Paperless Marketing - Is it time to put print behind us?

Panorama's recent investigation of the impact of direct mail and particularly what they call 'spam mail' on society, the economy and the environment, raised a hugely complex series of issues and questions for politicians, the police and servie providers - but what issues does it raise for marketers?

Clearly there are ethical questions concerning the sending of inappropriate, misleading or downright fraudulent marketing communications (and issues that aren't confined to direct mail I might add, having received a shockingly disingenuous cold call to my mobile from Carphone Warehouse yesterday).  These questions need answering, and although there are not necessarily clear boundaries for all aspects of marketing communications activity, we do at least have some legal and self-regulatory measures in place (including codes of practice such as the CAP code, and the professional codes put in place by bodies such as the IDM).  However, one area where the marketing profession does not seem to have really grasped the nettle is that of sustainable use of resources in marketing activity, and it's about time we did.

Ethical, sustainable, green, environmentally friendly are all words marketers are encouraged to consider in developing propositions for products and services, but how many of us are really engaging with the ethical questions that the practice of marketing raises?  Distracted by the glamour of technology and the buzz of social media in particular, it seems to me that many marketers are ignoring what Al Gore might call the 'Inconvenient Truth' that the marketing practices of many companies ride roughshod over the reduce, reuse, recycle mantra and have seemingly ignored some of the opportunities to rethink the way we 'do' marketing in a world with dwindling resources.

The irony is that the answer to many of our problems may be in the very technology we cleave to in order to avoid thinking about the impact of our consumptive actions, as it offers us new ways of delivering messages to existing and potential customers, new ways of engaging them and interacting with them.  So, if you're in anyway involved in marketing or producing print materials of any kind, I urge you to, at the very least, just ask yourself the question:  'Do I need to print everything?'  Will your target audience really only interact with what hits their doormat?  Or, are there other, less resource-intensive ways to get your message across?

There are, of course, many counter arguments. Is the electricity used to keep our PCs and Macs buzzing any less draining than paper use? How can marketers reconcile sustainability with their responsibility for the efficacy of their activities? As the IDM will tell you, direct mail is undoubtedly effective in the right context, but have we really tried all the other options?  The options that are multiplying rapidly online?  It takes a brave marketer to ditch what you know works and try something new, but if no-one does it, if no-one takes that risk, that leap, how will we ever know?

I have been known to say that marketing is all about trying things to see what works and what doesn't.  Marketing as science?  Well no, not exactly; I'm not a fan of the overly analytical approach either, I prefer to go with instinct (but that's another blog..).  It's about getting a balance between being agile enough to spot an opportunity and take it (through original thought and quick action), but realistic enough to not throw good money after bad. 

So, with that in mind I ask you to take a little step back and look at what you do, how you do it, and the resources you use.  Think about the savings you could make; think about the impact on the earth's resources, whatever it takes to get you thinking.  Yes, you might have a lot to lose if it all goes wrong, but at least you'll know it was for a good cause ;)