This is not just a green campaign . . . it’s an M&S campaign

May 7 2008 by Matt Johnson, Liverpool Daily Post

IMAGE and brand consultants must have been burning the midnight oil at the Baker Street, London, headquarters of Marks & Spencer.

In a recent survey of FTSE-100 firms, M&S retained its "Green Crown" for the way it is perceived to be talking about green issues in a changing economic environment.

The retailer's success is based on a lot more than its policy of charging us for carrier bags.

Walk into any store and you'll be confronted by posters explaining its green credentials under the Plan A campaign.

It has been praised for setting out very clear and achievable targets, rather than attempting to boost green credentials through publicity stunts that gain maximum coverage but have little substance, according to the survey's authors.

The first Chatsworth FTSE-100 green survey of 2008 polled UK national and trade journalists, sustainability experts and political groups in an attempt to measure how successful large corporations are perceived to be in handling green issues in our challenging economic environment.

The results reveal an increasing cynicism as to whether UK business will ever aim for anything more than “greenwash” without legislation from the government on environmental issues.

It's produced some fascinating findings. For example, the fact that BP (38%), Tesco (21%) and British Airways (10%) are still considered to be the most guilty of "greenwash" by respondents.

Tesco, Unilever and BP are no longer considered green winners by opinion formers, and 40% of respondents believed that Marks & Spencer had run the best-publicised green campaign in the last six months, although 10% believe them guilty of greenwash. BP, which had the most heard- about green campaign six months ago ("Beyond Petroleum"), has dropped from 40% last year to 14%.

Half of respondents believe that the current level of media coverage is contributing to green fatigue among consumer audiences.

That amounts to a warning bell sounding for some of our biggest businesses.

Through a variety of activities we are much more aware of both the issue and the role big business has to play now in green issues.

As a result, we are increasingly scrutinising businesses' sustainability programmes.

Against that background, it should be every company's priority to make sure they communicate honestly and effectively in their markets.

These are issues which have a bearing on us all in every aspect of our lives – not just our professional and business interests and activities.

M&S is being held up as a leading example of a firm which has clearly identified its environmental responsibilities and the set about relaying these key messages to its customers, suppliers and partners.

It's not the first time they are leading the way for the rest of us to follow.

* MATT JOHNSON is chairman of Mando Group