As I see brands claiming to have won the “Green” award, I would like to share with you a few principles to keep in mind in order to protect your brand from taking home the “Greenwashing” trophy.
- Proof = Truth – All claims should have scientific proof.
- Don’t Hide and Emphasize – Don’t try to hide some facts and emphasize other information. Your audience will notice and the truth behind your message will come to light. Tell the whole story!
- If you are not different, it doesn’t make a difference – If you are claiming something every other company is doing you are not special.
- The Label Matter – Get a neutral and respectable third party organization to endorse your claim/stamp/label.
- Educate your Audience – If you use a term, i.e. Fair Trade, provide a definition on your label for that or any other term and or claim.
As this blog post is dedicated to my UCLA Green Marketing Strategy students, I would like to share and informative video I found on YouTube made by grenkblog.com. Please watch the video and let me know how you would avoid the “Greenwash” trophy.
