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News Release from: Illuminas | Subject: green marketing versus greenwashing
Edited by the Marketingservicestalk Editorial
Team on 09 June 2008
Firms need to communicate green
credentials
Gavin Mulholland of Illuminas argues that businesses must communicate their real green credentials rather than indulging in 'greenwashing'.
It is difficult to open a newspaper or watch a news programme nowadays without being confronted with a wide array of 'green' issues and environmental topics A quick flick through the papers recently revealed the following: Gordon Brown promised to create up to 100,000 new homes that will be powered by wind turbines and solar power; Nokia announced the introduction of 'environmentally friendly' alerts to encourage people to unplug chargers once their phones are fully charged; investment in socially and environmentally responsible funds reached GBP5 billion for the first time in history; in Japan, workers were set to abandon their neckties and dress in short-sleeved shirts in order that the thermostats in public buildings can be set to cut back on air conditioning and emissions from power plants
This article was originally published on Marketingservicestalk on 17 Apr 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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While much of the emphasis on becoming greener has been placed on the individual with focus on recycling and energy saving devises for the home, it is becoming increasingly clear that it will actually be business and industry that has to shoulder the real burden.
Many forward-thinking organisations have already taken the plunge and are looking at ways of reducing their overall carbon footprint.
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In 2004, HSBC announced their intention to become the first major banking corporation to become 'carbon neutral'.
BT claims to have been actively involved in reducing their carbon emissions for years with CO2 emissions currently at 60 per cent below their 1996 levels.
Last year saw the launch of Silverjet, the world's first carbon-neutral airline - a fact acknowledged and recognised by the Institute of Transport Management in the form of the recently awarded 'Environmentally Aware Airline 2007' award.
Furthermore, specific companies now exist with the sole intention of advising others on ways and means to reduce their carbon emissions and become more environmentally friendly.
Ultimately this increasing pressure will come in the form of a three-pronged attack.
First, as awareness continues to rise, customers are increasingly likely to be seeking greener alternatives as the groundswell of public opinion burgeons into a mixture of social conscious and green guilt.
Secondly, the Government has already started to place goals and targets on industries and sectors in terms of reductions in carbon emissions.
This approach is likely to increase and the sector-specific inclusion net is very likely to widen.
And finally, supply chains will come under threat as larger companies seek green reassurances from their smaller suppliers, as they themselves seek to demonstrate their green credentials to the world.
These developments mean that the pressure to become greener has moved beyond the obvious suspects of the energy and transport sectors to encompass all sectors and both b2c and b2b companies.
Illuminas is working with a range of clients in financial, telecoms and other sectors; helping clients identify how green credentials should be marketed and communicated.
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