Creating buzz about your Endorsed Product

Remember: if you want your customers to know about your GRA

Endorsement, you have to tell them.

This Public Relations and Marketing Guide will take you step-by-step through the process of building awareness around your product’s Endorsement status, through the use of various tools:

Your Green Label Website Product Placement Sell Sheet Copy Uniforms Invoices Product Packaging Advertising Media Outreach Approved Language & Staff Communication Social Media

Upon Endorsement, the GRA can create a “Green Label” that showcases the environmental merits that earned your product its Endorsement

Each Green Label features the “Endorsed by” logo, as well as the number of points a restaurant will earn on the GRA’s ratings scale by using that product

Displaying the logo on your website is a simple and effective way to communicate your commitment to sustainability foldpak.com

Remember: If not all of your products are Endorsed, always place a disclaimer by the logo directing customers to “click here to see our Endorsed products”

In addition to posting the seal, it’s good to create a separate “Green” or “Sustainability” subpage showcasing your efforts towards manufacturing sustainable goods, and indicate which products have been Endorsed by the GRA

For Example: Fold Pak uses the logo on its product pages to indicate which products have been Endorsed

Upon Endorsement, you were provided with an “Endorsed by” logo illustrating your accomplishment

The “Endorsed by GRA Logo” adorns take-out containers, nontoxic chemicals, equipment and more. Have the endorsement logo directly on the product is a key component of promoting the environmental disctinction of your product.

To showcase their Endorsement, Fold-Pak prints the logo on its Bio-Plus Earth® to-go containers

Achieving Endorsement of your products is unique and timely. The GRA can provide you with sample statistics and body copy to be placed on your sell sheets.

For example: Sterno tells the story of their Endorsement on their sell sheets

Your staff is often the front line in communicating your business’s mission and values. The Endorsement Logo can be placed on the uniforms of your delivery personnel to showcase your commitment to sustainable products.

Placing the logo and some introductory copy on your invoices can be effective in communicating your Endorsement; for example, “x product is proud to be Endorsed by the Green Restaurant Association”

Packaging can sell as much or as little as you want. Placing your Green Label and/ or Endorsement logo on your product packaging quickly and effectively communicates your dedication to sustainable products

It’s important to only use the “Endorsed by” logo on products that have been officially Endorsed by the GRA

Trade advertising is an excellent place to showcase your achievements and differentiate your product

You can also utilize the logo on your brochures, trade show displays, pocket folders, and other collateral

The GRA can write a press release announcing your Endorsement for you to distribute to national, trade, and local media

The Releases we create: Highlight the environmental merits that earned

you Endorsement Are sent as soon as possible, when news is fresh

and current Capture what’s unique about your restaurant

and provide media with a captivating story

When referencing your Endorsement use the words “Green Restaurant Association Endorsed Product”, “GRA Endorsed Product”, “Endorsed by the Green Restaurant Association”, or “Endorsed by the GRA”

Do not refer to the following: “Member of the Green Restaurant Association” or “Certified Product”

You can easily promote your Endorsed Product status through your business’s standard boilerplate

The GRA can also help craft testimonial quotes for your product releases, website, sales materials, and more

Alert customers of your Endorsement with Facebook updates and Twitter posts

The GRA will also promote your Endorsed Products through our Facebook Page, Twitter account, and Newsletters

When Endorsed Products are covered in the media, we post links to the article

When you have an upcoming media interview, the GRA can provide you with talking points that speak directly to your Endorsement

  The GRA can also help you educate your staff, by

including sample language for training manuals, or by conducting a webinar training to explain the environmental merits that got your product Endorsed

In this guide, we’ve shown you many unique ways to maximize the benefits of your Endorsement:

Your Green Label Placing the logo on your website Placing the logo on your product and product

packaging Sell sheet copy Placing the logo on uniforms Communicating through invoices Advertising Media outreach and interviews Staff communication and trainings Using Facebook and Twitter

The GRA is here to assist you with all your green marketing needs. For assistance in incorporating these items and more into your marketing plan, contact the

GRA Communications ManagerJennifer Fleck617.737.4425

jennifer.fleck@dinegreen.com