ABSTRACT
In this chapter, key components of green marketing/sustainable brand marketing are discussed. Greenwashing: Everyone loves the accolades and notoriety given by top management for winning some external sustainability award; however, all of that is so easily forgotten when your reputation is damaged because of misleading advertising. Marketers have to be cognizant of making sure that all the I’s are dotted and T’s are crossed when it comes to environmental claims. TerraChoice’s 7 Sins of Greenwashing are reviewed.
Cause Marketing and brand purpose: Cause marketing is a partnership between a for-profit corporation and a nonprofit organization. These relationships are mutually beneficial in that the firm receives a halo effect when consumers choose their brand because they will be helping a worthy cause. Marks & Spencer, IKEA, Whole Foods Market, Tesla, Burt’s Bees®, and Home Depot’s approach to brand purpose and cause marketing are explored.
Eco-Labels: Eco-labels can be helpful to demonstrate to consumers and B2B customers that environmental improvements have been built into a product. This is especially true for third-party certified labels. There are hundreds of eco-labels on the market and we explore which ones are most recognized by consumers and which are most used by leading companies. Advice is given on when to use eco-labels; in the end, we help the reader to choose their eco-labels wisely.
