Sustainable Marketing in World of Greenwashing with ChatGPT and James George

Sustainable marketing is a hot topic as many lean in to position their brand, product, service and persona as being sustainable, responsible, and ethical. Join host Sheri Hinish as she explores with returning guest James George (ex-Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Strategist at Pyxera Global) in episode 74 the parameters of sustainable marketing, and the types of greenwashing, pressure testing ChatGPT real time + unpacking Planet Tracker's "Greenwashing Hydra" or different dimensions of greenwashing (source - https://planet-tracker.org/greenwashing-growing-increasingly-sophisticated-says-planet-tracker/ )

What is sustainable marketing? Sustainable marketing is a marketing approach that emphasizes the long-term health and well-being of the environment, society, and economy. It involves creating and promoting products, services, and business practices that are environmentally responsible, socially equitable, and economically viable.

Sustainable marketing aims to minimize the negative impact of business activities on the environment and society while promoting positive social and environmental outcomes. This approach often involves integrating sustainability principles into all aspects of a company's operations, from product design to manufacturing processes to marketing and advertising.

Sustainable marketing also seeks to educate consumers about the benefits of sustainable products and services and encourage them to make more environmentally and socially responsible purchasing decisions. This can include highlighting the eco-friendly or socially responsible features of products or services, as well as providing information and resources to help consumers reduce their environmental impact.

What is Greenwashing and why should you care? Greenwashing is a marketing technique in which a company makes misleading or exaggerated claims about the environmental benefits of its products or services. There are several types of greenwashing, including:

1. Hidden trade-offs: This is when a company promotes a product as environmentally friendly while ignoring other environmental impacts. For example, a product may be advertised as eco-friendly because it is made from recycled materials, but the company may ignore the fact that the product was transported long distances, resulting in a high carbon footprint.
2. Vague or misleading claims: This is when a company makes vague or ambiguous claims that are difficult to verify. For example, a product may be labeled as "all natural" or "chemical-free," but these claims are meaningless without further explanation or context.
3. Irrelevant claims: This is when a company makes environmental claims that are technically true but are irrelevant to the product. For example, a company may promote a product as "CFC-free," even though CFCs have been banned for decades and are no longer used in the product.
4. Lesser of two evils: This is when a company promotes a product as environmentally friendly when compared to a similar product that is even worse for the environment. For example, a company may promote a car as "eco-friendly" because it gets better gas mileage than other cars in its class, even though it is still a gas-powered vehicle with a high carbon footprint.
5. Fibbing: This is when a company outright lies about the environmental benefits of its products or services. For example, a company may claim that its product is certified by an independent third party when in fact it is not.

This is an action-packed and provocative dialogue that will not disappoint as James and Sheri discuss solutions and best practice to ensure you don't fall prey or misstep in a world of greenwashing,

To learn more about James George, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-george-20995b75/