Research ProjectGreenwashing in Media In this day and age companies have mastered the technique of misleading customers by fabricating false claims about a green product or service that they swear to provide. This insincere display of information is called ‘Greenwashing’, a spin-off of ‘Whitewashing’. Greenwashing could be said to be a global phenomenon and it’s commonly seen in advertisements, on products packing, websites, emails, speeches, and videos (just to name a few). Greenwashing is a thought out process, a planned and typically well designed campaign. There is a wide range of reasons why companies are eager to partake in greenwashing; divert attention for regulatory change, to persuade critics or consumers, expand the company's market, and to make the company seem appealing. The goal of this paper is to provide three examples of ‘greenwashing’ and to relate these examples to Downing et al. concepts. To help further explain these misleading claims, a well recognized company by the media is called Terrachoice. “The Terrachoice Environment Marketing Consulting practice converts knowledge of markets, science and marketing into winning, client-centered solutions to help sustainability leaders deliver results” (“The "six sins," 2007). Terrachoice has conducted a study of the “Environmental Claims in North American Consumer Markets” and found shocking results that made them want to give warning to potential consumers about the ‘six sins of greenwashing. The Terrachoice Company was designed to improve the communication between the purchasers and consumers, helping to enhance, strengthen, and prove market relationship. Companies that carry out greenwashing commonly use the words, ‘green’, ‘energy efficient’, and ‘clean’ to expo... ... middle of paper ... ...efit” (p. xx). More and more individuals will run into greenwashing ads from the news to even advertising; however it’s important to recognize the exaggeration, persuasiveness and omission of information in these ads. It’s evident that any form of media is filled with manipulation; pulling the perception, actions, fears, desires, and values out of the consumer. In our text Downing et al. begins saying, “empiricist communications research…are concerned more with questions, problems, and perspectives than with the mere recitation of detailed facts. Indeed, critical scholars would argue that facts by themselves are impossible to interpret if they are not placed into some model or theory about how the media and society work” (xxviii). I think this sums up why we all should be critical in a positive manner, and should use the theories that help us analyze media material.
Green washing: The disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image. In order for big companies to stay on top of the market today, they are forced to think of advertising strategies to help their public image and advertise their product. Over the years the system has become very complex and also very questionable. Companies are willing to lie, change their logo, and sometimes even their company name just to keep their name and image clean in front of the public just to make sure that they are making their money. Green washing helps this by advertising to the public that they are environmentally supportive and responsible. Most people that are into buying “green products” do not even realize that the company they are buying from is green washing in some sort of way just so that they can attract attention to the public. Green washing companies may advertise that they are “eco-friendly”, but when it comes down to it, the facts hidden behind the curtains beg to differ. Just like in the green washing video we watched in class, the companies may look great compared to the worst companies, but that does not mean what they are doing is still productive for our environmental movement. One company that has been notorious for their green washing efforts for the past couple of decades is the Oil/energy company: British Petroleum a.k.a. Beyond Petroleum. They are one of the world’s largest leading oil companies who has also becoming a large energy supplying company with presence in petrochemicals, gas, and solar divisions. Over the past twenty years BP has been the cause of several deadly disasters in the oil business in the U.S. and around the world. Despite their green washing effor...
... role in the process of critical thinking, how imagery whether through television, billboards, books or magazines has a profound impact on how we view the world and that we have been bombarded with images, whether positive or negative, to a point where we become oblivious to the underlying messages these images are conveying to us. They suggest that images define who we are and what we do, for example, a beautiful model wearing a designer pair of shoes in a magazine conveys to us that we too can be a beautiful, confident woman if only we had those shoes. Another example, on the negative slope of imagery is an advertisement for alcohol or cigarettes, these advertisements are designed to sell, and we are willing to buy. The editors make it clear that we need to be subjective when viewing these images, to go beyond the immediate and look for the underlying message.
