Nearly every week, there's one piece of snail mail I can almost bank (pun intended) on receiving--a letter from one of my financial institutions (banks, credit card issuers, investment brokers, etc.) enticing me to "go green" by opting-out of print statements in favor of email statements.As a marketer, I appreciate the altrustic call-to-action since a large percentage of the population these days is moved to reduce their negative environmental impact wherever possible (and convenient).
My marketing genes, however, also allow me to understand the true motivation for the green financial services movement. It's cost savings, pure & simple. Email statements cost a fraction of the cost to print & mail the same information. There's not a bank in the world that wouldn't love to elminate it's printing and postage costs in favor of eStatements.
And therein lies the problem. Every bank & credit card company's "Go Green" messaging blurs together. As a result, the call-to-action may be losing some of its motivational luster.
What's a financial service company to do? How about going personal in addition to going green? Some possible ideas to consider:
- Personalize the direct mail and email "Go Green" calls to action with the headshot, name & contact information of the local banker or agent. As the old adage goes, "people buy from people." My bet is that people go green with people too.
- Include personal endorsements (pictures & quotations) from other local customers who switched to paperless statements. There are still consumers who may fear the switch--let their peers dissuade them of those fears.
- Tie the move to paperless statements to other green activities in the consumer's neighborhood. Show consumers that your green efforts aren't just about cost savings--invest in local parks, forests or environmental education projects. Not only will such efforts encourage consumers to go paperless--it may help you pick up more customers in the process.
In short, if you want consumers to go paperless, treat them as individuals, connect them with local representatives, and demonstrate that you're committed to their community--not just cost savings. Such an effort is not only more green, it's more human.
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