By Ben Berman
Environmentally-sound practices have become all the rage as of late. Organizations ranging from the US Air Force to Johnson and Johnson have made huge strides in sustainability and green marketing. Powerful consumer preferences have propelled this focused shift; according to one study, environmental issues evoke a visceral response even among consumers who don’t fully understand what they mean! Producers, especially energy and utility companies, have taken note of customer preferences and adjusted their practices accordingly.
But the great rewards at the end of the “green behavior” rainbow have led some marketers to cut corners. Greenwashing has become a 21st century reality. In response, customers are forming watchdog groups, exposing questionable claims, and creating PR/marketing nightmares for anyone found guilty of these transgressions.
A few years ago, we spoke with Scot Case of TerraChoice Environmental Marketing, who gave his take on how companies can best avoid the greenwashing stigma. He shared six greenwashing sins to avoid, and gave some advice to members on how to responsibly market their green credentials. For more, read the whole conversation, or listen to the webinar!
Here are Scot’s six greenwashing sins to avoid:
Sin of Fibbing. This sin involves misleading customers about the actual environmental performance of a company’s products.
Sin of No Proof. Also known as the sin of “just trust us;” this involves manufacturers being unable to provide proof of their environmental claims.
Sin of Irrelevance. Factually correct, but irrelevant, environmental assessments. Examples include “CFC-free”
Sin of the Hidden Trade-Off. Focusing on one or two environmental facts, but ignoring other significantly more
important environmental concern.
Sin of Vagueness. Broad, poorly defined environmental claims (e.g., “100 percent natural”). In the U.S., where “organic” is a label without much regulatory heft, that can sometimes qualify, too.
Sin of Lesser of Two Evils. A product can be the most environmentally preferable product in its class, but still be
an inappropriate choice (e.g., “organic cigarettes”)
MLC members, for more on green marketing, check out how Royal Phillips and Timberland have scaled the demand for green innovations, and how to best market green credentials in the B2B space.
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