resisting the squeeze

Lays off, cut backs, bail outs. The list goes on, but business is still hanging on to green ... but for how long?

Trend-watcher eMarketer reports that polls from the American Marketing Association and Fleishman-Hillard show that companies are still investing in green projects and products—and they want their customers to know it. Yet, when asked if consumers would pay more for green products now, only 40% agreed.

As for them, over half surveyed said that sustainability is an essential element of their company’s reputation. What's worse, the survey showed that even popular sustainability programs, such as recycling and electric energy efficiency, were embraced by only a minority of businesses, 36% and 20%, respectively.

eMarketer's round up? Green marketing is good, but no one can be certain whether—under continuing pressure from the economy—it will wilt.

do you shop green?

If you're like many Canadians, you want to - but probably don't believe claims for "green products" are anything more than marketing hooey.

This is according to a survey released yesterday (based on interviews with 1,500 Canadians) by advertising agency Bensimon Byrne.

It found - green businesses, pay close attention! - that while "cost was the main barrier to adapting more environmentally friendly practices, two-thirds of respondents don't believe it costs any more to produce such products".

"Eco-friendly and terms like that are not defined in a way that consumers can apply a definition across the board," said Bruce Cran, president of the Consumers' Association of Canada. Companies are "producing these claims without there being any standard that consumers can rely on."

This is where our government needs to step in, and create strict guidelines similar to those established for the organics industry.

Also worth noting: the survey found that women are more likely to consider environmental impact when making purchases than men, and recycling was tagged as the No. 1 action Canadians believe they can take to help the environment

Source: CanWest/Windsor Star