A key question: Is it green enough?
Marketers discuss promoting green products
Heath E. Combs -- Furniture Today, May 27, 2008
HIGH POINT — While perusing the aisles of this month’s International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York, public relations veteran Karen McNeill caught herself asking what might be the decisive question for consumers of eco-friendly product: Is it green enough?
She cited the example of one company’s claim that 20% of its product is made with recycled content. The product was being touted as green, but what does that really mean?
“When I put on my consumer hat, 20% did not feel like that was really green,” McNeill said. “But it could have been at the top of the scale for that product. It could have been a major achievement...
“I think all of us as consumers are still trying to work this out in our mind.”
The question of whether product is green or not green enough is a tough one for marketers.
For the furniture industry, which outsources much of its production, making green claims could prove taxing because it involves chain-of-custody and production from factories that aren’t regulated in the United States.
In furniture, green factory claims often include efforts to cut down on volatile organic chemicals, improve finishing procedures, reduce waste and, in some cases, create systems where waste can be reused.
At the same time, many companies are increasing their efforts to make more eco-friendly products at facilities in the United States.
Several large importers and blended sources — companies that both manufacture domestically and import — have committed to using Forest Stewardship Council-certified mixed source paper in marketing materials and are working on ways to cut down on energy use at home.
Many retailers also have taken up the issue, finding creative ways to develop renewable energy partnerships, build to green codes and increase recycling.
McNeill, president of McNeill Communications in High Point, began her career in marketing in the early 1980s with the International Home Furnishings Center and has represented Magnussen Home Furnishings and Stanley Furniture, among several other producers and importers.
McNeill said that at ICFF in New York, green product — from floor coverings to kitchen fixtures — was everywhere.
For her, some of the confusion centers on wording. The terminology is not defined, and consumers are still unaware of what buying green really means. The jargon encompasses a variety of terms like green, natural, chemical free, environmentally friendly and sustainable.
“They’re new words being applied to furniture production,” McNeill said.
Furniture companies need to be careful about how they use the term “green,” she added, because unsupported claims could put their integrity and accountability at risk.
More than just green
“To say that your company is ‘green’ is too general,” said Leslie Newby, president of Brand Communications, a public relations firm that counts Harden Furniture among its clients.
Harden Furniture is one of the best-known residential and contract furniture companies to embrace sustainable design. In 2002, Harden obtained certification from the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. The SFI program is a North American-based program with more than 152 million acres certified by a third party.
“To say that you sustainably manage forests to maintain a healthy level of tree growth is something you can hang your hat on, especially when you have a recognized, non-partisan organization endorsement from the SFI, for example,” Newby said.
“I now know that Harden’s claims are legitimate, because they are legitimized by a respected certification organization. It means I have real content to work with when I’m promoting Harden as a sustainable furniture resource.”
There is also a learning curve for marketing companies, said Newby, who was unaware of the SFI-certification process before working with Harden, which uses lumber from its own forests.
Straightforward marketing communication is needed, she added.
“That said, it’s still a longer-term process for everyone to get on the same page. Having certification standards and tagging products at retail is a great start.”
A big new green world
“It’s got to be a bit of a tough time for marketers right now. This is a big new green world,” said Bernadette V. Upton, who has been immersed in green interior design for more than two decades.
Upton is a member of the American Society of Interior Designers, a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-accredited professional with the U.S. Green Building Council. She also is a partner in Eco-Décor — an eco-friendly interior design firm based in Florida.
Upton’s eco-credentials stretch back to 1982, when she began working in relatively new green interior design. The difference between now and then, she said, is that with heightened awareness of all things green, manufacturers are dealing with an audience that can hold it accountable.
“Greenwashing” — claiming a product is green when it really isn’t — “doesn’t make it,” said Upton. “These companies are being very careful and being smart enough and wise enough until they know what they’re dealing with.”
The industry’s move toward more eco-friendly goods comes at a time when eco-savviness and education is high. Companies don’t need to be scared, but they do need to do due diligence and research, she said.
At a seminar Upton attended about six months ago, an organization was showing green products and one speaker knew very little about the topic. Some members of the audience were very eco-savvy. Upton said it reflected negatively on the presentation.
