Does ‘Green’ Marketing Really Work?What a recent experiment uncovered about the true psychological impact of an eco-conscious marketing campaign

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Ben FilipSenior Manager,Data SciencesMECLABS

Today’s speakers

Austin McCrawDirector, Content ProductionMECLABS

Lauren PitchfordSenior Optimization ManagerMECLABS

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Experiment: Background

Background: A mid-sized furniture company selling mattresses.

Goal: To increase the overall number of mattress purchases.

Research Question: Which credibility approach will produce the highest rate of mattress purchases?

Test Design: A/B variable cluster split test

Experiment ID: TP11009Record Location: MECLABS Research LibraryResearch Partner: (Protected)

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Experiment: Control

• The product is an organic latex mattress. It is one of only a few mattresses that is GreenGuard Gold certified.

• In the control, the certification is present, but de-emphasized.

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Experiment: Treatment

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Experiment: Side by sideVersion A Version B

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Experiment: Results

Relative increase in conversion46%The GreenGuard copy increased conversion by 45.69%.

Design Conversion Rate

Control (without GreenGuard copy) 0.65%

Treatment (with GreenGuard copy) 0.94%

% Relative Change: 45.69%

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Key question

Why was “green” marketing so effective in this case?

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Today, we are going to walk through the four factors that made this particular green marketing campaign successful.

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Four essential observations

1. The value was tangible. The value created by the copy was directly connected to the customer experience.

Key observations

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The value was tangibleHilton

GE

TraidCraft

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The value was tangible

• The “green” nature of the manufacturing process is directly connected to the quality of the product.

• The mattress “meets the world’s most rigorous, third-party chemical emissions standards with strict low emission levels for over 360 volatile organic compounds.”

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Four essential observations

1. The value was tangible. The value created by the copy was directly connected to the customer experience.

2. The issue was relevant. The issue addressed by the copy dealt with a key concern already present in the mind of the prospect.

Key observations

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The issue was relevant

• All of these, while potentially noble causes, do not directly connect to a relevant problem the customer is having.

Eco-friendly AirlinesBiodegradable

SunscreenBiodegradable Pens

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The issue was relevant

• The manufacturing process connects directly to an important concern in the customer’s mind:• Skin sensitivity• Allergies

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Four essential observations

1. The value was tangible. The value created by the copy was directly connected to the customer experience.

2. The issue was relevant. The issue addressed by the copy dealt with a key concern already present in the mind of the prospect.

3. The claim was unique. The claim of exclusivity in the copy intensified the “only” factor of the product itself.

Key observations

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The claim was uniqueGreen Hosting

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The claim was uniqueBPA Free Bottles

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The claim was unique

• While not entirely exclusive, the claim here implies that the GreenGuard Gold seal is limited to only a few mattress manufacturers.

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Four essential observations

1. The value was tangible. The value created by the copy was directly connected to the customer experience.

2. The issue was relevant. The issue addressed by the copy dealt with a key concern already present in the mind of the prospect.

3. The claim was unique. The claim of exclusivity in the copy intensified the “only” factor of the product itself.

4. The evidence was believable. The evidence provided in the copy lent instant credibility to any of the claims.

Key observations

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The evidence was believable

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The evidence was believable

Three ways to make a claim believable:

1. Verification

2. Specification

3. Quantification

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So does green marketing work?

• When done right, green marketing can be effective for generating response.

• The degree to which green marketing impacts the probability of conversion is directly related to the degree to which it is:

• Tangible

• Relevant

• Unique

• Believable

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Key summary questions

Is your green marketing tangible? Does the nature of the green claims actually make the end product more appealing?

Is your green marketing relevant?Does the fact that your offer is green solve an important problem in the mind of the customer?

Is your green marketing unique?Can anyone else in your vertical make similar claims? If so, how do your claims stand apart?

Is your green marketing believable?Are your claims actually true? If so, how can you quantify, verify or specify your specific claims?

Live optimization

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Company: PowerTechnology Chicago

Primary Audience: Food industry

Page Purpose: Homepage

http://powertechnologychicago.com/

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Company: Crown Bees

Primary Audience: Beekeepers

Page Purpose: Landing page

http://www.crownbees.com/

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Company: MyOrganicFlowers.com

Primary Audience: Gardeners

Page Purpose: Product information page

http://bit.ly/1wl4y42

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Company: HelloMarket

Primary Audience: Small businesses

Page Purpose: Homepage

https://www.hellomarket.co.uk/

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A Title Would Look Like This

Company: GoPro

Primary Audience: Active videographers

Page Purpose: Landing page

http://gopro.com/

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Company: AGI

Primary Audience: American gunsmiths

Page Purpose: Homepage

http://www.americangunsmith.com/

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Next Clinic: Background

Background: A large e-book retailer.

Goal: To increase the overall number of e-book sales.

Research Question: Which attempt to reduce anxiety will result in the highest conversion rate?

Test Design: A/B variable cluster split test

Experiment ID: TP10713Record Location: MECLABS Research LibraryResearch Partner: (Protected)

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Next Clinic: Version A

Concern:• Is the checkout

secure?

Corrective:• Version A attempts to

reduce anxiety with a security seal.

Logo

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Next Clinic: Version B

Logo Concern:• Is my device

compatible?

Corrective:• Illustrates

compatibility with all devices.

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Next Clinic: Version C

Logo Concern:• Is this the correct

book?

Corrective:• Brings synopsis to the

top of the page.

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Next Clinic: Version D

Logo Concern:• Can I read this

immediately?

Corrective:• Highlight the short

time it takes to begin reading.

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Next Clinic: Side by side

Logo Logo

LogoLogo

Version A – Security Version B – Devices

Version D – Instant AccessVersion C – Correct Book

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Live June 18 at 4:00 p.m. EDT

• Which of the four treatments produced the highest conversion rate• Why the treatment won and the principles behind the “why”• How you can think about your own product pages in a way that will

enable you to achieve your own wins

Join the next live 35-minute Web clinic to discover:

Next Clinic: Product pages tested

To join live, register at the link below:

MarketingExperiments.com/ProductPages

Product Pages Tested

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See how you can conduct research with usMECLABS conducts rigorous experiments in the new science of optimization. We apply our discoveries to help leaders optimize the financial performance of their sales and marketing programs.

Learn more about how you may be a fit for a MECLABS Research Partnership:

• Select Research Partnership Opportunities on the post-webinar survey

• Contact us directlyinfo@MECLABS.com1-877-635-0565

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