Consumers are Experiencing
"Greenwashing Washout"
The National Marketing Institute-(NMI) -LOHAS research shows that corporate sustainability messaging is not breaking
through the clutter in consumers’ lives.
While leadership brands across a
variety of industries have been a galvanizing platform for consumers to
initially understand corporate sustainability.
- The future of the green
movement will require a new level of sophistication and clarity as consumers
increasingly discern between those companies that are truly sincere versus
those that are perceived as participating for superficial reasons.
According
to NMI Managing Partner Steve French, “While
numerous companies are attempting to gain credibility as good corporate
citizens, consumers are overwhelmed by the myriad of communications and are, at
times, unable to distinguish the legitimacy. Some companies who are doing
relatively little with respect to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) are perceived as just as responsible as
those spending millions of dollars incorporating sustainability into their
businesses.”
Simultaneously, many consumers remain contemptuous about the sincerity of corporate action and look for credible, third party proof of the claims companies make.
Look
no further than a brand such as Herbal Essence® compared to Estee Lauder’s
Origins brand to see the value of third party claims in proving benefits to
consumers.
Lack
of credibility and trustworthiness will continue to cause confusion and
blurring in consumers minds.
Simultaneously,
CSR messaging must be more
meaningful, memorable, and relevant to consumers to have an impact.
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