Today’s mainstream media has a deep influence on numerous aspects of economical and social life, it provides information and data almost on everything that happens on our planet. Mainstream media became one of the most important and influential instruments in our society, as the news stories reach a large numbers of people in a short time. Different people are using mainstream media as a first source of information; humans need the information, which is why there is a great deal of trust on media. We follow the news because it is our duty as citizens to be informed; it gives us the facts that help us make the right decisions and also gives us something to talk about. The media has a great public responsibility in front of their audience; therefore, they are expected to provide information that is accurate, reliable and free from bias. It is essential that the public is truly informed about the controversial topics on environmental issues, like DDT and GMOs. Media informs the public with regard to science and technology, which further impacts policy making within the society. The drawback with today’s mainstream media is that it tends to provide information that is far from what is happening in the real world. Current news media misrepresent some news report in order to gain attention and they omit the most important news from television, newspapers or radio that the public deserves to know. The articles “Environmentalism for the 21st Century” by Dr. Patrick Moore, “Rachel Carson’s Environmental Genocide” by Lisa Makson, “Lawrence Solomon: For global warming believers, 2013 was the year from Hell” by Lawrance Solomon and “Global warming at work: how climate change affects the economy and labour” by Raveena Aulakh will be discussed ...
Everyday we are exposed to millions of different visual messages, which tell us what to eat, what to wear, what to watch and what to listen. No matter how hard we try to avoid being influenced by these directives, we can only protect ourselves to a certain point. After that, no interpretive power can be helpful. Media then leads us to a path that ends up in the same department store with our neighbour, with whom we have probably never spoken to before. Ironically, we are holding the same pair of socks or CDs, and we might never want to recall the TV commercial that had opened the gates to this path.
It is topical and relevant because it takes advantage of the growing trend of eco-consciousness and increased awareness of environmental issues. The advertisement appeals to the audience's sense of urgency and forces them to act by portraying the detergent as a remedy that deals with modern issues. The demand for products that support eco-friendly living is what drove the creation of this advertisement. The advertisement addresses the growing demand from consumers for sustainable products by providing a workable solution that satisfies both ethical and practical requirements. The advertisement's main goal is to convince viewers to switch to a more environmentally friendly laundry detergent by appealing to their morals, feelings, and sense of duty.
Everywhere we look we see advertisements, commercials, news reports, who seem to influence our daily lives. Media we would not normally think of can also affect us. For example, the mere mention of Red Lobster in Beyoncé’s song “Formation” boosted their overall sales while the song was on the charts. Chapter one of the Dines and Humez text covered perception of the audience, study of culture and media, and how the media is “multiperspectival” (Dines and Humez).
TerraChoice, a company dedicated to researching the greenwashing of companies, is a part of the Underwriters laboratories network which works to " advance global sustainability, environmental health, and safety by supporting the growth and development of environmentally-preferable products, services, and organizations"(The Sins of Greenwashing, About Us). In its investigations, TerraChoice determines greenwashing using it's "Six Sins of Greenwashing" as guidelines which are of the following: Sin of The Hidden Trade-Off, Sin of No Proof, Sin of No Vagueness, Sin of Irrelevance, Sin of Fibbing, and Sin of Lesser of Two Evils. All six of these sins can be used to evaluate the integrity of Better World Book's sustainability efforts.
I believe if the Clorox Company was attempting to improve the environment they wouldn’t still sell other products that are highly toxic and not eco-friendly. This sends a message to consumers that are often the opposite of those intended. The Clorox Company launched Greenworks not because the important effects it would have on the environment and the health of people, but because the demand by people for more eco-friendly products were high. I feel this is why the sales behind Greenworks increased, because consumers wanted more eco-friendly products because of the mainstream environmental movement was cultural relevant at the time. With the environmental movement in rapid decline in terms of cultural relevance, it’s a lack in consumers demand and I believe this is why Greenworks sales are plummeting. I also feel the Clorox Company launched the Greenworks product line to create the social responsibility that their new products would be good for the environment, and that their company was going “green”. I feel just because the Clorox Company launched Greenworks as a new product that is eco-friendly does not convince anyone of a sense of corporate social responsibility when, in the same breath, the Clorox Company still sells other highly toxic and not eco-friendly
Increasing public interest for the natural world is driving business organizations to give careful consideration to their ecological footprint, not only in the commodities and services they offer, but also in the supply chain that conveys them. What initially began as a corporate image improvement strategy has developed into a business imperative and, in the most advanced organizations, a competitive advantage. In today’s global market, the expectations for business companies about greening supply chain are very great particularly the consumer electronics industries, thus, international business outfits are putting in lots of effort to ensure their supply chains are operating in a socially and ecologically responsible manner in order to remain competitive. A Company’s obligations toward environmental sustainability define its corporate image and relationships with clients, stakeholders, community groups, also influencing its profits in the long run. It is therefore of a great importance for ABC Inc. which has just stepped out of a major growth phase to green its operations and be more proactive in implementing extended producer responsibility (EPR) initiatives into order reduce its ecological footprint and at same time saving money.
