Greenwashing What? Why? Why not? And how to avoid it

What is Greenwashing?

Green·wash (grēn'wŏsh', -wôsh') “verb: the act of misleading consumers regarding practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.”

Green·wash (grēn'wŏsh', -wôsh') “verb: the act of misleading consumers regarding practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.”

1 Greenwash is misleading the public by stressing environmental credentials of a person, a product or an organization when these are unfounded or irrelevant

1 Greenwash is misleading the public by stressing environmental credentials of a person, a product or an organization when these are unfounded or irrelevant

2 Greenwash is an environmental claim which is unsubstantiated (a fib) or irrelevant (a distraction)

2 Greenwash is an environmental claim which is unsubstantiated (a fib) or irrelevant (a distraction)

3 It’s greenwashing when a company or organization spends more time and money claiming to be “green” through advertising and marketing than actually implementing business practices that minimize environmental impact.

3 It’s greenwashing when a company or organization spends more time and money claiming to be “green” through advertising and marketing than actually implementing business practices that minimize environmental impact.

Why does greenwashing happen?

It depends on how you look at it, But reasons are positive

1 changing buying patterns in consumer markets

1 changing buying patterns in consumer markets

CFC FREE | ORGANIC | FREE RANGE | CRUELTY FREE | BIO | DOPLPHIN FRIENDLY | NON TOXIC | BIODEGRADABLE | RECYCLABLE | ECO | CARBON NEUTRAL | FSC | AGAINST ANIMAL TESTING | VEGAN | FAIRTRADE | LOCAL | OZONE FRIENDLY | CARBON OFFSET

CFC FREE | ORGANIC | FREE RANGE | CRUELTY FREE | BIO | DOPLPHIN FRIENDLY | NON TOXIC | BIODEGRADABLE | RECYCLABLE | ECO | CARBON NEUTRAL | FSC | AGAINST ANIMAL TESTING | VEGAN | FAIRTRADE | LOCAL | OZONE FRIENDLY | CARBON OFFSET

CULTURAL CREATIVES | LOHAS | NEW WORLD’S | BLUE GREEN’S ... They are all high-educated, involved, active, merely urban, double income, early-adapting, ... And marketers are starving to get them

CULTURAL CREATIVES | LOHAS | NEW WORLD’S | BLUE GREEN’S ...

They are all high-educated, involved, active, merely urban, double income, early-adapting, ... And marketers are starving to get them

“ Green is a new sort of ‘ good manners’”

“ Green is fashionable, delivers cool and social status”

There is greenwashing, because we’ve passed a tipping point. Which is good

2 Our education: we’re motivated to tell the story in the most beautiful way

2 Our education: we’re motivated to tell the story in the most beautiful way

Isn’t this how you would think of advertising milk?

The risk is that same can happen with greenvertising. Sometimes we cannot blame ourselves Making things look nice is our nature

Why all the fuss? Why is that so bad?

More complaints against advertising Undermining confidence in advertising Sabotage of environmental movement in business Honestly…It is simply annoying Bad press attention And last but not least…

More complaints against advertising

Undermining confidence in advertising

Sabotage of environmental movement in business

Honestly…It is simply annoying

Bad press attention

And last but not least…

You don’t want this kind of circus on your doorstep

You don’t want this kind of circus

on your doorstep

2 ways you can avoid greenwashing

1 Stick to the MAIN PRINCIPLE of Greenvertising: “ Green Marketing is not about making normal things seem green (greenwashing), it is about making green stuff seem normal”

1 Stick to the MAIN PRINCIPLE of Greenvertising:

“ Green Marketing is not about making

normal things seem green (greenwashing),

it is about making green stuff seem normal”

2 Be aware of the “ seven sins of Greenwashing”:

2 Be aware of the

“ seven sins of Greenwashing”:

Cut out and keep The sin of suggestive pictures The sin of the hidden trade off The sin of no proof The sin of vagueness The sin of irrelevance The sin of lesser of two evils The sin of fibbing

The sin of suggestive pictures

The sin of the hidden trade off

The sin of no proof

The sin of vagueness

The sin of irrelevance

The sin of lesser of two evils

The sin of fibbing

1 The sin of suggestive pictures: Green images that indicate a (un-justified) green impact, like flowers blooming from exhaust pipes

Green images that indicate a (un-justified) green impact,

like flowers blooming from exhaust pipes

2 The sin of the hidden trade off: Suggestion of being Green, based on a single environmental attribute, while blurring all other parameters which are maybe more important, like a Hummer that is claiming that it is a Hybrid

Suggestion of being Green, based on a single environmental attribute, while blurring all other parameters which are maybe more important, like a Hummer that is claiming that it is a Hybrid

3 The sin of no proof Claims that could be right, but are not supported by any evidence, or by any reliable third- party certification, like Household lamps that promote their energy efficiency without any supporting figures or certification.

Claims that could be right, but are not supported by any evidence, or by any reliable third-

party certification, like Household lamps that promote their energy efficiency without any supporting figures or certification.

4 The sin of vagueness Claims that are expressed with fluffy language with no clear meaning , like ‘planet-friendly’ packaging

Claims that are expressed with fluffy language with no clear meaning ,

like ‘planet-friendly’ packaging

5 The sin of irrelevance environmental claims that are redundantand unimportant for customers seeking environmentally preferable products. It is irrelevant and therefore distracts the consumer from finding a truly greener option. Like ‘unleaded fuel (all fuel in Europe is unleaded …

environmental claims that are redundantand unimportant for customers

seeking environmentally preferable products. It

is irrelevant and therefore distracts the

consumer from finding a truly greener option.

Like ‘unleaded fuel (all fuel in Europe is unleaded

…

6 The sin of lesser of two evils These are “green” claims that may be true within the product category, but that risk distracting the consumer from the greater Health- or other negative impacts of the category as a whole Like organic cigarettes

These are “green” claims that may be true within

the product category, but that risk

distracting the consumer from the greater

Health- or other negative

impacts of the category as a whole

Like organic cigarettes

7 The sin of fibbing out-right lying, and produce totally fabricated claims or data Like driving climate neutral

out-right lying, and produce

totally fabricated claims or data

Like driving climate neutral

Let’s get to practice: “ Find me 5 sins of Greenwashing in this ad”

Let’s get to practice:

“ Find me 5 sins of Greenwashing in this ad”

“ Find me 5 good practices in this ad”

“ Find me 5 good practices in this ad”

Sources/ Interesting reads: JOHN GRANT; “The Green Marketing Manifesto” BOB WILLARD; The next sustainability wave - The Greenwash Guide: terrachoice.com

Sources/ Interesting reads:

JOHN GRANT; “The Green Marketing Manifesto”

BOB WILLARD; The next sustainability wave

- The Greenwash Guide: terrachoice.com

Inspiration for Direct Marketing: check poopoopaper.com

Inspiration for Direct

Marketing: check

poopoopaper.com

Remember: You don’t have to be perfect to do good

Remember:

You don’t have to be

perfect to do good

TAPAS!!!

TAPAS!!!

Thanks for your attention! Mail me: [email_address] Read my Green Marketing blog: http:// cause-encounters.blogspot.com

Thanks for your attention!

Mail me:

[email_address]

Read my Green Marketing blog:

http:// cause-encounters.blogspot.com