J. Walter Thompson (JWT), the global advertising agency, in its recent green consumer study ("The Recession and its Impact on the Environment") found that "... some of the terms we use to talk about being green ... are not clear to consumers, or even defined at all." JWT cites, for example, significant confusion over the terms environmental, going green and sustainability

J. Walter Thompson (JWT), the global advertising agency, in its recent green consumer study ("The Recession and its Impact on the Environment") found that "... some of the terms we use to talk about being green ... are not clear to consumers, or even defined at all." JWT cites, for example, significant confusion over the terms environmental, going green and sustainability.

JWT in turn counsels marketers to "Drop the buzzwords.Talk to consumers about tangible benefits in realistic terms to avoid seeming disconnected … "

That's good advice. It certainly is wise to avoid using terms that confuse customers. But for how long? Indefinitely? Should we simply throw up our hands and resign ourselves to being perpetually unable to use the term sustainability in an advertisement? We shouldn't. And here's why.

Source: Greenbiz

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