Hey Kimberly-Clark, “Green Done Right” Is Green Done Wrong.

A message to the corner office. Congrats on offering the world a line of recycled paper products.  That’s the good news. The bad news is your message, “Green Done Right,” has got it all wrong.

We say this for a number of reasons. First of all, the green market has matured.  It’s reached the point where you actually have to say something meaningful and not the first thing that comes to your mind. Things have progressed to the point that green products have to stand on their own merits and tell their story to all of us, not just the narrow slice of the market where green began. That’s so 2004.

We’ve said this over and over again, but it still bears repeating. You can’t make your message meaningful if all you do is recycle green clichés.  ”Saving the planet one (whatever) at a time” and “It’s easy being green” had their place once, but that’s ancient history now. 

Of course, we understand the sensitive area you’re in as the paper company that manufactures one of the leading disposable diapers on the market, Huggies. Well, according to the EPA, did you know that18 billion diapers are thrown in landfills each year and they make up 3.4 million tons of waste or 2.1% of all U.S. garbage in those landfills? Not to mention that disposable diapers are made from petroleum by products.

Do you see why your new tag line, “Green Done Right” is so wrong for you, Kimberly-Clark? Our BS meter is way up on this one. 

Instead, why not tell me that all that paper we have been so judiciously collecting and putting in the right bins right next to my cans and bottles are returning as useful products? Why not tell us that your new product line is recycling in action? Why not tell us that you’ve found a way to make disposable products not dispose of so many trees and forests?  Why not tell us that you’ve joined our recycling efforts and developed products that keep landfills cleaner and less stressed? Why not tell us about the tons of paper that has been reclaimed, reused and recycled and how you’re doing it? 

Why not tell me something that actually means something to me and encourage me to do more so you can do more? Then, of course, do it in a clever and memorable way with some real thinking and creativity. One of the most persuasive things you can do is show us your passion for leading an effort not just hopping on the band — or should I say “brand” wagon.

One look at the shelves in most markets today attests to the fact that mass consumer interest is shifting green and that’s a good thing. We even support you cashing in on the trend as long as the ultimate effect helps us all and the planet we all share. But have enough respect for all of us not to leave your communications in the hands of the junior team at your advertising agency who really knows little or nothing about this market. 

Personally, we’re tired of hearing that going green is a sacrifice that we have to make in terms of inferior products and performance.  It no longer is. 

As a long time marketing communicators, we can’t believe that most of us won’t be happy about seeing more and more green products emerge. But our fear is if marketers don’t do green right, they will eventually turn consumers off with empty messages and empty promises and that will set us all back.

So when we see you, Kimberly-Clark, doing something good with all that paper we’ve recycled, we know there’s hope. We just hope you listen and tell it better.

Carolyn and Irv  

Bookmark to: