Environmentalism has evolved to be a factor in overall corporate performance and product quality. The three R's In the early 1990s, recycling and source reduction were all the rage. Xerox, for example, now remanufactures its copy machines. Green Disk of Preston, Wash., refurbishes diskettes from unsold boxes of Microsoft and Lotus software and markets them to environmentally conscious businesses and government agencies. Services can be bundled with products to differentiate offerings.
Commercial customers lease carpeting and adjunct maintenance services.
Promotions with a cause The old types of marketing incentives, such as cents-off coupons, free trips, and diamonds packed in detergents boxes don't work with green consumers. They best respond to emotional promotions that empower them to act upon environmental and social causes. This gives creative marketers new avenues to attract customers and build loyalty. Since the late 1980's, cause-related marketing has matured from a short term promotional tactic to a mature business practice approached with increasing sophistication by some of the largest companies in the world. And with electrical utility deregulation right around the corner, green promotions are expected to mushroom.