More than ever, consumers want to know what your brand stands for. We’re highlighting four Earth Day marketing ideas to engage your audience with eco-conscious text messaging campaigns. 

From supporting businesses that make a difference to those that take a stance on social issues, consumers are seeking out brands aligned with their own core beliefs. 

90% of consumers say values are important when choosing which brands to shop from, and 72% feel it's important to buy from companies that reflect their values. Because text messaging is so personal and subscribers will read your text as soon as they see it, speaking about causes your brand cares about via SMS is an effective strategy to drive immediate support and action. 

Earth Day—an international day of environmental action—is a great opportunity for your brand to share what you’re doing to help the environment and encourage your subscribers to get involved in your mission. Here are four ways your brand can use text messaging this Earth Day to engage mobile shoppers and make a difference. 

Highlight the impact of your customers’ purchases

Sustainable footwear brand Cariuma creates old-school sneakers made with new-school ethics. The brand believes in making products that consumers love in a way that’s better for the planet. This mission is central to Cariuma’s identity and shapes their text messaging strategy. 

Text messaging is an intimate personal channel. It’s a natural fit for sharing more on sustainability with our subscribers and getting our mobile audience more invested in living their most sustainable life. Whether we’re educating subscribers about how our products are crafted or how they can create small, eco-friendly habits that have a big impact, SMS is one of the channels we rely on to help our customers get even more involved.

- Jennifer Chiang, Head of Email and Retention Marketing at Cariuma

When Cariuma announced their newest style, The IBI Slip-on—which is the lowest carbon footprint sneaker in the world—they focused on how their audience’s purchase would impact the environment. Highlighting the sneakers’ ultra-low carbon footprint and sustainable design helped subscribers feel good about their purchase. It also helped Cariuma build customer loyalty by giving subscribers a peek into how they craft their products. 

Earth Day SMS Marketing Idea #1:

Throughout Earth Week, use SMS to highlight your brand’s sustainable products. Describe how they’re made, including whether they’re produced and shipped in a low-impact manner, or if they’re made from recycled and eco-friendly materials. Finally, include a link to the product so your subscribers can add it to their online shopping cart immediately. 

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Weave your mission into every step of the customer journey

Cariuma begins introducing subscribers to their sustainability initiatives as soon as they opt into their text messaging program. If a subscriber has not made a purchase within 24 hours of opting in, the brand sends a text message letting them know more about how their products are eco-friendly. The message includes a direct link to Cariuma’s “About” page, educating consumers about how the brand is making a difference. 

Once a subscriber has made a purchase, Cariuma sends a series of triggered messages aimed at fostering brand loyalty. Cariuma lets subscribers know that for every pair of sneakers purchased, they’ll plant a pair of trees in the Brazillian Rainforest to support reforestation. If a subscriber makes a second purchase, Cariuma invites them to join their referral program and lets them know they’ll have 30 trees planted in their honor. 

Earth Day SMS Marketing Idea #2: 

Help your subscribers learn more about how your brand is giving back this Earth Day by adding a second message to your triggered SMS welcome series. Send a message detailing how their next purchase will make an impact—like if you’re planting a tree in honor of every purchase—24 hours after they’ve signed up for text messages. It’ll help new subscribers deepen their connection with your brand, and help you stay top-of-mind. 

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Drive action to create change, both big and small

Outdoor gear brand Cotopaxi’s creed, “Gear for Good,” approaches business as a vehicle to make an impact on the world. As a certified B Corporation, the brand dedicates 1% of their revenue toward addressing poverty and supporting community development. Their products are ethically produced and created with eco-friendly and recycled materials.  

Each year, Cotopaxi publishes an impact report on the influence of their grant programs. Using the lookback report as a moment to connect with the consumers who support their mission, Cotopaxi invited subscribers to remember the difference they made. Putting their audience’s purchases into a philanthropic context helped Cotopaxi connect with subscribers over their shared passions, helping the brand build loyalty.

‍Earth Day SMS Marketing Idea #3: 

Let subscribers know you’ll donate a portion of every purchase made on Earth Day to an environmental charity. They’ll enjoy the opportunity to help give back, and you’ll give them an extra incentive to complete the purchase they’ve been thinking about. 

After Earth Day, send a text message letting subscribers know how much you donated, and how their purchases helped make a difference. 

Mobilizing your SMS subscribers doesn’t need to be limited to large campaigns. Cariuma shares weekly tips for living sustainably. These tips help the brand stay top of mind while also helping their subscribers make a difference. Sharing small ways their audience can get involved also allows the brand to establish 1:1 connections and build brand loyalty. 

Earth Day SMS Marketing Idea #4: 

Send text messaging subscribers opportunities to volunteer in their communities on Earth Day. Let subscribers know about the ways they can make a difference in their communities. Or, share small ways they can lead more sustainable lives on Earth Day and beyond. 

To drive more engagement, encourage your subscribers to text you about how they got involved on Earth Day, and offer them a surprise bonus—like a free gift with purchase—as a thank you for their work. 

Consumers are eager to support the causes they care about as they shop—whether it’s purchasing from a brand that shares their core values or taking part in impactful campaigns. Sharing the causes your brand stands for via text messaging on Earth Day enables you to create authentic connections with your audience, while helping your brand make a difference. 

Looking for more spring text messaging inspiration? Browse Texts We Love to discover more text messaging examples sent by leading brands.