Agree or disagree with your classmate’s position concerning having a policy against greenwashing. Defend your position by using information from the week’s readings or the readings related to governmental regulation.

Week 6 – Discussion 1

Guided Response: Respond to at least two of your fellow students’ posts in a substantive manner.

Agree or disagree with your classmate’s position concerning having a policy against greenwashing. Defend your position by using information from the week’s readings or the readings related to governmental regulation.

Post 1

R.M.

Greenwashing is a common marketing ploy designed to make products seem more sustainable than they are (Noyes, 2022). The tension between business’s interests in maximizing profits and the public’s interest in receiving complete, truthful, and non-misleading information about products that they purchase is due to the greenwashing and the public learning that companies are speaking more to sustainability than doing it. Businesses that use greenwashing are risking consumers realizing that the business is being deceitful and boycotting their products. There are different ways of greenwashing that include selective disclosure, symbolic actions, hidden trade-offs, lack of proof, vagueness, irrelevance, lesser of two evils, meaningless labels, overinflated phrases, and suggestive imagery (Noyes, 2022).  The article used the example of hotels asking clients to keep their towels to save water, but reality was that is not the fact of reserving water because hotels were still using the same amount of water (Noyes, 2022).

If I was a marketing executive, I would put a policy against greenwashing. I would steer my marketing efforts towards green marketing, making strides to make environmentally conscious choices (Noyes, 2022). As greenwashing becomes more known, it could really damage a company’s reputation and cost more than just being honest about efforts. As the world becomes more knowledgeable about not only the current status of the environment and climate, but they are also becoming more aware of the organizations that truly care and are working towards making a positive impact versus those who are misleading the public and more concerned about the bottom line. As a marketing executive, I would choose to be more transparent about what efforts are being worked on than greenwashing and risking not only my own integrity but the integrity of the organization I represent as well.

Racheal

Noyes, L. (2021, October 21). A guide to greenwashing and how to see it. Ecowatch. https://www.ecowatch.com/greenwashing-guide-2655331542.htmlLinks to an external site.

Post 2

S.J.

The tension between a business’s interest in maximizing profits and the public’s interest in receiving complete, truthful, and non-misleading information about products they purchase is at the heart of the issue of greenwashing. Greenwashing refers to making false or misleading claims about the environmental benefits of a product, service, or business practice. From a business perspective, the dangers of greenwashing are significant. Making false or misleading claims can damage a company’s reputation, alienate customers, and result in legal and financial penalties. Customers who discover that they have been misled may feel cheated and deceived, damaging a company’s brand image and losing trust and loyalty.

As a marketing executive, I would have a policy against greenwashing; it is unethical to deceive customers, especially about issues as important as the environment. Greenwashing is not a sustainable long-term strategy. While greenwashing may provide short-term profits, it can ultimately damage a company’s reputation and lead to long-term financial and legal consequences.

Instead, I would focus on developing products and services that are genuinely environmentally friendly and then market them truthfully and accurately. This approach may require more investment and effort, but it can ultimately result in a stronger brand, increased customer loyalty, and a better reputation in the marketplace. By providing truthful information about a product’s environmental impact, a company can build trust with its customers, ultimately leading to increased sales and long-term success.

Reference:

Wang, D., Walker, T., & Barabanov, S. (2020). A psychological approach to regaining consumer trust after greenwashing: the case of Chinese green consumers. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 37(6), 593–603. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCM-06-2019-3257