DMA ECHO Green Marketing Award Overview & Criteria
Green marketing is increasingly important from a global, social, economic, and ethical perspective. To this end, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) is establishing a new ECHO “Green Marketing” Award to honor the most innovative campaign employing environmentally responsible and sustainable marketing strategies and techniques.
The ECHO Green Marketing Award recognizes the most creative and strategic use of eco-responsible marketing tactics to deliver outstanding results, from a response or return on investment perspective, while producing impacts that affect the environment in positive ways. The new award is open to all ECHO entrants, in any media, market or channel. This award will be chosen from all green marketing entries received, and judged by the DMA Committee on the Environment & Social Responsibility (CESR) in cooperation with the DMA ECHO Committee.
Specifically, the ECHO Green Marketing Award winner will have successfully integrated sustainable, creative and strategic environmental considerations throughout the life cycle of the direct marketing process, while delivering outstanding results, as well as inspiring eco-action, promoting green awareness, and/or otherwise making a positive impact on the environment.
To be eligible, the marketing communication efforts need not center on an eco-issue – any campaign that markets any product or service will be accepted in the competition. However, entrants must demonstrate and support claims regarding the environmental innovations, impacts, and/or savings and benefits achieved by the direct marketing campaign and reported in the entry. Please review the specific eligibility requirements and instructions below.
Eligibility Requirements & Instructions
To be considered for the ECHO “Green Marketing” Award, entrants must:
Meet the standard ECHO criteria of excellent marketing strategy, creativity, and results. For more information, please refer to http://www.dma-echo.org/welcome.jsp.
Complete the supplemental ECHO Green Marketing award application addendum. Please see below or click here for a PDF version.
DMA ECHO Green Marketing Award Entry Form Addendum
(1,000 words or less)
In 1,000 words or less, please provide a concise summary of: (a) how you integrated innovative and strategic environmental considerations and tactics throughout the direct marketing process of your campaign, and (b) how your campaign raised environmental awareness, demonstrated sustainability and/or otherwise benefited the planet. Concentrate on the direct marketing tactics/strategies employed throughout the direct marketing process, and on the impact/results of the campaign in terms of demonstrable benefits to the environment. (c) Numbers are very important as measurements of success, but also describe how your activities improved the planet and/or benefited society.
Specifically, please address the following in your response:
(a)
Innovative Green Tactics & Strategies Employed throughout the Direct Marketing Process. In your addendum response, please describe why and how you integrated environmental considerations and tactics throughout the direct marketing process of your campaign.
Questions to consider: What creative or innovative steps did you take throughout the direct marketing process (from list hygiene, design/production, paper/packaging (if applicable), and recycling & pollution reduction) to improve sustainability, conserve natural resources and energy consumption, increase recyclability, or otherwise reduce, reuse, and recycle? Refer to the DMA “Green 15” strategies (www.the-dma.org/Green15) and the strategies in the DMA Environmental Planning Tool (www.the-dma.org/envgen). Did you consider and implement any of these strategies or other strategies during the creation, production and execution of your campaign? What were your objectives and/or motivations for integrating said strategies?
(b)
Inspired Action & Making a Difference to the Planet. In addition to steps you took to “green” the direct marketing process itself, please describe any goals, objectives, and outcomes for your campaign in terms of promoting environmental awareness/ understanding, encouraging or inspiring environmental action, demonstrating sustainability and/or otherwise benefiting the environment.
Questions to consider: Did the campaign inspire action, raise awareness, or otherwise positively benefit the planet and intended recipients of the campaign? If so, how? If sustainability is discussed in your entry, define sustainability and its scope as it relates to the campaign.
(c)
Measurable Environmental Impact of Your Campaign. As feasible, please quantify and provide documentation for the environmental benefits and/or savings associated with the direct marketing process for your campaign, as well as any response, actions, or other outcomes generated by the campaign.
Questions to consider: How well defined and measurable were the environmental goals and objectives of your campaign? What were the specific environmental savings and/or benefits associated with the creation/production/execution of your marketing campaign?
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING YOUR ADDENDUM
Please attach your “Green Marketing Award” addendum (1,000 words or less) to your ECHO entry form. In your addendum, please be sure to (a) address the questions listed in the above three sections and (b) include your full contact information and the name of your campaign on your addendum. To obtain an ECHO entry form and review instructions for submitting it, please refer to http://dma-echo.org/welcome-advice.jsp.
If you have any questions about the Green Marketing Award, please email environment@the-dma.org.