Signs of change

What differentiates us from many advertising agencies is that Acart's purpose is not to stimulate excess consumption. As Social Issues Marketing specialists, we often try to get people to consume less, such as when we promote public transit and other sustainable options.



But within the agency, like any business, we face corporate responsibility challenges of our own. That's why we're continually adding to our agency environmental policy, moving towards reusable dishes, cups and glasses for meetings (instead of styrofoam plates, plastic forks, bottles, cans and takeout coffee packaging), installing lower-consumption lighting, and trying to decrease internal printing.



As well, we're looking into enhancing efficiencies, like motion sensors on lights in meeting rooms. Even the traditional use of environmentally-nasty foamcore for presentation boards is on its way out.



With our social marketing background, we realize that policy is not enough; you've got to change attitudes. That's why we formed "Cause Loop", our in-house environmental team that organizes charity and consciousness-raising events such as Stairs for Wheelchairs and our street cleanup.

But the challenge is ongoing. That's why, if you visit Acart, you'll notice all these little signs hanging around to remind ourselves and our clients that more sustainable living is an ongoing commitment.




At Acart, all signs point to positive change. Take it, boys:

"Green" claims come out in the wash

I caught a news item this morning that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has charged three corporations — including K-Mart — with making false and unsubstantiated claims that their paper products were "biodegradable."

The case states that the products in question, paper plates, moist towelettes, and disposable dry towels, while ultimately biodegradable, do not completely decompose in what the FTC's Green Guides define as "a reasonably short time".

Advertisers are increasingly under scrutiny for their environmental claims, both from regulators and consumers. In our post-authoritarian culture, people no longer assume that corporations are telling them the truth. Instead, they can do their own research online through whistle-blowing sites and social media communities.

The act of making false or misleading claims in environmental marketing even has a name: Greenwashing. Originally coined by Greenpeace, the term has taken hold as the rallying cry of a very vocal movement that includes Terrachoice, an environmental marketing consulting and certification company that's our downstairs neighbour in the Acart Building.

Terrachoice was also a featured partner in our Deep Green marketing conference last week. The company's President, Scott McDougall, told the Trans-Canada Advertising Agency Network about "The Seven Sins of Greenwashing", a simple idea that has garnered them international acclaim.



Here are the sins, according to Scott:

1. Sin of the Hidden Trade-off
A claim suggesting that a product is ‘green’ based on a narrow set of attributes without attention to other important environmental issues. Paper, for example, is not necessarily environmentally-preferable just because it comes from a sustainably-harvested forest. Other important environmental issues in the paper-making process, such as greenhouse gas emissions, or chlorine use in bleaching may be equally important.


2. Sin of No Proof
An environmental claim that cannot be substantiated by easily accessible supporting information or by a reliable third-party certification. Common examples are facial tissues or toilet tissue products that claim various percentages of post-consumer recycled content without providing evidence.

3. Sin of Vagueness
A claim that is so poorly defined or broad that its real meaning is likely to be misunderstood by the consumer. ‘All-natural’ is an example. Arsenic, uranium, mercury, and formaldehyde are all naturally occurring, and poisonous. ‘All natural’ isn’t necessarily ‘green’.

4. Sin of Worshiping False Labels
A product that, through either words or images, gives the impression of third-party endorsement where no such endorsement exists; fake labels, in other words.

5. Sin of Irrelevance
An environmental claim that may be truthful but is unimportant or unhelpful for consumers seeking environmentally preferable products. ‘CFC-free’ is a common example, since it is a frequent claim despite the fact that CFCs are banned by law.


6. Sin of Lesser of Two Evils
A claim that may be true within the product category, but that risks distracting the consumer from the greater environmental impacts of the category as a whole. Organic cigarettes could be an example of this Sin, as might the fuel-efficient sport-utility vehicle.

7. Sin of Fibbing
Environmental claims that are simply false. The most common examples were products falsely claiming to be Energy Star certified or registered.

Some of these sins are difficult for a working adman to hear. We've got a stake in believing that we must always find and promote our client's unique selling proposition, even if the only unique thing about it is that none of the competitors thought to say it first (the sin of irrelevancy). Remember "it's toasted", from Madmen? It really happened!

