Fake Marketing: "The Washings"

There's nothing worse than a marketing campaign trying to highlight what it isn't. If you're not sustainable (as we know many companies aren't), then you're just not. You'll always be an outdated and out-of-touch company, to put it mildly. The “washings” are practices of outdated and out-of-touch companies that don’t have real sustainability plans but use advertising, above all, to lie and pretend to be sustainable. In other words, they do "something" and then boast about being sustainable. Sound familiar? Let's dive into them.

Greenwashing

Greenwashing is a marketing strategy used by some companies to give the impression that their products, services, or practices are more sustainable and environmentally friendly than they actually are. This term refers to deceptive or exaggerated practices aimed at capitalizing on the growing demand for sustainable products without making significant changes to operations or fulfilling environmental promises made to consumers.

Examples:

• A cosmetics company labels its products as "100% natural" or "eco-friendly" without providing evidence or certifications to back these claims.

• An automotive company promotes a new model as "zero emissions" when it only refers to the vehicle's emissions during use, not considering the environmental impact of its production, the source of the electricity used (if it’s an electric car), or the disposal of the batteries at the end of their life.

• An oil company launches a marketing campaign highlighting its investments in renewable energy while the vast majority of its revenues and activities continue to come from the extraction and sale of fossil fuels.

• A cleaning product uses green-colored packaging, nature imagery, and terms like "bio" or "eco" without changing the product formula or with labels or certifications that are not recognized.

Femwashing

Also known as “purplewashing” or “gender-washing,” it refers to a marketing strategy where a company adopts a seemingly progressive stance on feminism or gender equality but fails to make significant or authentic changes in its internal practices or real impact. In other words, it's a form of "image washing" that seeks to win public favor by presenting itself as pro-feminist or committed to gender equality without genuinely addressing these issues in a deep and substantive way.

Examples:

• A beauty brand launches an advertising campaign with a message of female empowerment, showcasing strong and diverse women or boasting about having 50% women in its workforce. However, the company does not address issues such as pay equality, the representation of women in leadership positions, or fair labor practices within its own structure. Even if half the employees are women, none are in management positions or have promotion opportunities, and there are significant pay gaps.

• A fashion company launches an "empowering" clothing line for International Women's Day but does not implement gender equality policies or support feminist organizations throughout the rest of the year.

Pinkwashing

Also known as rainbow-washing, this is a strategy where a company or entity uses support for LGBTQ+ causes to divert attention from other issues or to improve its image without making genuine efforts to promote LGBTQ+ equality and rights, especially during Pride Month, for example.

Example:

• A company launches a line of LGBTQ+ themed products or participates in Pride Month with some promotion. The campaign is highly visible and celebrates diversity and inclusion, using Pride as a marketing tool to attract consumers who value support for LGBTQ+ rights. However, the company lacks inclusive policies or a supportive work environment for LGBTQ+ employees. There may be no LGBTQ+ representation in leadership positions, or the company might not offer benefits like health insurance that covers the specific needs of LGBTQ+ individuals.

Diversity-Washing

Also called tokenism, this occurs when a company promotes itself as diverse and inclusive without making real efforts to integrate diversity into its processes, from hiring to developing inclusive policies.

Example:

• A company launches a marketing campaign highlighting its commitment to diversity and inclusion. The ads feature images of employees of various races, genders, and ages, and the company boasts about its efforts to be an inclusive workplace. However, internal data shows that minority representation in leadership roles is very low. Minority employees are underrepresented in senior levels within the company, and there are no effective policies to promote equity in career opportunities. The company might also celebrate commemorative events for minority groups superficially, advertise products using models with diverse abilities but without providing accessible facilities, or sponsor diversity-related events without implementing internal inclusion policies.

Health-Washing

This refers to when companies promote their products or practices as healthy or beneficial for health without solid evidence to support such claims.

Example:

• A processed food company launches a new line of products labeled as “healthy” and “natural.” The advertising campaign highlights that these products are low in fat and contain natural ingredients, and they are marketed as a healthy option for those looking to improve their diet. However, even if the product is low in fat, it contains high levels of added sugars, sodium, or other artificial additives. The label may be misleading, suggesting health benefits that are not supported by examining the ingredients and nutritional information.

Bluewashing

This refers to the practices of companies that use their association with the United Nations or adherence to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to improve their image while not making significant efforts to meet these goals.

My Predictions for Future "Washing" Trends

I’m sure there are more that I haven't covered yet, because this is just the beginning. So, which ones will we hear about next? My crystal ball predicts two:

Age-Washing: Companies that claim age is not an issue for hiring or that have programs for older workers, but in reality, it’s not true. The average age in Europe right now is 46; if we continue hiring only those under 30, we won’t have anyone left to hire!

Happiness-Washing: Those photos on company websites showing employees incredibly happy and having a great time, like during Christmas parties?

Write to you soon!

(NOTE: only for fans of Greewashing)

More concepts only for real fans!

• Greenlighting: Spotlighting a green feature – no matter how small – to distract from unsustainable practices.

• Greenlabeling: Misleading the public by labeling a product as environmentally friendly.

• Greenhushing: Underreporting sustainability performance to avoid greenwashing accusations.

• Greenshifting: Blaming consumer demand for a company’s unsustainable practices, instead of taking accountability.

• Greenrinsing: Regularly changing ESG (environmental, social and governance) targets, parameters or deadlines before they are achieved to avoid scrutin

Wasn´t it lovely?