Marketing practices to build misleading or omissive product information

Greenwashing is marketing aimed at building an image close to the customer’s expectations, in terms of the environment or other trends, which attributes values to the product or service that it does not really have.

The story of this word, Greenwashing , was born in the States in the 60s of the last century when the public debate about ecology and a life more in tune with nature began. At that time some companies, riding the ecologist wave, gave themselves in an artificial way, a green image without modifying processes and products.

The advertising empire Jerry Mander defined this practice as “ecopornography” in that he believed there was a similarity of behavior, towards people, between what was proposed with respect to what was actually offered.

But it was from the nineties that, within the marketing policies and strategies, the use of a communication that was sometimes less truthful and exhaustive about the product or service itself, but more aimed at making it appear what you wanted to offer next to what people expected to receive.

Greenwashing has not only been applied to industry or commerce, but politics has also taken possession of it, through slogans and brands that, for example, depict the protection of the environment, work, safety or other messages.

Starting from 2012 the FederalTrade Commission has enacted clear consumer protection laws in the United States in an effort to prevent these unfair marketing practices.

In Italy, for example, the antitrust sanctioned Eni with a fine of 5 million for the advertising promotion, considered deceptive and omissive, on the alleged bio qualities of its own EniDiesel + fuel.

Greenwashing practices are numerous and aimed at different channels, acquiring different names:

• Greenwashing : indicates a strategy of some companies, organizations or political institutions that aim to build an image different from what it really is, inclined to protect the environment, following the needs of the people to whom it is addressed.

• Pinkwashing : indicates a communication that tends to charm a female audience by launching a message such as women’s empowerment, diverting the consumer’s attention to the qualities of the tight products.

• Genderwashing : indicates a communication that tends to involve the male audience with clear references to the elimination of gender differences, distancing the consumer on the judgment of the product itself.

• Raibowwashing : indicates a communication that tends to offer products substantially similar to the competition on which strong messages are exercised that overshadow the product itself.

In the field of packaging, we can see an example in the marketing of detergent bottles, many still made with virgin HDPE, in recent times we have seen words such as "recyclable" or "green" appear on the labels when the bottle is always made with raw materials from fossil sources and not using recycled materials.

Obviously the bottle is recyclable, but it was also before, so the message is a greenwashing.

However, these practices, in general, are not only applicable to products or political messages, but are also widely used in corporate communications , in which the numbers, values and image of the company, for example, of an environmental nature , could affect the value of the company itself.

Creating an “green” image in an artificial way, close to what the customer requires, has great impacts on consumers, shareholders and the market.

Automatic translation. We apologize for any inaccuracies. Original article in Italian.