Marketing

How to Avoid Greenwashing in Sustainability Campaigns

Author - Katie Roberts
23.09.2024

What do you call a sustainable campaign that lacks any substance? Yes, you’ve guessed right – greenwashing is the industry term given to brands attempting to market their products and services as being environmentally friendly when they’re not.

B2B and B2C agencies share the same corporate responsibility as the brands they represent to ensure that the sustainable messages delivered are indeed genuine. More and more, audiences are choosing to only spend with brands that practice sustainable advertising.

Industrial manufacturing brands have a responsible role to play in driving meaningful action across the supply chain, but with shareholders to answer to, their top priority is on profitability. This can sometimes give agencies the unenviable challenge of making superficial claims and inflating sustainable achievements.

Other factors resulting in greenwashing include a lack of knowledge, and common solutions using visual stereotypes, which are becoming easier to detect and increasingly harmful to brands.

Eco-Friendly Messages We Can Believe In

Greenwashing practices in branding and marketing usually give the impression of sustainability without a substantive commitment or action. Typical examples include misleading visuals to imply environmentally friendly products or practices, a lack of transparency, and vague or exaggerated statements used without clear, verifiable information to back up the claims.

The best strategy for creating a B2B sustainability campaign with purpose is to ensure that the commitment of a business is accurately reflected in every aspect of its processes and relationships. In other words, we need to practice what we preach and back up claims with positive action, not empty promises. Here are some of the ways to substantiate sustainability marketing:

• – Supply chain transparency

• – Third-party certifications and standards

• – Regular and detailed sustainability reporting

• – Best practices through collaboration and industry standards

• – Investing in innovative and sustainable solutions

• –Transparency Equals Trust

As a specialist in branding and marketing campaigns for global manufacturers, Armstrong B2B showcases the sustainability credentials of clients from some of the most energy intensive industries. What we’ve found is that openness and honesty matter most, particularly within a younger, more environmentally conscious market.

Suppliers need to be upfront about their actions and commitment to meeting sustainability goals, especially as potential customers often carry out research on websites or social media platforms. From environmental initiatives to regulatory updates, ongoing communication not only builds trust with customers, but also supports internal change and informs better, more sustainable choices throughout the value chain. By educating with research, data and proven facts, we can adopt a neutral standpoint that shows a deeper understanding, instead of a shallow, sales driven approach.

Make A Positive Impact

We all know how serious climate change is and every brand claims it is committed to a sustainable future. So, to rise above the doom and gloom, our B2B campaigns should educate audiences with authentic insights, followed by positive, value-led messages that inspire them to act. For example, demonstrating how recycled materials can perform equally if not better than virgin materials, or how sustainable innovations are helping different industries to reduce emissions and achieve net zero.

Emerging technologies, automation and renewable energy are attracting young talented professionals to bridge the skills gap in manufacturing and other industrial sectors. They’re ideally looking for employers with strong ethical values who can empower them to make a difference in the world. And with multiple alternatives available in terms of hardware and software, B2B audiences often choose brands for a partnership based on reputation who can streamline their processes and ensure a long-term return, rather than simply for the products and services they offer.

Walking the Walk

ArmstrongB2B® has been involved in all kinds of wide-reaching green marketing campaigns to help clients meet net zero carbon emissions.

Arconic: REAL campaign

Arconic set out ESG goals and targets for 2030, looking to establish the vision of its sustainability efforts. Clearly communicating the measures to drive sustainability, our phased campaign started with brand identity, before launching internally and externally. Assets included everything from webinars, a 3D world and microsite, to posters, press, socials and video content.

Encirc: Net Zero 2030

As the UK’s market leading manufacturer of glass containers, Encirc wanted to establish its zero-carbon vision strategy with the aim of attracting investment and government support. To show the lengths to which Encirc was going to achieve net zero carbon by 2030, we produced a 6-minute video that was accessible and easily understood by a wide range of key audiences.

SORG: Emission campaign

COP26 and the International Year of Glass provided a perfect opportunity to mark 150 years of the SORG Group with a powerful sustainability message. Our revolutionary concept highlighted SORG’s enduring resilience and unwavering commitment to sustainable melting, positioning it as the go-to industry partner for glass plants over the next 10-15 years.

Showing Our True Colours

Holding B2B brands to account can only result in the greater good for honest, sustainable campaigns that stand up as well as stand out. It creates a genuine narrative audiences can relate to. It earns respect to strengthen relationships and enhances brand credibility to generate new leads.

A devotion to manufacturing means we understand the challenges technically gifted companies face in delivering a concise, consistent and powerful message to the market. We know which channels will resonate with your target audience and what messages will positively affect behaviour. By ensuring that any environmental claims are accurately substantiated, ArmstrongB2B® can help manufacturing brands achieve an unrivalled position and image within their industries.

Don’t just say you’re green. Say what you mean.

Start the conversation with ArmstrongB2B® today: