Submitted: The Two Sides Team August 2, 2012

In the wake of Toshiba’s failed attempt for a National No-Print Day, I am going to be more proactive and help get Print & Paper’s greener messages out there for you to share as you wish… and please, do share them. We live in a bubble of our own industry and the perception of the sustainability of Paper & Print is still not there with consumers. Don’t think that’s the case? Ask your family, friends and neighbors about our industry and the environment.

June 25 2012

by Allan P. Adler, PrintMediaCenter

Can direct marketers continue to send direct mail in bulk and still be considered environmentally friendly?

In short, the answer is an emphatic yes.

Going green and direct mail are not mutually exclusive. In fact, direct marketers are increasingly partnering with innovative, eco-friendly companies and yielding excellent response rates and increased ROI. ecoEnvelopes LLC is one of the many companies out there that are making direct marketers greener and more profitable than ever before.

The Eden Prairie, Minn.–based company creates a recyclable envelope that Wae Nelson, publisher of Florida Gardening Magazine, finds perfect for his direct marketing needs.

The envelope has two-way indicia, which eliminate the need for a separate return envelope. Watch a video showing how ecoEnvelopes work. Nelson says he uses ecoEnvelopes® to send out subscription renewal notices as well as mailings to find new readers. In the latter case, he is receiving a very satisfying 5% return rate for new subscribers.

Nelson says ecoEnvelopes not only save money by eliminating one envelope, but they cut down on needed storage space and insertion costs and, as a plus, “It’s a good public relations tool because gardeners generally favor efforts to save the environment.”

“Direct mail is convenient and we’ve got total control of the mailings,” Nelson says. “Because of the high cost of television and radio advertising, direct mail is the most cost-effective marketing tool that we have.”

Gale Ward of ecoEnvelopes says the simple switch from using two envelopes in a mailing to one can have huge cost savings for a business. Savings typically range from 15–50% over the cost of two envelopes.

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