Bloggers Can Be Hard on Greenwashers

Submitted by John Stauber on

The latest green marketing study from Nielsen Online "calls greenwashing a 'failed corporate strategy' and urges brands to aim for transparency and consistency instead. 'Bloggers are quick to condemn greenwashing when they suspect companies misrepresent their environmental impact with aggressive PR campaigns -- as spurious attempts to be green,' according to Sustainability Through the Eyes and Megaphones of the Blogosphere. ... Jessica Hogue, research director at Nielsen Online and author of the report, called bloggers a highly skeptical consumer group."

Main Source: 
AdAge.com, March 31, 2008
Topics: 
Corporate Campaigns
Corporate Social Responsibility
Internet
Cause-Related Marketing
Corporations
Environment
Marketing
Media

Comments

dhdeans replied on

Are bloggers really more judgmental than mainstream consumers? Frankly, I doubt it. I believe they are somewhat representative of the global online population.

Granted, they're likely more informed than people that rely purely on mass-media for their insights on current events. As a result, they can quickly deflate the legacy PR spin-doctors of deception -- clearly, Edelman has earned that honor.

That said, Cause-Centric Market Development still has an important role to play in helping corporations re-invent their advertising, public relations and marketing efforts.

Legacy advertising agencies and public relations firms are ill equipped to make the transition from a big-media "payola for influence" model to a social-media influence model that's focused on authentic advocacy.

Commercial causes can be easily aligned with a receptive stakeholder group -- so there's no need to resort to the old marketing communication methods. IMHO, Twenty-First Century Marketing Communications has evolved.