Using promotions as incentives are a commonly used method of increasing acquisition rates and inspiring repeat purchases.

These incentives have now entered the green space – meaning they have an environmental benefit. These green benefits are being offered across a number of product categories. Here are 4 such examples:

Automobiles:

Volkswagen of America recently announced its Carbon Neutral Project – a campaign that offers to offset customers’ carbon emissions for one year.

Banking:

Carolina Postal Credit Union, offers a 1% discount on auto loans with the purchase of a hybrid car.

Credit Cards:

Metabank gives every new green credit card applicant the equivalent of 10,000 lbs of CO2 offsets – equaling the average annual CO2 emission of a car in the US.

Telecommunications:

Working Assets, a San Francisco-based wireless carrier, offers new subscribers a “carbon neutral phone” to offset average CO2 emissions caused by phone use over the next year.

The impact of green promotional benefits is still uncertain, so it’s imperative to test its efficiency and effectiveness with a small, targeted audience.
*Source: Marketing Green Site http://marketinggreen.wordpress.com/2007/09/16/testing-green-promotional-benefits-to-drive-acquisition/