Creating Sustainable Marketing Materials

[Susan Snipes]

Today, Susan Snipes (AIGA Colorado Executive Board), Sherry Graham (xpedx and AIGA Colorado Green Salon partner) and Jordan Carver (AIGA Colorado and Urban Forest project) gave a presentation on How to Create Sustainable Marketing Materials at the BCBE Building Creative Businesses Expo in Denver. The presentation was designed for creative entrepreneurs, artists, musicians, fashion designers and other creatives starting their own businesses. The group from AIGA Colorado shared information about sustainability terminology, the considerations in materials choice when creating products and thinking about innovative ways to design or use products for a longer life cycle.

Sustainable Marketing Materials

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY MARKETING MATERIALS
consider your choices for:
+ paper
+ ink
+ printer
+ minimizing waste
+ product lifecycle

YOUR CREATIVE PARTNERS
make your vendors and consultants part of the solution:
+ can your product be created/printed locally?
+ does your vendor use renewable energy?
+ does your vendor have a commitment to sustainability?

PROCESS + THINKING: THE BIGGER PICTURE
extend sustainability to your entire business:
+ what are your business processes?
+ what is the lifecycle of your marketing material?
+ how can you bring sustainable practices to your studio or office?
+ how can you encourage others to think + create sustainably?

Put it in Action

ASK YOURSELF OR YOUR DESIGNER
Ask why. Why is this the best method?
Ask how. How can we lessen impact?
Ask what. What are the impacts of doing this?

ASK YOUR PARTNERS ABOUT THEIR COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY
+ Ask your designer
+ Ask your printer
+ Ask your paper consultant
+ Ask your web hosting company