THE
climate issues and environmental issues have never been as important as in recent decades. This is why companies have a big role to play in producing ever more but in an ecological and environmentally friendly way. However, some large brands do not hesitate to use
marketing techniques fraudulent, in particular that of
“greenwashing”. Find out everything you need to know about
“greenwashing”.\r\n
A fabricated lie
\nYou may be wondering:
what is greenwashing? This marketing technique is called eco-laundering or
“greening”. This technique is not very honest because it is in fact a lie fabricated by the companies. \n\nTHE
greenwashing consists of selling customers an image that is much more ecological and committed than it actually is. The ecological argument knows how to hit the mark with consumers and companies are fully aware of this. However, very often, this advertising is misleading and the professionals are misleading in most cases. \n\nIt is therefore a real
manipulation of information that companies present to customers and consumers. And, the arguments used to achieve their ends are unfortunately numerous. \n\nAlso read:
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Strategies used in Greenwashing
\nIn order to score points with consumers, companies do not hesitate to highlight their
ecological commitment and ethics. However, this image is often more flattering than it is in reality. And for this, they use different
marketing strategies and communication regarding Greenwashing. \n
The lie
\nOf course, the first strategy used in terms of
Greenwashing is that of lying. It is indeed possible to cite as an example
Volvic which created a scandal in 2011. The brand informed its customers that its bottles were made of plastic "of plant origin" when in reality only 20% of the plastic in the bottles was actually. Thus, it clearly lied to its consumers by wanting to highlight its ecological commitment, which is quite limited. \n
Diversion
\nAnother Greenwashing strategy consists of diverting consumers' attention using deceptive practices. For example, the association
Zero Waste France had to file a complaint against
Adidas and
New Balance during the 2022 summer sales for
"the offense of deceptive commercial practice". \n\nFor this association, Adidas is trying to sell environmentally friendly products that are not, such as its
"FutureCraft Footprint" sneakers. These models are sold as revolutionary because they are environmentally friendly, while the impact of the polyester used is very harmful to health. \n\nAlso read:
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False promises
\nFinally, false promises are also among the most used strategies in terms of Greenwashing. For example, this time, a lawsuit opposing the associations Greenpeace
and Les Amis de la Terre
to TotalEnergies
. This concerns the promise made by Total with the aim of achieving total carbon neutrality by 2050. According to Greenpeace"TotalEnergies is simply unable to explain how the group's strategy is aligned with a goal of carbon neutrality by 2050".
Why do companies use Greenwashing?\r\n
Companies are therefore very fond of the technique of
\nGreenwashing
which consists of selling an eco-responsible image
much more important than it is in everyday life. We must not forget that a company must present itself as ethical and committed if it wishes to find a place in the hearts of consumers. However, embarking on this \n\necological commitment
requires a real transition which generates significant costs and time. These are essential factors that not all companies possess, which therefore prefer to take the easy route. They are therefore turning to Greenwashing which allows them to limit their ecological spending while offering consumers a flattering and committed image. Thus, no effort will have to be made to become more eco-responsible since this strategy is based on lies and false promises. Also read: \n\nAre online banks really cheaper?
An offense punishable by law\r\n
However, it is important to know that the
\nGreenwashing
is a commercial practice sanctioned by law. This is an offense punishable by two years of imprisonment and fine of 300,000 euros
.\n
