Marketing

Marketing acts as the connecting communication hinge between the R&D/ production and the sales teams as well as the users/ customers. Communication is based on a broad range of different channels like brochures, newsletters, webpages, social media, shows, White Papers, and many more.

All these channels and materials have a different impact on the topic of sustainability. Classic print material requires resources like paper and color whereas electronic media consume electric power as well as hardware storage space at server systems. A booth at the show requires re-usable as well as single-use furnitures, electric power, and generates travel impacts.

Some of these aspects can be optimized.


Print material

Despite all digitalization trends, there is still a need for paper-based marketing material such as flyers, brochures, cards, or catalogs. To limit the print-numbers to the required minimum, print-runs, e.g., for new brochures are checked upfront with the regional sales offices to estimate the print numbers needed.

Print material in the headquarters is produced at a local print house. Beginning of 2022, we switched from normal (certified) paper to 100% recycling paper for print runs of new marketing material. Stepwise, we will renew all our marketing print material when the former print batch is empty.

Due to further shifts towards brochures in digital formats, we expect a gradual downscaling of paper-based material in the next years.

The annual Eppendorf product catalog is still based on classic (certified) paper due to the thin paper used in combination with stability. Since 2014, the catalog print run is compensated by „Print&Forest“.


Shows

Besides all online concepts, real shows are still well accepted and expected in the community. Whoever visited a show or even organized a booth at a show is aware of the tremendous usage of resources for these events. Besides the financial impact, the required material burdens the sustainability score sheet. The booth itself is planned, the material is ordered, and the booth is built-up. A lot of equipment has to be shipped to the show, many people for the booth team need to travel. At the end of the show –which is normally after two to three days- everything is disassembled and the equipment is sent back to the corporate facilities.

As many show organizers expect their halls to be clean 24 h after the show, many material is just discarded and ends up in big disposal containers.

In contrast to this, Eppendorf focuses on re-using many segments of the booth and to include re-usable dedicated furnitures of our own wherever possible. These re-usable tables, floor units, and side walls are more expensive in the initial investment but can be used for several years.

Beginning of 2022, Eppendorf adapted the booth concept with options of further increased focus on sustainable aspects:

  • Dedicated talk area for educational programs at bigger shows
  • Specific information area about sustainability
  • Increased ratio of natural ressources as of plain wood