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:
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.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.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.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.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/