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The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulates claims made in advertisements for all products and services -- including environmental (green) advertising. Yet, the FTC has taken little enforcement action in the exploding area of false or misleading environmental claims. Green, and all manner of eco-friendly, ads are supposed to comply with guidelines issued by the FTC in 1992. The FTC can take companies that ignore their "Green Guidelines" to court and seek fines to reimburse consumers. The FTC acknowledges less enforcement of environmental ad guidelines in recent years, citing a lack of resources. The 2009 budget for the FTC, which also regulates identity theft, credit fraud and monopolies, is $259 million.
There has been a massive global expansion in green marketing. Surveys last year of large US .jpg)
retailers found more than 1,700 products boasting of green credentials or environmental benefits. Green marketers have developed slick schemes to sell an avalanche of eco-friendly and green products. These marketing tactics emphasize an immediate and emotionally-compelling environmental benefit -- often when the claimed benefit is unproven. They also deploy ad messages through highly-leveraged partnerships with other products, institutions and media that are already a part of the consumer’s media.
retailers found more than 1,700 products boasting of green credentials or environmental benefits. Green marketers have developed slick schemes to sell an avalanche of eco-friendly and green products. These marketing tactics emphasize an immediate and emotionally-compelling environmental benefit -- often when the claimed benefit is unproven. They also deploy ad messages through highly-leveraged partnerships with other products, institutions and media that are already a part of the consumer’s media. While 86% of Americans express concern about the environment, only 1% see it as the most important problem, less than 44% call themselves environmentalists, only 12% have voted against a candidate for environmental positions, and only 26% have bought a product for environmental reasons.
Let the green buyer beware. Green products and services always cost more than the conventional items they replacement. Maybe “GREEN” is actually an acronym meaning “Go for Radical and Extreme Economic Nonsense.”
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