Companies need to know what they’re talking about, Upton said.
“You can’t put a novice up there to introduce a green product. There’re going to be people in the audience that have that information. For those with a strong background, for people who know what they’re talking about in this portion of the arena, it could be very embarrassing for a company or an organization.”
Getting it right for retailers
Several furniture retailers also have embraced ways to make their companies more efficient and eco-friendly.
In November 2007, Art Van Furniture partnered with NextEnergy, a Detroit based non-profit founded to help commercialize new energy technologies. Art Van also joined the National Biofuels Energy Laboratory consortium — which is dedicated to developing standards for B-20 biodiesel.
Art Van trucks were filled with the B-20 for the first time on April 7, and its fleet team will monitor the operation of the vehicles.
On items such as sustainability and eco-friendly product, the retailer has been talking about what sourcing questions it should be asking vendors as well as how to make its business more green on different levels.
“What are the questions? That’s the phase the furniture industry is in right now: Where we should be pushing things forward,” said Chris Morrisroe, communications director for Art Van.
Morrisroe said the furniture industry knows it needs to be more environmentally friendly, but it doesn’t know what exactly that means.
“It’s a learning process right now, with everything (and) everybody. Lots of people have different ways of looking at it. What might be environmentally sound for me might be different for you.”
Producers need to proceed carefully with green claims, because if they start talking about something they’re not sure about and tag it with a green label, there’s a chance they’ll be perceived as greenwashers, she said. “People don’t want to be lied to.”
Retailers want confidence in green products, Morrisroe said. It’s good for organizations and councils to set standards particular to each niche in the industry so retailers can get their questions answered.
“We need to know what the standards are. If I went to someone and said ‘this is environmentally friendly,’ I need to know exactly how,” Morrisroe said. “Are the processes environmentally sound? Is it biodegradable (or) made of something renewable?”
Retailers also need to know what’s in eco-friendly products and which environmentally sound processes go into making them, Morrisroe said.
This a series of questions that often leads to others, such as: What materials are in the furniture items? Are they renewable? How are they harvested? Are processes in place to replace what we’ve taken away? What are we doing to ensure the cycle still continues and you do minimal damage wherever possible? What processes should we steer away from?
“In the industry we haven’t set the rules of what is environmentally sound and what is not, so that people like us, the retailers and the marketers, can be confident of what is true,” Morrisroe said.
Badge value
Furniture is different than other green consumer products, specifically in reference to its “badge value,” said Ed Tashjian, vice president of marketing at Century Furniture.
“The difference between buying green furniture and a hybrid (car) is the badge value is different than a sofa. With a hybrid car, you’re announcing to the world you’re green and socially responsible,” Tashjian said.
“On a sofa, the only person that really knows the cushions are made from soy is you. It is a personal affirmation.”
Green is just one part of a bigger issue of corporate responsibility, Tashjian said. And under that umbrella are concerns such as safety, chain of custody on sourcing and quality of product.
“We’re about making things locally and making designs and craftsmanship of such enduring value that they’ll last for 100 years. If furniture, regardless of what is made from, is going to be thrown away, it’s less ecologically sound. We are making things designed to last for generations,” Tashjian said.
Still, he said, there are many different segments buying furniture and a small contingent that buys green. Currently, that contingent is probably comparable to those willing to pay a premium for a hybrid car.
“It is a very important part of how they define themselves. The largest segments are those that are looking to enhance a lifestyle or are buying comfort. Every customer wants value. They each define value differently, however,” Tashjian said.
McNeill pointed out that in the end, the furniture industry probably won’t have the final say.
“I think ultimately the consumer is going to vote. At the show they were talking about what the consumer is willing to pay. Ultimately, it is going to be what the consumer is going to be willing to pay for and demand,” she said.
That sentiment was reiterated by Art Van’s Morrisroe.
“We’ve been interested and concerned about what we’re doing and what we can do when it makes sense. But it must also be smart in a business sense,” Morrisroe said.
“You can run a car on hydrogen, but does everyone have a million bucks to buy it?”
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