Green is good. Political color-coding and branding as of late associates the adjective “green” with nature, with balance, and with a sense of regard toward Earth. Greenpeace, Green Party, Going Green. Owing in part to basic consumer awareness, shifting political winds, and ever-evolving market sensibilities, advertising has grown much greener in the past few decades. However, the idea of green advertising offers a striking contradiction. With the basic philosophy of advertising essentially dirty and “brown,” and with the tenets of pure capitalism fundamentally opposed to a truly ecological society (Corbett 237), the term “green advertising” offers little more than an oxymoron. Though research on marketing trends indicate a decline in pandering
Furthermore, many critical media theorists believe that commercial media companies who have the platform to transmit information and images can implement propaganda and hence manipulate its audience (Flew, 2007). Although Corden’s platform is used as a talk show and would not typically communicate specific beliefs, it is certainly valid that a celebrities comment regarding a specific topic, or a monologue by Corden, could subconsciously promote a biased view. This, in effect, means that such a view could negatively influence populations of a wide scale. For instance, “Reuters” (n.d.) details that the CBS corporation is a mass media company who distributes information through Entertainment, Cable Networks, Publishing and Local Media. Therefore, it is plausible that a range of their programs could be edited to distribute implicit propaganda or beliefs for the benefit of their company or the government.
Humans have been destroying the planet since we were able to stand on two legs. As a society, we need to work to reverse these terrible effects that our existence has on the planet. Sustainability is one way to begin reversing these effects, while still living our daily lives. In 2006, Al Gore presented his documentary, “ An Inconvenient Truth”, as a way to show the world the evidence behind global warming, climate change and the destruction of our planet. This documentary shocked the world. It was clear that changes needed to be made, but the destruction was more intense than previously thought. SInce this revelation in 2006, companies have tried to cut down on their greenhouse emissions, as well as offered sustainable products to their customers. Through a debate of morals and
The more experience you have putting these tips into practice, the more they will become instinct. And by making informed decisions and ensuring that the product’s claims are accurate, you can feel good about the choices you make and their positive impact on the environment. If more greenwashing means that marketers are increasingly responding to the demand for sustainable products, this could be a positive trend. If left unchecked, greenwashing creates significant risks. Consumers will give up on marketers and manufacturers, and give up on the hope that their spending might be put to good use. Recent developments suggest companies should be prepared for the new wave of measures. Greenwashing has become a buzz word for consumers and the media. Unfortunately, the rules are not always clear when it comes to responsible environmental marketing.
For many consumers the eco-friendly market poses intimidating, complicated solutions when in reality, they are quite simple. Terms like “green cleaning,” “non toxic,” and “environmentally friendly” can be confusing. All these terms essentially lead to one idea: less harmful products for the environment and consumers. In his article on the effectiveness of green cleaning products, Ed Light describes green cleaning products as “natural materials to replace ‘highly toxic’ disinfec...
Agenda setting in the media comes into play once again, influencing the viewers on which issues to think about daily. It is vital that environmental communication specialists work with journalists and reporters to frame environmental events in ways that are not biased; encouraging people to think on many levels. As this study conveys, those who not only watch one-sourced news, but also discuss political matters on their own terms with others are more sophisticated, and less likely to be persuaded by the media. Researchers in the field need to continue to conjure ways to keep the public focused on detrimental issues, while keeping them updated on several different mediated outlets, not just their news