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Greenwashing
Deceptive eco-advertising and its prevalence in the home appliance
industry.
What s Greenwashing?
• Deceptive or misleading advertising• Designed to make products appear
more Eco-Friendly
The History of Greenwashing
• The term first appeared in the 1970’s• Coined by Jay Westerfield• Combination of “green” and “whitewash”• Began in response to the 1960’s
environmental movement
Greenpeace’s Greenwash Criteria
• Dirty Business• Ad Bluster• Political Spin• It’s the Law, Stupid!
The Seven Sins of Greenwashing
• Sin of the Hidden Trade-off• Sin of No Proof• Sin of Vagueness• Sin of Worshipping False Labels• Sin of Irrelevance• Sin of The Lesser of Two Evils• Sin of Fibbing
Sin of The Hidden Trade-Off• Claiming that a product
is “green” based on a narrow set of attributes, while ignoring others.
• Example: O.B. Claims their tampons will save one pound of waste per woman, but do not factor in the chemicals used to manufacture them.
Sin of No Proof
• A claim about a product that can’t be supported by evidence
• Example: Diapers claiming to contain a certain % of recycled materials.
Sin of Vagueness
• A claim that is too broad or not legally defined
• Example: “All-Natural” products
Sin of Worshipping False Labels
• Companies that create fake 3rd-Part endorsements
• Example: Magazines paid to evaluate products
Sin of Irrelevance
• A claim that may be truthful but is unhelpful
• Example: “CFC-Free”
Sin of the Lesser of Two Evils
• A product that is only green in comparison to other products in the category
• Example: Organic Cigarettes
Sin of Fibbing
• Outright lies• Example:
Companies falsely claiming to be energy-star certified
Genuine Green Labels
Home Appliances
• Refrigerators, Washers, Toaster, Air Conditioners.....
• We all have them• Hard/Impossible to
Realize Greenwashing
Example 1: Samsung
• Read everything carefully• Don't believe everything you read or see• Symbols don't always mean something• Every Award is different
Example 2: LG
• Research• Compare Multiple Tests• Don't believe what they say• Look into the history of the company,
were they caught before?
Example 3: GE
• Promises are promises, nothing more• Money means nothing, I can markup
anything• Companies don't need to give you the
whole story. They can leave parts out that make huge differences.
Lowe’s-- Improving Homes?
• Selling Greenwashed products is only fueling the Greenwashing epidemic
• Needs to Re-think Objectives
Honest AND Eco-Friendly
• Adopt policy of honesty• Share information on true green
appliances and their companies• Focus advertising on just those
products
Benefits
• Reassure customers
• Improve sales
• Better the image of the company for the future
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