"Green Living" - Hype or Here to Stay?

By: Irina Skaya

I haven’t written a blog in a little over a month now-hopefully, the American idiom, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” will apply here.

Let’s talk “green”--from battery-electric vehicles to solar wing for ferries or yachts, consumers want to use their buying power to help heal the earth.  In the last couple of years, “green” messaging has inundated the marketplace—from subway ads promoting environmental change to “Green is gorgeous” totes—green marketing is everywhere!  The question now becomes, “How much “green” is too “green”?” Green living is starting to look more like a fashion statement than a genuine, beneficial effort to support environmental issues. Despite the current good intentions of the business community and consumers to promote “green”, serious eco-results will depend on making products and processes more sustainable without consumers even noticing it, and, if necessary, not leaving much room for consumers and companies to opt for less sustainable alternatives.

How can marketers ensure their companies stay authentic in the public realm?  Below are several ways to avoid "greenwashing" and establish credibility: 

• Don't go "Green" for "Green's" sake-ensure the product addresses the customers' need first.
• Partner with regulators, elected officials, environmental agencies, and nonprofits. Support from these organizations will enhance your company's “green” efforts.
• Work together with these partners on marketing/communications efforts, learning from their wealth of experience and established networks.
• Place a heavier emphasis on earned media and cause-related approaches, which carry more validity than advertising and other paid media approaches.

So, while it’s great to create products that scream “eco-friendly” because customers want  to express their concern publicly, it’s important to remember to focus on customers’ needs first. Thus, it’s not enough to position a hybrid car as simply cool, it also must convince its owner that the vehicle will save him/her gas money. The green market is a great opportunity to engage with your target consumers because consumers today are not only interested in the eco-friendly products but are in it for the social cause. Join the hype.

Technorati tags: green marketing greenwashing eco-friendly green living environment