AdAge addresses corporate cause-related marketing messages.
March 26, 2008
Posted by Dr. Kim Sheehan, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Advertising
University of Oregon
The trade magazine Ad Age has an interesting article this week on how large companies such as Procter & Gamble and Unilever are integrating cause-related marketing, including ‘green’ messages, into many of their product strategies. Kevin Havelock, president of Unilever U.S., is quoted as saying:
"We are seeing, particularly with the new generation of young business people and young marketers, that they are only attracted to companies that fit with their own value set. And the value set of the new generation is one that says this company must take a positive and global view on the global environment.”
That statement isn’t a surprise to readers of the Greenwashing Index, who challenge advertising messages expressing corporate values that don’t appear to ring true. If what Havelock believes is true, we should be seeing many more ‘green’ messages in TV and print in the days to come.
Also interviewed in the article is a representative of a copy-testing firm, ARSgroup. Copy testing is a method of evaluating commercials to see whether consumers like or dislike the message, and what message consumers take away. ARSgroup finds that about three-fourths of ‘green’ messages they've tested have a negative tone — that is, they raise problems about the environment, but do not offer a solution. ARSgroup also reports that ads with ‘green’ messages that offer tangible solutions fare very well in copy testing. We’ve certainly found that to be true in comments to the ads found at the Greenwashing Index. ARSgroup’s research also indicates that these solution-oriented messages can sway about two-thirds of consumers to consider purchasing the product. Many of these people rate both personal AND environmental health as highly important, which means we are likely to see more ‘green’ ads from consumer-goods companies.
Product packaging is being re-evaluated and in many cases, reduced. Unilever is promoting laundry detergent that uses less packaging and requires less water to clean clothes. Other companies are researching ways to reduce packaging. Will this become a key marketing message in advertisements in the future? Stay tuned to the Greenwashing Index to find out!
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