. At the same time, marketers should switch their reasons for going green from purely business-driven to more altruistic, he said.
"The intention has to be down in your soul: 'I
