Sustainability
Marketing Guide
How to make your green claims honest, authentic and effective.
How to avoid greenwashing
All of these rules can make sustainability marketing and advertising seem daunting. But if you follow the simple tips below, you’ll be well on your way to crafting responsible, watertight messaging.
[.yellow-bold-text] 1. [.yellow-bold-text] Avoid fluffy language and generalisations
This is arguably one of the easiest ways to fall into the greenwashing trap because terms like ‘eco-conscious’ or ‘sustainable’ have gone unregulated for some time.
When using this language, it’s important to consider not only the entire supply chain and lifecycle of the product, but the implied meaning of the word to the customer. ‘Eco-friendly’ for example, implies that there is little-to-no environmental impact. Some may even assume it has a positive impact. So, using the term for a product or service that still has a sizeable environmental impact (despite it being a more sustainable option) would be seen as dishonest.
[.yellow-bold-text] 2. [.yellow-bold-text] Don’t be selective about the truth
Essentially, if it’s only a half-truth, it’s a lie. A good example of this would be a company claiming that their product is ‘made from recycled plastic’ when really, only a small percentage of the material is recycled.
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[.yellow-bold-text]3.[.yellow-bold-text] Keep claims relevant
The most common example of this is a business promoting the claim, “CFC-free.” Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are a type of man-made greenhouse gas primarily used as a refrigerant in air conditioning units. However, CFCs were banned globally in 1987 for the damage they cause to the ozone layer. So, when businesses promote products as “CFC-free”, they’re trying to deceive customers into believing they’re comparatively better than competitors.
[.yellow-bold-text] 4.[.yellow-bold-text] Avoid visual cliches
Eco-related imagery is the obvious choice when promoting claims related to climate change and sustainability. But it has quickly become an effective way to disguise and distract from a company’s weak or non-existent green credentials.
A good example of this is an Innocent Drinks advert that was later banned by the Advertising Standards Authority for misleading the public. In the ad, a man and his otter companion convince a gang of people singing about ‘messing up the planet’ to ‘get fixing up the planet’. It’s cute, fun and seemingly innocent – until you consider that smoothies consumed from single use plastic bottles can’t possibly be good for the planet. Even worse, Innocent Drinks is majority-owned by Coca Cola, the largest distributer of single-use plastic in the world.
The ad very smartly avoids any mention of the company’s green credentials or action, so it’s not technically lying. But by implying that the company is not only sustainable, but ‘fixing up’ the planet – it’s still deceiving consumers in a big way.
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[.yellow-bold-text] 5.[.yellow-bold-text] Steer clear of misleading labels
A more specific example of this is creating a label or stamp that looks like a third-party endorsement. Whilst it might just be a green leaf in a circle, many would assume this is a certification of the product or company’s green credentials.