As every business and its mom tries to get in on the eco-friendly craze — actual recent press release to hit our inbox: “Portable hot tubs go green!” — consumers seem to be tiring of omnipresent greenwashing, say analysts. “After 18 months, levels of concern on any issue tend to drop off,” says Jonathan Banks of market research company Nielsen. “I fear that something similar may happen with this.” Britain’s Advertising Standards Authority says that in 2007, it received 561 complaints from consumers about greenwashing in 410 ads; in 2006, it received a mere 117 complaints about 86 ads. The European Advertising Standards Alliance reports similar increases in complaints across the E.U., particularly in regards to automobile advertising. For their part, businesses may be realizing that claims of greenness don’t have the oomph they once did. Says Arlene Fairfield of DDB Brand Integrity Group,” We’re going to get to a point where green is ubiquitous, and you have to do something pretty different to distinguish yourself.”
