Why brands should care as much about greywashing as they do greenwashing
Reputation director at Salterbaxter Australia, Karen Dunnicliff, says that while the focus has been on brands greenwashing to date – brands should be more worried about greywashing: where they have a strategically sound sustainability strategy that’s completely uninspiring.
Last year, while attending a panel session at a sustainability industry event, I looked to my left and right and realised the attendees sat on either side were snoring.
In their defense it was right after lunch, the session was in a dark theatre and the subject matter was technical. But what does it say about our ability to drive progress toward a sustainable future when talking about solutions literally puts people to sleep?
I’ve heard of greenwashing but what is greywashing?
Greenwashing is front page news – much to the displeasure of brands that see the marketing potential in ‘going green’ but lack the authentic foundations and plans to back up the rhetoric. I’m sure we’ll hear a lot more as regulators like the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission continue to clamp down on companies that try to inflate their sustainability credentials with vague and misleading claims.
