From rainbow logos during Pride Month to eco-friendly rebrands by oil giants, businesses often try to make themselves look more responsible than they really are. These tactics — known as 'image washing' — can involve sports, social causes, AI, or environmental promises.
In this episode of Down to Business English, Skip Montreux and Dez Morgan explore the world of “image washing.” They define the term and discuss common forms such as sportswashing, pinkwashing, AI washing, and greenwashing. They also talk about well-known cases like BP’s “Beyond Petroleum” campaign and discuss certification programs such as ISO 14001 and B Corp.
Skip and Dez’s conversation will help you better understand business ethics and expand your business English vocabulary. Key points of their discussion include:
- What “image washing” means and why companies use it.
- The many forms of image washing — sportswashing, pinkwashing, AI washing, and greenwashing.
- Real-world cases, including BP’s “Beyond Petroleum” campaign.
- How ISO 14001 and B Corp certification programs work.
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Contact Skip, Dez, and Samantha at
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