Avoiding Greenwashing will be an ongoing challenge for all of us in the social issues marketing industry, especially when Canada isn't as strict on regulation and enforcement. (Worldwide, Terrachoice believes Greenwashing Affects 98% of Products Including Toys, Baby Products and Cosmetics.)

It's not easy being green in a media-savvy culture. But as G.I. Joe said, "knowing is half the battle"...

Deep Green - Day 2

Today is the first full day of our conference on the future of environmental marketing in Canada, and it's off to a great start.

“Deep Green”, the 47th annual conference of the Trans-Canada Advertising Agency Network (T-CAAN), kicked off with a presentation by Frank Palmer, CEO of DDB Canada and Chair of T-CAAN, talking about his agency's own efforts to reduce its environmental footprint.



DDB Echology is an alliance between DDB Canada and Junxion Strategy, to provide sustainability consulting for clients. To prove that they "walk the walk", DDB took its own advice and created programs for measuring their carbon footprint, improving procurement, reducing waste and building on sustainable community investments.

"Echo" stands for:

Environmental Footprint
Community Building
Human Resource Practices
Opportunities for Influence

Some of the programs Frank mentioned were providing millions of dollars in free advertising through a competition for related pro-bono clients, as well as a "dumpster dive" where DDB ad executives went through municipal trash to separate out all recyclables.

Following that presentation, John Westbrook (our V.P. Client Services) and I took the podium to map the landscape of environmental marketing challenges and opportunities. John took the audience through a timeline of environmental activism from 1962 (the publication of "Silent Spring") to the present, highlighting significant events, disasters, legislation, and cultural touchstones that brought "ecology" from a fringe movement to the mainstream.

I followed up with a discussion about today's "LOHAS" (Lifestyles of Health & Sustainability) consumers. Almost a quarter of Canadians fit into this category, and the LOHAS market is estimated to be worth up tp $209 Billion.



The challenge, of course, is to identify what consumers are really looking for, and whether companies can provide it credibly. "Green" can mean anything from low-carbon footprint, to local, to organic, to less packaging, to the internal practices of the company or manufacturer. Defining a client's green USP has become increasingly critical in an era where consumers get their information from a multitude of instant media, and as I said "are always talking about you behind your back".

Another key message was one of trade-offs. In energy, for example, wind power is "clean" to the air but deadly to birds and annoying to neighbours. Hydro destroys ecosystems, culture and history. Nuclear doesn't emit carbon or smog, but produces permanent radioactive byproducts. No environmental decision is easy.

As well, consumers may say they want a carbon tax in surveys, but then vote against it at the polls. They'll buy low-energy appliances, but are happy to be less-sustainable when it comes to luxury goods. The list goes on and on.

It will be interesting to see what conclusions our 30 Canadian ad agency heads come to in discussing these issues this week.

Deep Green

Acart is in full prep mode today, getting ready to host a conference on the future of environmental marketing in Canada.

Green is the new black — or so most marketers would have you believe. Everywhere you look, traditional products, services and brands are touting their environmental responsibility.

But what does it mean to be “green”? Is this a real shift of consumer perception and attitude, or just one more trend? Getting to the bottom of the green movement is the purpose of “Deep Green”, the 47th annual conference of the Trans-Canada Advertising Agency Network (T-CAAN).

T-CAAN is a team of leading ad agencies in Canada who pledge to work together and share information to give their clients a more complete national reach and insight. With a unique presence in every significant market across Canada, we believe we're "closer to the customer" than international firms with only big city presence.

Starting tonight, and into the weekend, agency heads from across Canada will gather in Ottawa to discuss and explore every aspect of environmental responsibility in marketing, in an effort to develop truly meaningful environmental messages and programs. The goal is to avoid the trap of “greenwashing” (using environmentalism as nothing more than a veneer on the same old way of doing business) and to help clients take a leadership position in preparing the way for real societal change.

Al Albania, our agency President, is serving an annual term as President of T-CAAN, a responsibility which includes hosting the annual conference. He saw that the opportunity to gather such a large advertising brain trust in the Nation’s Capital to show leadership in environmental marketing was too good to miss.

In addition to member presentations and discussions, Deep Green will host guest speakers representing thought leaders in environmental responsibility marketing, such as TerraChoice and Frank Palmer, CEO of DDB Canada, who is also Chair of T-CAAN.

I'll be blogging Deep Green for the rest of the week, so stay tuned!