According to a new study from Cone, Americans continue to misunderstand phrases commonly used in environmental marketing and advertising to give products a greener image than they may deserve. Back in my days on Madison Avenue, we copywriters had a name for these “phrases”. We called them weasel words. Weasel words are words and phrases aimed at creating an impression that something specific and meaningful has been said, when in fact only a vague or ambiguous claim has been communicated. For instance, the phrase “virtually spotless” for dishwasher detergent might make you think that after washing your dishes with Brand X, you will have practically no spots on your glasses. Ahhh, a classic weasel word at work. The word “virtually” means virtually nothing. It’s vague, it’s meaningless, and it’s used all the time in traditional advertising.

Sorry to say that in most green marketing, not much is different. We have our version of weasel words too. The infamous word “natural” is a classic weasel word. It means nothing, yet just stroll down the aisles of your favorite natural foods store and you will see that term used all the time. The truth is 100% natural means 100% nothing because there is nothing needed to back it up. No certifications. No detailed information in-line with the Federal Trade Commission’s guidelines. Nothing. No wonder consumers are confused. And marketplace capitalizes on this every day. Not until strict regulations are in place (like “certified organic”) will consumers really begin to trust any claim in green marketing, or any marketing for that matter.

Got a weasel word you’d like to share? Let’s get them out in the light so that consumers can see the light and make better choices.

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A recent survey revealed that American consumers believe that a natural product is a better indicator of an eco-friendly product than “organic”.

This makes me shake my head and stomp my feet.  The truth is there are absolutely no regulations in place when it comes to using the word “natural”. You can have a mere 1% of your ingredients as “natural” and still say that your product is natural.  Sad but true.

As for organic food, there are strict government standards in place in order to place “certified organic” on your label. Unfortunately, when it comes to other product categories such as personal care products, the word “organic” is misused because HABA (Health and Beauty Aids) is a self regulated industry.  No wonder the American public is confused. And no wonder nearly two-thirds of the consumers in this study answered “don’t know/not sure” when asked, “How do you know a product is green?”

What’s worse is that some companies out there that are so called “committed” to organic food are capitalizing on consumer cluelessness. Horizon Dairy, the largest organic milk brand in America, just announced its intention to launch a line of natural (not organic) yogurts and milk products aimed at toddlers and their confused mommies. These products will be produced “conventionally” (code for: with pesticides and herbicides) but according to the company “without added growth hormones, artificial colors, flavors or preservatives and no high fructose corn syrup.”

So yeah, the product will be cheaper because you cannot find organic anything on factory farms. But Mom, don’t confuse this natural claim with the healthier, safer, more nutritious food you get with organics. Because it’s not.        

 – Carolyn

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