Previously, we discussed the challenges in getting consumers to buy into the sustainable system that certain beauty brands have pushed out. In this blog, let’s take a look at the producers’ end. While some choose to actually implement changes in their business practices, others are opting the easy way out – marketing themselves as ‘green’ and ‘sustainable’ without the actual. In short, greenwashing.

Greenwashing is designed to make people believe that your company is doing more to protect the environment than it really is (de Jong et al., 2020). While some greenwashing is unintentional and may result from the lack of proper knowledge, it is often intentionally carried out through marketing efforts. Not only are there no true efforts in furthering sustainable initiatives, but well-intentioned consumers are also misled. Potentially worsening the problem, greenwashing takes up airtime while discrediting honest brands that are making genuine changes.

One brand that came under the fire in 2021 – Innisfree. The brand launched a green-tea beauty product in what was labeled, a “paper bottle”. This release was part of the brand initiative to reduce the use of plastic packaging. Marketing backfired and the brand was accused of “greenwashing” and “misleading marketing” when it was discovered that the product was actually just a plastic bottle wrapped in paper. While Innisfree had clarified that the term ‘paper bottle’ was used to explain the role of the paper label surrounding the bottle, consumers found it insufficient (Tan, 2021). Outraged individuals have expressed that they felt betrayed through misleading marketing online.

How then can we consumers mitigate this problem? Demand for transparency. Greenwashing cannot thrive in an environment that embraces transparency.

 

References

de Jong, M. D. T., Huluba, G., & Beldad, A. D. (2020). Different shades of greenwashing: Consumers’ reactions to environmental lies, half-lies, and organizations taking credit for following legal obligations. Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 34(1), 38–76. https://doi.org/10.1177/1050651919874105

Tan, J. (2021). Innisfree criticised for ‘false advertising’ after plastic found within paper bottle. https://www.marketing-interactive.com/innisfree-criticised-for-false-advertising-after-plastic-found-within-paper-bottle