What greenwashing is
Greenwashing is as misleading as Olaf's grand illusions of what snow does in summer.
According to hoola Modern Agency, the term refers to when a company "
makes false claims about its products and business practices being sustainable and environmentally friendly".
What's the purpose of this? Brands take up the tactic to
purposefully mislead eco-conscious consumers into buying their offerings, even if these offerings are not all that they sell them to be.
Why it affects PR
Here are two quick things to note:
1. You are automatically associated with the clients that you agree to work for If a client of yours is found to be pro-greenwashing and gets
cancelled, you are automatically put into the public dog box too, since you agreed to work with them on this.
2. You will have to deal with the aftermath for you and your clientImagine having to clear up the
PR crisis for both you and your client if you are labelled as a pro-greenwashing entity. No wins there!
How to avoid it
It's quite simple: Look at
how your clients are going about their marketing, and
who their target audience is. Avoid association if these things don’t line up ethically.
Interesting stuff, right? What are your thoughts on greenwashing? Let us know in the comments section.
Ah, why does our article have to be so short? Don’t worry we got you, fam! If you’re left wanting more, why not read more on Why are ethics important in public relations?
*Image courtesy of Canva**Gifs courtesy of Giphy