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Chris Schultz

Green Claims Need To Be Made In Black & White

In previous blogs, I’ve said that while consumers want to do the right thing as far as buying green goes, they are often confused about terminology, product performance and subsequent supplier claims.

I’ve also argued that since green is a relatively new opportunity for the home furnishings industry, our sector needs to be crystal clear about any and all product claims for these goods..

It appears that a recent survey bears those perceptions out. According to the 2008 Green Gap Survey, conducted by marketing firm Cone LLC and The Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship, while almost 40% of American shoppers say they are buying products they deem to be green, many Americans either misunderstand or are confused by key terms and phrases routinely used in marketing and advertising green or eco-friendly products. 

Specifically, almost half of those polled mistakenly believes that any product positioned as green or eco-friendly has a beneficial impact on the planet. Only 22%, meanwhile, understand that these terms more precisely describe products that pose less negative environmental impacts than previous versions. 

The study, which was conducted online with 1,080 adults, clearly brought to light that this ‘green gap’ exists.
Other key findings showed that some 47% of consumers trust companies to truthfully convey information in environmental messaging. 

Even so, close to 60% of those surveyed said they support a movement by the government to regulate claims made on behalf of any product said to be environmentally friendly. 

As Mike Lawrence, executive vp for corporate responsibility at Cone LLC correctly points out, "The gap creates significant risk of embarrassment for companies and disillusionment for consumers." 

Lawrence is right on the money. When it comes to marketing green, everyone’s claims needs to be spelled out in black and white.