One of the biggest challenges for companies is just what Greta Thunberg mentioned: it takes more action and “less blah, blah, blah.” A new trend, which has been abused by brands, is to exploit the issue of sustainability and environmental commitment without having a livelihood in which it is proven that they are really impacting for the planet.
This column is not meant to be a witch hunt about which companies are actually acting and which are taking advantage of the situation. Simply put in Google “Mexico greenwashing companies” or “greenwashing brands” and the results would open our eyes to investigations, reports and examples of brands that position themselves as responsible with the environment, when the reality is different.
As context, when we use the term greenwashing We refer to companies that use misleading advertising or communication, saying that their product or service is sustainable. Meanwhile he Green Hush, He tells us about the companies that selectively communicate the sustainable actions they carry out and, in addition, recognize the areas of opportunity they have to reach an environmental goal.
But why should we be aware of and responsible for the campaigns with sustainable messages that we carry out? The first place, and I think the most important, is for ethics. The new generations are pushing for this type of actions to have an impact on company sales.
Studies such as the “Business Action for Climate Crisis”, carried out by Porter Novelli, indicate that 68% of people believe that they can have an impact on the climate crisis through more sustainable purchases. In addition, a stronger bond between the brand and the consumer would be generated, since, according to the study, 73% of the participants would have a more positive image of the company and would even be willing to pay more for products that support a sustainable cause (58%).
The new challenge is how to do it. For this, the traditional communication scheme must be modified when companies disclose an environmental commitment. The formula currently is to hold an event or launch a press release with the aim of getting the message to the consumer. But once again, as Greta Thunberg pointed out, not everything can be put into words.