Marketers, Not Consumers, Need Environmental Education

via : Adage, April 28,2008.

The FTC is finally trying to do something about this, stepping into the greenwashing debate for the first time since it published its actually-rather-useful "Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims" in 1992. The agency held a green-marketing workshop earlier this year, aimed mainly at asking whether it's possible to quantify things such as carbon neutrality, and it's set to hold another April 30. It may follow these workshops by updating its guidelines. Very few agencies, marketers or media owners attended the first workshop, and only a few more are slated to be at the second one.
The 4A's, ANA and AAF are being represented at the hearings by Ronald Urbach of law firm Davis & Gilbert. What does he think is at stake here? "If the guidelines are too stringent, it can crush [green] product innovation," he said. "And if consumers aren't getting it and are left confused by what all the different terms and messages mean, regulation could happen." The point is that the marketing world needs to educate itself in the basics of environmentalism. 　　　　　　　There are now hundreds of people who say they can market my green product -- but few who could tell me if buying carbon offsets will allow me to legitimately claim carbon neutrality, or whether that 30%-less-plastic water bottle is actually an "eco bottle." Put another way: Does the marketing world care enough to actually know what it's talking about, or just enough to hang out a recycled shingle and make a quick buck? At the moment, it still looks a lot like the latter.

對廣告主的溝通與教育是關鍵點