While it’s important to have a commitment to sustainability, it’s equally important to ensure that any green advertising or marketing that you do is 100 per cent accurate.
Avoid Greenwash - that is, the practice of making misleading or unsubstantiated claims about the environmental benefits of a product or service.
Tips for green advertising and marketing
Ensure you are 100 percent honest in your claims – There is more than reputation at stake, after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) launched a crackdown on green claims with the release of its guidelines, Green Marketing and the Trade Practices Act (PDF 241KB), in November 2007. Under the Act, the maximum fine is $1.2 million for companies engaging in misleading and deceptive conduct.
Check and double check your claims – to ensure the accuracy of your claims, it can be helpful to use a third party to objectively measure what you are saying. Research this third party to ensure that they are credible.
Collect data – substantiate your claims, and make them publicly available, for example by putting it up on your website. If unsure, seek legal advice – this is the only way to ensure the accuracy of your claims.
Steer clear of overused phrases – phrases such as environmentally friendly, green, carbon neutral and CFC-free can be misleading and open to an individual’s interpretation. Ensure you research appropriate terminology and educate your staff to prevent misuse.
Avoid ‘green’ imagery – pictures of leaves, dolphins, pandas and other ‘green’ imagery are often overused. For instance, a picture of a dolphin on packaging infers that the product is dolphin friendly – but are these claims substantiated? Use clear language as an alternative.
Use your website - to promote your commitment to sustainability. Sometimes not all the information you want to convey will fit in a brochure or on a product.
Consider your use of marketing materials – ensure you carefully consider printing brochures and flyers – could you put this information on your website to minimise paper use. Also where possible use recycled materials for printing and only print quantities you require.
Promote green-friendly options for consumers – you may like to consider providing an accredited carbon offset scheme for your consumers or encourage consumers to use public transport or adopt green practices such as reusing towels in their room. (Tourism Australia 2009)
Useful links
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) have produced an informative booklet on Green Marketing and the Trade Practices Guide (PDF 241KB).
The following sites provide information on carbon offset products available in the market:
www.carbonoffsetguide.com.au
www.carbonoffsetwatch.org.au