Coca-cola: Ingredients vs. Aspirations

http://youtu.be/443Vy3I0gJsWas anyone else as conflicted about Coke's Superbowl ad as I was? I want to applaud them for representing America as the land of diversity that it truly is. I want to stand behind them and boo the right-wing conservatives who hated it. But I also want to know when their ingredients and practices will measure up to the aspirations of their advertising.After last week's ad aired, some Coke critics directed people to #boycottcoke, not because of its portrayal of America in the commercial, but because Coke has too much sugar and destroys our environment. The website killercoke.org holds Coca-cola accountable for crimes in many countries. Articles like "Overexploitation and over use of water sources in India" abound.What about those ingredients? The commercial shows the smiling and happy faces of a culturally diverse America. Studies show that drinking just one soda per day can raise the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 22 percent. Research also shows that the burden of diabetes is much higher for racial/ethnic minorities than for whites. So while their beautiful commercial brings a tear to my eye, I can't help but be angry at an ad that appears to be targeting minorities to get them hooked on soda.Of course if you work in marketing, you can't help but admire what a genius move it was. It may have inflamed controversy and alienated conservatives, but for advertisers, it's always about expanding market share. Coke did a great job of targeting their heavy users — those who drink several sodas every day. They also directed it squarely at an expanding demographic, the rapidly growing Latino market and other minorities. In fact, as Jill Fillopovic wrote in an article for The Guardian, "Coke's targeting of Latino and other immigrant populations is about as progressive as RJ Reynolds marketing menthol cigarettes to African-Americans or Phillip Morris hawking Virginia Slims to women – that is, not very. Before we applaud Coke's advertising diversity, we should ask: do we really want Coke to diversify?" (1)How do you feel about the commercial, love it or hate it, or are you somewhere in the middle?Notes:(1) http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/03/coca-cola-america-is-beautiful-adSources:http://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/factsheets/diabetes/diabdisp/index.htmlhttp://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2013/04/25/one-soda-per-day-raises-diabetes-risk-study-suggests/http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/03/coca-cola-america-is-beautiful-ad

When do labels become too much of a green thing?

When does green labeling become so ubiquitous that it loses all effectiveness? The Eco Label Index lists 426 different green logos. It also provides a database with filtering that lets you search by region, find out what research they are doing, and compare them—for a fee.Businesses may have the resources to devote ample time to deciding which labels belong on their products, but for consumers the myriad of choices runs the risk of rendering them useless. For small business owners and freelance graphic designers, figuring out which products and services are truly sustainable and not merely greenwashing is added on top of their never-ending list of tasks.Cliff Burrows, president of Starbucks, asserts that eco-labels establish a level of trust. He says, "Customers have demonstrated that they are more likely to buy products and services from companies they trust." The eco-label tells consumers that a product was produced (think Fairtrade or organic) or can be consumed (think nutritional labels or Energy Star) in a more sustainable way. The eco-label combines sustainability standards-setting and branding, underpinned by the credibility of an independent body. However, Burrows goes on to say that the eco-label model may have become too successful: "A wide array of certification programs has been developed, creating confusion among customers and undue burden on farmers. The industry needs to better understand what is meaningful to customers and works best for producers." (1)In addition to the confusion about what all the eco-labels mean, the problem is exacerbated when companies use eco-labels for greenwashing— attaching a positive environmental association with an unsustainable product or service. Ramon Arratia of InterfaceFLOR explains in an article for "Sustainable Business" in The Guardian that the practice is damaging both the environment and the sustainable industries themselves. (2)While graphic designers can use resources like Lovely As A Tree and Renourish to help them make choices about paper, printing, and ink, the issue affects a much wider audience. A recent post for "Sustainable Business" on The Guardian says that an Asda study shows consumers – regardless of age, gender or income – are choosing sustainable products and services; they just need some guidance. (3)In a blog post for Greenbiz.com, author Joshua Saunders states that what we need are credible certification programs, labels, and rating systems to dominate the market. This will help minimize confusion as well as hold labels and ratings to high standards. (4)How do you assess eco-labels? Do you know what they all mean? Do you care?Sources:http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2010/09/23/are-there-too-many-eco-labels-and-green-ratingshttp://www.ecolabelindex.com/ecolabels/http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-business/blog/questioning-evolving-the-ecolabel (1)http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-business/asda-sustainability-green-survey (2)http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-business/blog/waste-and-recycling (3)http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/03/greenwashing-many-eco-labels-problem/ (4)

Greenwashing with totes

Steven Heller's recent post asks the question "Are There Too Many Totes?" Heller's article talks about how when used correctly totes can reduce the number of disposable bags. Conversely, if used incorrectly (with the massive onslaught that many of us see daily) the canvas or polypropylene bags have the potential to become another blight that will end up in the landfill.MFA grad Jessie McGrath argued in her recent thesis that “the idea of sustainable design is an illusive goal because a product can never be truly sustainable by virtue of the fact that it is a product.” (Read more)Most people want to do the right thing; they just may not realize the full implications of taking or buying more totes when offered. Why not comb your closets and reuse the ones you already have?What about the role that graphic designers play; are they practicing sustainability when they design more totes for the ever-growing eco-friendly bag business?

Greenwashing comes in pink too

Cause-related marketing can be of great benefit to both parties involved, as long—as it's authentic.National Breast Cancer Awareness month just celebrated 25 years in October. During the month-long celebration all kinds of products can be found in pink—everything from M&Ms to bags of chicken feed. But not all campaigns are created equal, and not all actually contribute to the cause.Read more in the USA Today article "Some 'pink' products do little for cancer research" (http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-10-31-pinkwashing_N.htm?csp=usat.me)