In this Issue:
Green Messaging- Using Environmental Science to Increase Sales
There are two types of "green," one helps the world around us and the other helps the bottom line. It would be nice if we could all only focus on the first and the second just magically followed. However the spread of socially responsible businesses and organizations require for them to
stay in business.
While there are cost saving green measures, the majority of them require longevity to bring financial benefit. Until this occurs, there is nothing wrong with using smart marketing to let your customers and clients know about how your product or service is helping the environment. Properly channeled, this information will draw positive attention to your business and should increase sales or transactions.
It's never an easy task-- sending a green message is complex. First, you must have the facts to back up your claim. Nothing is worse than being labeled as a "greenwashing company." Second, the environmental benefit needs to speak to the consumer. Correctly crafted, a green message can overcome having a slightly higher price point than the competition.
Proper messaging can help you in translating your green policies into tangible returns. Returns for your company and returns for your clients or customers. Information is growing more important everyday; what information about your company are you sending out? What information about your company is out there that you can't control? It's time you step in front of your press, and maximize the benefits of your company's green movement.
Are you Greenwashing or Competitively Green?
We all know green is in-- every product or service provider touts their environmentally-friendly side. Just like any bandwagon, there are those on it who aren't really bringing anything to the party. So is your green PR message truly better for the environment or is it just greenwashing a junk message?
Greenwashing is a practice by companies to manipulate marketing messages and labeling when no real "green" purpose exists. The most notorious of the greenwashed messages is heralding a cost cutting measure as a "reduction in resource use." Another is relabeling packaging as "All Natural Ingredients" without qualifying the natural ingredients, like formaldehyde which is 100% natural occurring, as potentially unsafe for consumers.
There are many other ways companies give a resemblance to being green, without taking actions for long-term environmental benefit. Certain company policies attempt to be socially responsible, but lack any real reduction of resource use. A "turn the lights off campaign" when the company leaves every computer on all night. Or, offering blue bins for employees to recycle paper products, but the paper ends up in the same trash as non-recyclable materials.
Less scrupulous business owners will advertise certification or approval from an environmental organization when there is not one. Slightly less sinister greenwashing is just clever wording to make a consumer think there is an affiliation with a legitimate environmental organization, such as "Energy Saver" instead of the real "Energy Star" certification.
The problem with greenwashing is we live in a digital age, where information is a hot commodity and travels lightning fast. If a company or organization is greenwashing, chances are the masses will find out about it. Soon, the word is out on blogs, emails, and posted on social media pages. Recovering from this kind of widespread "bad" press is tough, and not always possible.
Before any egg lands on your organization's face, consider hiring a PR expert to analyze your company's green campaign. A PR expert can:
- Make sure the "green" word gets out in socially responsible ways, like through social media and digital press outlets. You don't want to cut down trees to tell the world you're saving them!
- Double check your claims are the correct message you want to send to consumers. Even "All Natural" products can make consumers concerned about the safety and effectiveness of your new formulation.
- Link your "green" efforts to actual revenue increases. No one says you can't make money by going green, but a PR professional can monitor your marketing message with real business results.
Greenwashing is tempting to many organizations because there is little to no expense in the effort. After all, it's only manipulated marketing messages to change consumers' perspectives about their product or service as being environmentally-friendly. Real green messaging is highlighting the social responsibility of a company, so consumers feel good about their purchase. It can be tricky to know what is considered true "green" movements, and how to effectively communicate that to consumers for more sales. A PR expert can help with both.
News Around the Net
Compelling New York Times article by Kim Severson, "Be It Ever So Homespun There's Nothing Like Spin", shares an in-depth look at the overwhelming amount of greenwashing occurring in most grocery stores throughout the United States.
Also, check out "The Seven Sins of Greenwashing" previously known as the Six Sins, but recently updated by TerraChoice, an environmental marketing firm, to depict the ways in which companies tend to greenwash products/ads.
Tools and Resources
Looking for a way to determine whether or not a company may be greenwashing an ad? Take a look at the EnviroMedia Greenwashing Index. With this tool, you can rate an ad on various greenwashing criteria such as misleading words or graphics, green exaggerations and vague claims.
You can also read over the 2009 Greenwashing Report, which was completed by TerraChoice researchers. The researchers visited 24 stores in North America and surveyed 2,219 products to find that over 98% of products were guilty of greenwashing.
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