Green It Up

Over the past year several clients have wanted to include mentions of their "sustainable practices" and while I applauded them, I think my responses have usually caught clients a bit off guard. So far I have advised each to hold off on their attempts to promote a green image for their company. In each case I have felt that the client had not thought about the message they were about to portray for their business.

Sure, there is a lot of buzz with all the 'green speak' out there today but businesses need to be warned that thoughtless actions today could have reactions you are not ready for – Will investors see your efforts as divergent from your core mission? Will buyers think your prices are sure to go up as a result of this? And most importantly, will the general public see through your pat answers and revolt against your company?

In the advertising industry we inherently produce things to be wasted. Our clients demand that we produce results in traditional ways which they know will work. Often times that requires packaging, production, printing, chemicals, electricity, shipping, and lots of labor. So as long as the core business models of advertising and marketing remain static, this industry can put a good face on it but honestly we will never be as green as what other industries will achieve. However, that does not mean we should not take any step we can to make it a better industry.

I have not told any client not to "go green" and I fully believe that corporations who are kind to their environment and employees are just doing good business. I advise that people actually do something before they try to talk about it. It takes more than a green colored logo or a few token policies conceived in one afternoon to make a company green. Most token efforts to pay away corporate bad behavior or offset a footprint are not addressing the core concepts behind the green initiative – changed behavior.

Lately, statements are being made by all types of corporations that will never be achieved nor would they ever have been voiced had a long term view of business operations been part of the planning. Trying quickly to look environmentally friendly sounds like it couldn't hurt but if consumers begin to distrust the green initiate, or if you are faking it, it's not going to be worth the PR hit you will take when people see through the lie.

Are you ready? Have you already taken steps toward becoming a more environmentally friendly company? We can't make your chemicals any less toxic and if you are not willing to run operations less wastefully then you need to take first look at your business before you try to say something you might regret. When you are ready we can help tell the world how you too are doing your part to keep it clean.
Posted on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 by Shawn Graham

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