The document discusses green advertising and consumer attitudes towards environmentally friendly products. It notes that while 83% of global consumers say protecting the environment is important, only 22% are willing to pay more for eco-friendly options. Several reasons are proposed for this gap, such as the higher costs of green products influencing consumer behavior, skepticism of companies' environmental claims, and beliefs that governments or future technology will address environmental issues. The document also reports that U.S. companies spend $500 million to $1 billion annually on green advertising and public relations, in some cases more than on donations to environmental groups. It raises questions about how to close this "green gap" between attitudes and purchasing behaviors.

1. By Meredith Gibson
Image: Zach Stern via Flickr

2. “The United States
comprises only 5
per cent of the
world’s population,
but has consumed
about 5 times more
than an average
Mexican, 10 times as
much as an average
Chinese and 30
times more than the
average person in
India”
Image: Desmond Talkington via Flickr

3. “Green advertising has been studied extensively
to help develop effective environmental
communication strategies targeting green
consumers”
Image: Joan.M.mas via Flickr

4. “Any advertising that explicitly or
implicitly promotes an awareness of
environmental issues and/or
suggests behaviors useful in
minimizing or correcting these
environmental issues”
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Image: Oran viriyincy via Flickr
Image: Neal jennings via Flickr

5. Image: Bre? Jordon via Flickr

6. Others encourage consumers to consume
conscientiously in their
day to day lives
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7. Image: edward musiak via Flickr

8. Can green advertisements
help us consume less?
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9. “Nearly 83% of global consumers say that
it is important to implement a variety
of programs that protect the
environment, [yet] only 22% would pay
more for eco-friendly products.”
Image: shelley and alan via Flickr
Why is this the case?

10. Image: lisa via Flickr

11. Image: Jim Linwood via Flickr
Image: gambier20 via Flickr
Image: rhythm bea9ng silence via Flickr

12. The cost of behaving
environmentally influences
environmental attitudes and
subsequent behaviors
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13. Consumers often feel the government
should protect the environment
Image: City of Toronto via Flickr

14. Image: Saad faruque via Flickr
Others feel future technological
endeavours will fix our current
environmental problems

15. To add, consumers often mistrust
companies that promote green
products without necessarily being
green themselves
Image: Hartwig HKD via Flickr

16. In fact, approximately $500 million to $1
billion is spent annually on green public
relations and ads in the United States
Image: epSos .de via Flickr

17. In many cases,
companies spend
more money on
green advertising
than on funding for
environmental
groups
Image: Eve livesey via Flickr

18. Image: Luca perino via Flickr

19. How do we fix this green gap?
Image: Ivan ovchinnikov via Flickr

20. Image: allison via Flickr

21. Image: madlyinlovewithlife via Flickr

22. References
Fowler, R.A., and Close, A.G. (2013). It Ain’t Easy Being Green: Macro, Meso,
Micro Green Advertising Agendas. Journal of Advertising, 41(4), 119-132.
Jimenez, M., and Yang, K.C.C. (2008). How Guilt Level Affects Green Advertising
Effectiveness? Journal of Creative Communications, 3(3), 231-254.
Nakajima, N. (2001). Green Advertising and Green Public Relations as
Integration Propaganda. Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society, 21(5),
334-348.
Image: Kevin Dooley via Flickr
Image Credits: Slide 1-20 Flickr Creative Commons 3.0