In recent years, sustainability practice has become good practice. Today, customers at every stage in the supply chain are looking for suppliers who can help them meet environmental goals. It’s essential therefore to get the word out about your own sustainability efforts. Social and digital media provide the perfect tools, helping you share successes, boost your profile as a sustainable business, and attract new customers.
As keen recyclers, members of Recofloor (the vinyl recycling scheme founded by Altro and Polyflor), are in a strong position to show how to make the most of these digital opportunities. A case in point is national flooring distributor SASGO, winner of the 2023 Recofloor Distributor of the Year Award for its achievements running a Recofloor drop-off point where contractors can bring vinyl waste for recycling.
“More and more customers are including sustainability as a key factor in buying decisions”, confirms SASGO marketing manager Lynne Gawthorpe. “This means it is important to use evidence-based sustainability initiatives such as Recofloor as valuable sales messages. Digital channels are vital – through consistent messaging, we ensure customers regularly see the SASGO brand associated with green practices. This in turn helps us build credibility as a sustainable supplier.”
So just how do SASGO get their sustainability credentials across effectively online?
Sustainability on the SASGO website
A modern, up-to-date website sits at the heart of SASGO’s digital strategy. A page dedicated to sustainability explains the overall approach and currently features three recent achievements: winning the Recofloor award, gaining official Carbon Neutral status (the team believe this is a first for a UK flooring distributor), and attaining Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) Silver Accreditation for the second year running.
Customers wanting more detail can download the SASGO Sustainability and CSR Guide. Importantly, this document is also used by sales staff at sales presentations.
SASGO blogs and social media
On top of this, regular blog articles and social media posts share information on sustainability initiatives as part of a varied mix of news, product promotions, sales messages, and post sharing. SASGO suppliers are also encouraged to submit sustainability news for sharing.
Significant calendar days offer a further opportunity to celebrate and raise awareness of how everyone in the industry can contribute. A post on Earth Day, for example, highlighted the significance of the day itself and included a round-up of the company’s recent sustainability achievements.
SASGO email newsletters
Email newsletters are another vital channel for SASGO, allowing them to target recipients directly with content aligned with website and social media news and information.
Tips from Recofloor
It’s in everyone’s interests for companies with genuine sustainability practices to thrive and grow. To this end, the team at Recofloor have always worked to help members promote their businesses. Most recently, we’ve issued guidelines for distributors and contractors giving simple tips for using websites and social media to promote sustainability initiatives.
While some of the tips are specific to Recofloor members, others will be of use to any business wanting to put themselves ahead of competitors. Both the guidelines for distributors and guidelines for contractors are available on the Recofloor website, and are suitable for businesses of all sizes.
The more you can do to show you are playing your part in tackling environmental issues, the more that customers will see your business as a sustainable choice. You can then be confident that by adopting greener ways of working, you are doing the right thing for the environment and at the same time delivering real benefits for your business.
