Panorama Public Relations

The PR View

September 24, 2008
Is Your Green Really Clean?

A March 26, 2008, New York Times article reported that Clorox and the Sierra Club reached an agreement for Clorox to use the Sierra Club name and logo on its “Green Works” cleaning products, touted as 99 percent natural and packaged in recycled or biodegradable materials. Although exact details of the agreement remain unknown, the Sierra Club receives a percentage of sales revenue for the endorsement.

Prior to the endorsement from the Sierra Club, Clorox had been accused of greenwashing. Why? Because people simply did not believe that a company who produced products like Armor All and STP could really be green.

But as we mentioned in a previous issue of Environmental Branding Dividends, partnering with the right nonprofit can help leverage your brand and extend your message. So you might say that Clorox struck gold — or in this case, green — in a market with a $3 billion upside.

Click here to learn more about greenwashing.

10 Steps to Crisis-Proof Your Environmental Branding Strategy

Click here to read the top ten commandments for crafting your environmental branding plan.

Discover What Works: Third-Party Endorsements

More and more opportunities are cropping up to certify your company or gain endorsements by a third party. Over the next several months, The PR View will explore these options and report back to you what we discover.

B Lab is a credentialing group founded in 2007 to use the “power of business to create public benefit”. Find out how by clicking here.

August 2008
"Keys to Green": Quite An Enterprise

Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s “Keys to Green” is an excellent example of a successful environmental branding effort that has a meaningful connection to the company, its employees and the communities it serves. The “Keys to Green” environmental platform focus is one of six initiatives implemented by Enterprise as part of the company’s long-term approach to ensure the sustainability of the business through a responsible and proactive commitment to environmental stewardship.

In an outstanding example of a public-private partnership, Enterprise donated more than $50 million to The Arbor Day Foundation to plant 50 million trees over the course of the next 50 years throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Working through the U. S. Forest Service, one million trees are being planted each year to restore areas damaged by fires, storms and disease as well as to expand and preserve habitats for endangered species.

This partnership with The Arbor Day Foundation is one of the initiatives in the company’s “Keys to Green” environmental platform focus. Enterprise has also recently spearheaded a CO2 Offset Program to help reduce CO2 emissions into the environment. Enterprise customers are given the opportunity to contribute $1.25 per rental for the funding of certified CO2 offset programs, and Enterprise will match customer contributions up to $1 million. These funds will be used by Enterprise’s partner in the initiative, TerraPass, to fund projects that address the reduction of CO2 emissions. For every 100,000 customers who take part in the “Keys to Green” project, 30 million pounds - 13,500 metric tons - of CO2 will be offset.

Click here to learn more about partnering with a non-profit.

June 2008
Environmental branding means green for your company's bottom line

Is your company getting the credit it deserves?

Interest in environmental issues is at an all-time high. Global warming, energy costs, conservation of natural resources and air quality issues dominate the headlines. Not since the 1970s, when awareness of environmental and energy issues first gained critical attention, has the media devoted so much space to the topic.

During the 1970s, most companies did what they needed to do to comply with new environmental regulations. However, in the current wave of environmental awareness, the business sector is taking a leadership role.

One of the primary reasons many companies launch green initiatives is to craft positive images in the eyes of consumers and clients. Surveys show that consumers want to purchase products from companies that share their values, and many will change their brand loyalty towards companies that do. As more companies “go green,” they also want to do business with suppliers and vendors that employ environmentally-friendly business practices in order to support their own initiatives.

In addition to being a social responsibility issue, many companies are viewing environmental programs as a profit center. An investment in green practices can help reduce costs of doing business. For instance, an energy-efficient office building designed using Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) guidelines can result in reduced energy costs. According to the Corporate Responsibility Survey, 77% of business executives anticipate more spending on environmental programs.

What can your company do? Jump here to read more & find out.