The proof is everywhere: green has gone mainstream. Walk down any grocery aisle - from toxic-free bathroom cleaners to cold-water clothing detergent to organic baby food; environmentally sound choices are more than just a passing trend. And we’re willing to pay more for these products, which makes manufacturers even more likely to appear as green-friendly as possible.

Marketing green can be a challenge for even the most seasoned professional. There are many reasons for this of course: consumer beliefs are still evolving; demand is not well established; and even where it is, purchase behavior tends to be inconsistent (e.g., the same consumer buys the hybrid and the SUV).

Navigating a course through the world of green marketing is currently like driving on the highways of a third world country; there aren’t any nationally recognized standards/rules that one can be accused of breaking, leaving moral and social ramifications of misuse up to individual interpretation. Until the recently renewed Federal Trade Commission hearings (the first revision in 10 years) into green marketing guidelines, the litmus test for credibility was the consumer.

Many megacompanies, while making some admirable strides toward sustainability, are careful not to openly tout themselves as “green friendly” too early for fear of public repercussion. Once a large corporation publicly declares its greenness, they become vulnerable to criticism from the increasingly watchful eye of a more educated public.

Some market analysts believe if Clorox can change its public perception to “green friendly,” than other companies with similar eco-challenged image problems will soon follow suit.

Recently, Oakland-based company Clorox released a new line of cleaning products called Green Works, which includes all-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, dilutable cleaner and bathroom cleaner.

While it may seem that the green marketing trend born in the early 90’s has never really stopped, it certainly has hit its share of roadblocks. The new green wave seems to have less of a failure rate with the consumer’s needs considerably more in mind…at least in theory.

A study conducted by Ipsos Reid showed that 7 in 10 Americans “strongly” or “somewhat” agree that companies will call a product “green” simply as a marketing tactic, whether there is any validity or not. To build customer trust and sales, it’s imperative to base marketing claims in environmental truths.

You’re business is going green. This should be great, right? Definitely, but be weary of a growing new trend: greenwashing.
Greenwashing is the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service to benefit the public image of the company.
In theory, green marketing is executed for environmental purposes, to raise awareness of the efforts a company is making to be eco-friendly. However, many corporations have recently been caught engaging in not-so-green marketing tactics to help their brand image, taking take advantage of the growing interest in saving the environment, and not really benefit the environment.

A recent study conducted by Ecoalign.com unveiled some useful and rather surprising results on how well Green Initiatives are perceived by consumers.

Online video and green marketing are two topics that have been generating a lot buzz in cyberspace as of late. Endless paragraphs have been dedicated to debating the legitimacy of online video vs. traditional video and whether or not green marketing is a fad.