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Why Rating Green Ads Here Is Important

January 8, 2008

Posted by Dr. Deborah Morrison, Ph.D.
Chambers Distinguished Professor of Advertising
University of Oregon

Rating ads for the Greenwashing Index is important. Your input and energy on this project does three things:

  1. it gives you the chance to assess claims via the Index and consider how advertisers are using information,
  2. the public nature of the index lets other consumers and advertisers see how people are reading the ads and claims, and
  3. it turns thought to action. By making a statement in this forum, we encourage and push advertisers to find authentic ways to establish green practices.

And that's how we all can facilitate the true greening of our culture.

So register, view the ads, and evaluate them by answering the five questions. Then spread the word about the Greenwashing Index.

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Comments

On January 31, 2009
mzobayan of California said:
I think its great that you are calling out and analyzing greenwashing in ads. Unfortunately, I don’t think greenwashing is just in the ads. At ConsumerChange we have seen a lot of companies that make a clear sustainability statement online or in an annual report but do not follow up in practice. Usually very simple things like 'we will recycle' yet many of their retail locations don't have recycling facilities - this is very typical of hotels, restaurants and coffee shops. When they are contacted through the www.consumerchange.com some companies will contact the local store manager to implement the change, many others give us the standard rhetoric such as 'we will take your comments into consideration'. It is hard not to feel jaded but I believe if we all persist we can make a difference.