2Sustain

Despite the sluggish economy and the rise in energy prices, Americans still want to “go green.”

New survey results from Harris Interactive show that more than three-fourths (77 percent) of those polled purchase green products or services. Among these, 57 percent said they bought green products because they believe they are better for the environment.

The survey, conducted in partnership with SCA Tissue USA, an 80 year old company that makes paper and hygienic products for office and restaurant use, suggests that sustainability is becoming more and more a part of everyday life –good news for companies that manufacture environmentally-friendly products or are considering adding them to their product lines.

The study also revealed that: (more…)

Even though the Federal Trade Commission’s has stepped up efforts to curb greenwashing, new results from the 2011 Cone Green Gap Trend Tracker show that most Americans continue to be both skeptical of companies environmental claims (57 percent) and overwhelmed by the barrage of (often misleading) environmental messages in the marketplace (51 percent).

What’s more, there appears to be a considerable knowledge gap regarding what actually constitutes a legitimate green claim. This year, 97 percent of those surveyed said they know what common environmental marketing claims such as “green” or “environmentally friendly” mean, yet Cone found that these interpretations are often inaccurate. More than two-in-five Americans (41 percent) erroneously believe that claims such as “green” or “environmentally friendly”  mean a product has a positive (i.e., beneficial) impact on the environment. Only 29 percent understand that these terms more accurately describe products with less environmental impact than previous versions or competing products.

In addition, the 2011 Cone Green Gap Trend Tracker showed that: (more…)

Last year, Scot Case, the Vice President of TerraChoice, told federal legislators that of all the products claiming to be eco-friendly, virtually all (98 percent) are guilty of greenwashing. Since then, I would venture that the problem has become worse, not better, as more and more companies attempt to capitalize on being “green” –often by making misleading environmental claims.

Fortunately, the Federal Trade Commission is now stepping up its efforts to address greenwashing. Last week, the FTC proposed revisions to the guidance that it gives marketers, so that companies can better align their product claims with consumer expectations. The proposed changes are designed to update the FTC’s “Green Guides” and make them easier for marketers to understand and use.

The Guides, which haven’t been revised since 1998, provide marketers with advice about: (more…)

Back in 2005, GlobeScan found that the vast majority (more than 80 percent) of Chinese consumers felt that companies communicated ‘honestly and truthfully’ about their social and environmental performance.

Five years later, opinions have changed.

In its 2010 global tracking research on public views of corporate social responsibility, GlobeScan found that these days, less than half (40 percent) of Chinese consumers believe that companies are being truthful about their CSR performance. (more…)

Have you noticed how Earth Day has morphed into a consumer-driven holiday, of sorts –complete with gift-giving and special promotional items?

The irony is dramatic …

and that’s what makes today the perfect opportunity  to introduce you to a new white paper from OgilvyEarth, titled “From Greenwash to Great: A Practical Guide to Great Green Marketing (without the Greenwash).”

After all, as OgilvyEarth points out in the report, greenwashing has reached epidemic proportions and is now a serious threat undermining the credibility of every company’s legitimate sustainability efforts.

Ogilvy’s22-page guide will walk you through the three fundamental phases of a marketing campaign: (more…)