[D2C marketing tip #2] Champion a cause your customers care about

One thing that will immediately stand out to anyone who spends more than a couple minutes on Quill.com is how environmentally friendly the company is.

Case in point, the company dedicates an entire section of its website specifically to green, eco-friendly products.

From paper, ink, and other smaller supplies, to mailroom packaging and even office furniture, Quill allows eco-conscious consumers to purchase the products they need while remaining confident that they’re doing as little damage to the planet as possible.

Additionally, Quill actually incentivizes eco-friendly purchasing and overall behavior through its ink and toner recycling program:

As shown in the above image, those who return their used ink and toner cartridges to Quill will receive QuillCASH, which essentially equates to store credit off of future purchases. So, not only does Quill reward those who would have recycled their ink cartridges anyway, but it also makes those who might not have done so more likely to, at the very least, consider going the eco-friendly route in exchange for a discount off their next purchase.

(A quick note: If you noticed, the discount only applies to purchases of over $100. This, in turn, incentivizes customers to increase their order value.)

In addition to all this, Quill also provides informative and educational content revolving around green living and office operations such as the following infographic:

Actionable takeaway

Now, we’re not saying that your company should be focusing on being more environmentally conscious, per se.

(Although, we’re not not saying that, either.)

The point of showing how Quill has championed the eco-friendly cause is to showcase the importance of finding a cause you care about to promote and support through your organization. 

Maybe it’s “going green,” or it might be feeding the hungry. Perhaps you want to improve living conditions for military veterans, or provide better conditions for schoolchildren. Speak with others within your organization, and try to pinpoint a specific cause you’d like to focus on. Additionally, reach out to your customers to see what areas they’re interested in helping out with. 

Once you find a consensus between your team members and your customers, it’s important that you go all-in with your new initiative. You don’t want to come off as if you’re championing a cause just to score brownie points with a certain demographic. Just as Quill does with its eco-friendly initiatives, you want your cause to be reflected throughout your organization – from the products and services you offer, to the educational content you provide, and beyond.