Green Marketing or Greenwashing? Discussion

As a means of demonstrating their social responsibility, many companies engage in cause or green marketing efforts; however, such efforts can backfire. In recent years, the terms greenwashingand cause washing have emerged to refer to marketing efforts that capitalize on the goodwill associated with environmental or charitable causes but reflect minimal commitment.

What to Do (and How to Do It)…
In this interactivity, you’ll read about Diesel company’s “Diesel Global Warming Ready” campaign and also the cause washing phenomena. Then you’re going to decide if you judge this to be green marketing or greenwashing and how it impacts your likelihood to purchase from this brand.

• Learn about the ‘Diesel Global Warming Ready’ campaign.
  • Diesel (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., the Italian clothing manufacturer, has been raising the heat with a provocative advertising campaign, “Global Warming Ready”, launched at the end of January. A series of newspaper, magazine and billboard advertisements shows models posing in Diesel clothing in a world affected by raised water levels and temperatures. To learn more, read this article:

http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2007/diesel-global-warming-ready/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

• Was this a corporation putting their environmental principles ahead of their financial goals? Or was this just a brilliant way to grab headlines and sell their brand? Or was it both?
• Learn more about values-based shopping (and cause washing).
  • Read this Forbes contributor article: “Truthiness and Consequences…” (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

• Share your opinion on the Diesel campaign with a forum post that answers the following questions:
  • Do you judge this campaign to be more green marketing or greenwashing? Why?
• Would this campaign make you more or less likely to buy from Diesel brand. Why?