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The failed corporate strategy called greenwashing

April 02, 2008 | Internet Marketing

Companies marketing themselves as environmentally friendly had better back up their claims, or they are likely to face a backlash from bloggers, a Nielsen Online report has found.

As if you didn’t know this already, a new report from Nielsen Online proves it: When it comes to going green, companies just can’t fake it.

he report 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.”

The blogosphere is exploding with talk about “sustainability,” with buzz volume growing more than 106% since September 2006, when blogger messages on the topic totaled 83,000. By December 2007, messages jumped to 172,000, Nielsen said. When it comes to conversations about “greenwashing,” the most popular blog topic is the contradictory actions of companies, comprising 25% of all discussions on greenwashing in 2007.

Get the full story at AdvertisingAge

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