Making the Jump: How to 'Go Green'

As you may already know, one of Giftify’s major product launches for 2021 was Giftify Green: our sustainable gift card solutions. Since then, many of our clients have proactively chosen to ‘go green’ when designing their gift card campaign, with our Paper Board card being the most popular. It may surprise you to learn that, in terms of basic cost, the difference between Classic PVC and Paper Board is small yet significant; per unit, Paper Board is on average lower in cost than Classic PVC. To learn more about the card options we currently offer, check out the full Giftify Green article here.

With that to mind, we've jumped the first hurdle for 'going green': cost effectiveness. But the decision to switch product lines is more than just cost alone. So today, in honour of Earth Day, let’s talk about why and how shopping centres, retail parks, outlet shops, and city centres 'Go Green’ with their card programmes, and how this decision impacts customer loyalty and brand love.

Is the whole industry going green? Why? How? Does it create a real competitive advantage?

Why Choose a Sustainable Programme?

There's a long list of reasons to introduce a sustainable card programme at your location: 'Going Green' can bring your company a reputation as a leader in ethical decision making, economic benefits, competitive advantages, brand awareness, and increased PR opportunities as well as the possibility of an increased volume of gift card purchases.

Back to the Basics - Ethical decision making¹, ie 'Ethics', plays a key role in any business model, and by extension, any business decision secondary only to cost effectiveness. Bringing these two together can have a mighty impact. For us at Giftify, the ethical issue at stake is the environmental impact that single-use PVC cards have on the environment when they are not properly recycled after the valid expires/the card has been emptied. Since our launch, we've issued millions of cards and thankfully our card supplier had also been grappling with the issue of plastic waste by empowering us to launch Giftify Green. That's an opportunity: an opportunity for us to bring a timely product to our clients that works to resolve the ethical question of single-use plastic waste in the gift card sector.  

So how does this question of Giftify's ethics impact you? Well, while taking the decision to launch Giftify Green served our ethical issues, it also serves yours as well. All while tackling the commercial side of 'Green' products.

Indeed, in a 2021 article in the Journal of Business Research, author A.G. Woodside explains that, “A sustainability claim could be an important differentiator for new products and contribute to higher sales because by purchasing a sustainable alternative, consumers can contribute positively to society and/or the environment. This can be an important motivation for consumers to purchase these products[...]”.² The question of a business's ethical decisions are now a key element in customer purchase considerations. So cost, ethics, and consumer habits are all aligned for choosing to 'Go Green' with your gift card programme, but that leaves one more concern: 

How can Giftify Green help you to compete in your market?

The Competitive Edge in 'Going Green'

Beyond the business case elements we've already covered, 'Going Green' provides a competitive edge for companies in one core arena: brand perception.

In a 2018 article for Forbes Online, Solitaire Townsend (co-founder of international strategic sustainability agency Futerra) cites her agency's research in the US and UK when stating, "96% of people feel their own actions, such as donating, recycling or buying ethically, can make a difference. And over half believe that they personally can make a big difference.”³ Townsend goes on to say that, "if your brand isn’t helping your consumers improve their environmental and social footprint, then you’re in danger of disappointing 88% of them". While the numbers above may be outdated, their sentiment continues to ring true - and the continued impact of Futerra speaks to the message's reliability. Your customers are more likely to respect you, and perspective customers are more likely perceive you in a positive light (and therefore to choose you over competitors), if you demonstrate how they can enjoy your products in a 'greener' way.

How Can I ‘Go Green’ with Giftify this Earth Day?

In addition to our Paper Board cards, we offer Bio PVC,  Recycled PVC, and Recycled PET-G solutions, all of which are more environmentally friendly than the Classic PVC card. At Giftify, we strongly believe that 'Going Green' should be seen as a brand opportunity, not a hurdle or a box to tick on a CSR checklist. You can be assured that our pricing will remain affordable and that our eco-friendly card stock is just as customizable in terms of print options as our Classic PVC option.

In the spirit of innovation - one of our core values - we're also exploring the possibility of Digital Cards for centres looking to go a step further in reducing single-use products from their pipeline. Stay tuned for updates on this exciting new product, we'll share updates on LinkedIn and here on our Insights page.

It’s safe to say that it’s never too late to add a competitive asset to your marketing toolkit that your customers will love; ‘Going Green’ can have a positive impact on your sales, brand perception, and bottom line.

Are You Ready to Make the Jump to our 'Green' Gift Cards?

Book a Demo with our Sales Team now

References

1 Ferrell, OC, John Fraedrich and Linda Ferrell. 2022. Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases. Cengage Learning Inc: pgs 135 - 157

2 Woodside, A.G. Journal of Business Research. Volume 137. Elsevier: December 2021

3 Townsend, Solitaire. '88% of Customers Want You To Help Them Make A Difference'. Forbes Sustainability. Forbes. November 21, 2018. <https://www.forbes.com/sites/solitairetownsend/2018/11/21/consumers-want-you-to-help-them-make-a-difference/?sh=469ce6656954>