Environmental devotion propels success for greeting cards
Perhaps more than other forestry products, greeting cards have a unique ability to connect with consumers on an emotional level.
US-based publisher Compendium combines an emotional connection with messages of sustainability in its Positively Green card line—one of the fastest-selling lines of greeting cards.
Compendium’s decision to use greeting cards as a vehicle for environmental education was a bold move within the industry, but it has paid off.
Selling its millionth card within only months of its release, Positively Green has won numerous accolades including the “Academy Awards” of Greeting Cards—the International Greeting Card Association's "Card of the Year" LOUIE Award in 2009—and continued to win further awards in 2010 and 2011.
“FSC is about trying to make products the right way and we are proud, regardless of recognition or awards, of making products the right way and supporting that initiative,” said Mr Kobi Yamada, Compendium CEO.
An innovative way to spread the word
The popularity of the ‘Positively Green’ line has allowed Compendium to spread awareness of FSC to a wider audience. Mr. Yamada envisioned that an environmentally conscious consumer would give this greeting card to friends and family that may not share their environmental values, but who might be more receptive to the “green” message in the form of a beautifully designed card.
“It dawned on me that you should have something that has a function of its own already, and that a greeting card would be a great medium to educate people from a green perspective—something that could cross-pollinate different markets,” said Mr. Yamada.
The back of each greeting card – which is typically blank – includes a simple environmental tip, a note on their environment profit sharing program, and information on the “green” manufacturing of the card. “In each of the products, we try to find the authenticity, the integrity, and the heart of the product,” said Mr. Yamada.
Making the numbers work
For Compendium, “living inspired” is a philosophy that transcends their business practices and spurs the creation of new products. It is a message of responsible stewardship that has connected with an ever-discerning consumer who demands style, sustainability, affordability, and sincerity in their products.
Compendium believes that the cost of accessing that inspiring message should not be cost-prohibitive to consumers.
Their philosophy is to make a beautifully designed product following the highest environmental standards at a cost that is competitive with non-FSC certified products. So far, that formula is working.
The success of Positively Green has allowed Compendium to financially support the environmental causes the company believes in. Ten per cent of the profits from the line are donated to conservation and environmental non-profits.
View the cards online www.PositivelyGreenCards.com or at www.live-inspired.com.
• Tip #40: Use 100% post-consumer copy paper. It saves five pounds of CO2 per ream. A tonne of recycled paper saves 17 trees—and those trees absorb 60 lbs. of CO2 a year.
• Tip #121: Elevators consume too much energy. Do your part by observing the “up 1, down 2” policy. If you’re only going up one floor or down two floors, use the stairs instead of the elevator.
• Tip #132: Up to 80% of the energy used for washing clothes goes to hearing the water. A warm wash and cold rinse will work just as well as a hot water wash and a warm rinse on nearly all clothes.
