While browsing in a local Oxfordshire shop last week, I was trying to decide which washing-up liquid to purchase, because mine had run out. It just so happens that I place a high value on helping the environment, and when I am deciding which products to purchase, I usually don’t mind paying a slight premium for products which are organic, derived from plants, and/or will have a minimal impact on the environment.

Interested in moving away from purchasing a leading brand, I considered the various options neatly displayed on the store shelf. Upon a quick glance, one alternative was in a clear/greenish container, had an illustration of a plant on it, and had some sort of ‘eco’ messaging on the label. I grabbed it, put it in my hand basket, and kept walking. Just for curiosity and because I was in no rush, I decided to actually read the label of the washing-up liquid, to see how much better this eco-branded product was than the other leading brands. Without revealing too much, it turned out that the eco-branded product that I had just been prepared to pay a premium for, was actually no more natural, and no more eco-friendly than any other product on the shelf.

My shopping companion who is already very skeptical of ‘spin’, found it very deviously satisfying when I discovered that the eco-friendly looking label on the bottle meant that I could recycle the package (as you can with all bottles of washing-up liquid). Also, when looking at the back and reading the fine print, the list of ingredients was no different than any of the other brands. After a careful search- (after all, I was eager to not only purchase eco-friendly washing-up liquid, but to prove to my shopping companion that there was some fact behind the eco packaging) I was not able to find a single justification on the packaging, other than the world “eco”, the color of the bottle and a picture of a flower on the front, to justify any bit of eco-friendliness. The cute illustration of a plant, it turns out, was just communicating that the product had been ‘inspired’ by nature.

As described in the last post on competitive advantage, appealing to consumers who have a particular value set creates an area of uniqueness, of differentiation. The brand of washing-up liquid that I was drawn to did have what appeared to be eco- branding, and perhaps actually was more environmentally friendly, or natural, than the competition- but the package certainly didn’t communicate that. This is an example of how not to do it. I am forever cursed to read each, last label to determine how eco-friendly a product actually is.

Social media and green-living agency Max Gladwell presented their research on the four types of green-teen social media consumers:

1. The first type of green teen is one who is ‘living green’. This teen eats organically, shops in vintage and thrift shops and genuinely wants to make the world a better place, one used sweater at a time.
2. The second type of green teen is a ‘core fashionista’. This teen is in a powerful social position and is not a trend follower, but buys from eco-friendly brands.
3. A ‘walking-green’ teen feels a sense of belonging to a green community and is a trend follower for this lifestyle subculture.
4. The fourth and final group is the ‘spending green’ teen. This shopper views eco-friendly purchases as a luxury not a sacrifice, and feels a sense of exclusivity when enjoying eco-splurges.

By no means are these categories mutually exclusive or definite, and are based on the research of this firm only. However, these teen consumer profiles do give us a slight insight into some of the motivations of green consumers, and who these customers might be in ten or twenty years. Not being a teen, and not wanting to box myself in to either category listed above, I do wonder would these teens read the label of the washing-up liquid as I did? Is having a green image enough?

As someone who has spent a great deal of time learning about branding, a little piece of my heart gets chipped away each time I see a product image or brand that is clearly not an accurate representation of the product or service. It’s a shame, because I do know that there are many companies who are making genuine efforts to be environmentally friendly and who want to provide these types of products and services to their customers. As this market grows- no matter if you are targeting none, one or all of the green-teen consumer profiles listed, are you accurately communicating your message and your brand identity to these customers? Will they put your washing-up liquid back on the shelf like I did?

Curious? Why not start tracking one of many eco-hashtags on Twitter, like #EcoMonday, #green, or #eco-friendly and see what motivates this audience.