It’s Not Easy Being Green: Proving Your Brand’s Green Cred When ‘Greenwashing’s the Norm

Greenwashing is a problem.

Defined by Investopedia as a marketing “process of conveying a false impression or providing misleading information about how a company’s products are more environmentally sound,” the term ‘greenwashing’ was coined in 1986 to describe outrageous and unsubstantiated environmental claims that corporations were making about themselves.

Two-and-a-half decades later, greenwashing’s a pervasive issue across almost every industry.

In fact, with the general public increasingly caring about the ecological footprint and impact of the companies whose products they buy, corporate greenwashing has become even more common. Marketers want to convince consumers to buy their brand’s products and have found that the sustainability/’green’ angle can be highly effective, regardless of how true those assertions may or may not be.

Giovanni Lopez-Quezada explainsOpens a new window  that “many companies have adapted greenwashing tactics which carefully sidestep federal regulations regarding false advertising and work to provide a counter argument for the part of your brain telling you it isn’t worth the potential costs.”

The concept behind greenwashing – the reason it’s so effective – is simple: A company can use that approach to sell moral values rather than a product or service itself.

It’s the same reason that ‘rainbow-washingOpens a new window ‘, a similarly shady marketing-spin practice, is also becoming more pervasive. Or why politically-inspired brand activismOpens a new window and socially responsible marketingOpens a new window are growing in popularity.

Belief-driven buying is at an all-time high. Marketing firm Edelman found in 2018 that an organization’s social or political stance substantially impacts purchasing decisions by more than 60% of global consumers.

As Richard Levick, CEO of PR and strategic communications firm Levick, writes: “The rewards for and pressure on companies to market green are increasing. Each year, consumers demand more ‘responsible’ brands — from non-GMO to local to sustainable to mission-driven — even if consumers themselves know little about what being a responsible corporate actor entails.”

The role of social media

Back in the day, before everything went digital and social media was even a concept, greenwashed messages were publicized by companies as fact.

Social media, though, has changed the story. If an organization makes such a statement these days, it must accept that the nature of social media means it’s inviting response — and scrutiny. In real-time, no less.

Considering how highly social media consumers value authenticity and transparencyOpens a new window from the companies they buy and engage with online, the repercussions of getting busted for false representation of green credentials can be hefty.

While some experts believed that this dynamic between individuals and corporations on social media would lead to a reduction in this spin tactic, I would argue that’s not been the case.

For instance, one paper published in the Journal of Business Ethics in 2013 predicted that the wisdom of crowds mechanisms in social media would constrain greenwashing as “such corporate opportunistic environmental disclosure may backfire if social media users are skeptical about the authenticity of excessive self-promotion.”

But that hasn’t happened. Rather, marketers have gotten more creative with their greenwashed campaigns. While some get caught and others don’t, the issue is that these bad seeds are deteriorating consumer trust for everybody.

So how do companies that want to showcase their green initiatives and/or values avoid the pitfalls of consumer mistrust, a social media landscape that is unforgiving and often-times accusatory and, ultimately, get grouped in the public eye with the greenwashing perpetrators?

Value-based approach

It’s hardly great wisdom to warn you not to market your company as eco-friendly or sustainability-focused unless it’s true.

Levick says, “rather than trumpeting vague messaging about being sustainable or eco-friendly, consider adopting a mission-driven approach. Companies that embrace specific philanthropic or community missions appear to be gaining traction in the marketplace.”

It’s important to consider that the consumer expectation isn’t that companies be entirely ‘green.’ What the public wants are companies to show a true commitment to those types of values.

My advice is to focus as well on transparency, authenticity and accountability. Don’t shy away from the parts of your operations that aren’t so green.

Instead, be forthright about the full extent of your environmental footprint. Be honest about where you could design or improve a campaign that shows your audience how your business is trying to be a better citizen.