Well, as predicted, and following in the footsteps of the European Union, the FTC is on-course to come down hard on folks claiming to be "green" and "sustainable" (Read the Story Here). That will hopefully put a few big-box AD agencies on ice for a while. Consumers are having a tough time making heads or tails of this whole "green" thing and are now experiencing "GREEN FATIGUE!" And if that weren't enough, now we have law suits amongst folks in the green space, like Dr. Bronners suing Nature's Gate, Jason Organics, Aubrey and many others over certain unintended petrochemicals showing-up in their products.
Yet there's an upside, for consumer and businesses alike, even short of new FTC Regs:
Read on...
For the Consumer: The unintended side effect of the onslaught of green marketing and advertising is that more consumers are turning over the bottle, reading the box, reaching for Google and otherwise taking a more conscious approach to their buying. My favorite example comes from a mom in middle America who turned over the box and exclaimed: "Well this can't be TOO bad; the ingredient list is less than a half-inch long." Though we're not all certain about the quality or safety of the ingredients we're seeing on the labels, research shows that we at least have started looking...and that's a great start towards a more conscious consumer.
For the Business: Businesses are catching on to the fact that the "green wave" has hit shore and the effects are long-lasting. More and more companies, even the big box folks, are getting REAL about their sustainability initiatives. Many have a very long way to go indeed, yet the mere fact that we see genuine movement towards social and environmental stewardship from the likes of Wal-Mart, Nike, Coke and others (even as they continue to falter in other areas), is a plus and means that they are no longer just seeking to wrap their old way in a green box with a green ribbon. We are seeing authentic change that will have an impact for many years to come.
Tell me your story about Greenwashing or your moment of higher consciousness which led to a recent buying decision.
Neal
“changing the world” is not my motis apperendum
Making a difference in the way I live my own life is about all I can manage.
Through your efforts, I have noted some major opportunities and tried to discipline my behavior, however I seem to fail when it comes to the big things. I want a better world for my grandchildren but I have to drive to see them and have been known to drive the route more than once in a day. I’d like to walk there to see them but I don’t. It’s unimaginable to me that it costs me $80.00 to fill up my car and only get 15 miles out of a gallon…but that doesn’t compare to the grandparent who lost her grandchild in the Iraqi war. I buy my food at Whole Foods and endure my husband’s constant complaints about the bananas going brown in a day and the texture of the peanut butter and the way the toilet paper is too thin and the cleaning products not working as well. I give my clothes to the poor, I make charitable contributions to underprivileged. I pray, I am vociferously against the current administration, and never pass a person in need on the street without acknowledging them. I’ve substituted vitamins for drugs and try to eat only the whites of the eggs. I recycle paper and never spit on the street or cough in anyone’s face.
The world was so simple when I was young…it’s such a mess now and I hate the thought that my grandchildren are not seeing life through the simplicity of my youth but need to concern themselves with Aids, War, recession, gas prices, date rape, school shootings and Hannah Montana being photographed in the near-nude.
What else can I say…
Posted by: Marlene Levin | May 29, 2008 at 05:40 PM