A Deeper Shade of Green: Building Industry Magazine Editors Delve into Details. 2009 Qtr 2
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A Deeper Shade of Green: Building Industry Magazine Editors Delve into Details.By Jason Hathaway |
As the flow of green-related press releases to building industry publications continues to increase, so does skepticism among editors and readers over green product claims from manufacturers, a recent Miller Brooks-conducted survey reports.
Last fall, Miller Brooks surveyed a handful of the building industry’s top magazine editors, asking them how the explosion of green news submissions has impacted their coverage. With so many companies competing for a voice in green discussions, building industry publications are frequently inundated with green-related marketing. On average, about 50 percent of press releases received in the past year by the survey’s responding editors have led with the green attributes of a certain product or project.
Overall, editors are still interested in green information—they know green building is here to stay and are open to receiving green-related information on products and projects. The editors did, however, express concern over manufacturers that make weak, piecemeal environmental claims, such as touting a product’s recycled content when it is actually at the bare minimum level for green building. In these cases, the editors investigate further to confirm the accuracy of the claims, consulting a variety of sources, including Material Safety Data Sheets often found on manufacturers’ Web sites. The editors surveyed are more interested in the total environmental impact of a product throughout its life than its single green attributes.
The editors reported that many of their readers are often suspicious of green claims from manufacturers and sometimes get confused with the conflicting green building standards, such as LEED® and GREENGUARD®. Like the editors, the readers remain receptive to green news, understand the importance of green building and want to become more involved. The readers are adding more sustainable products to their inventories and learning whatever they can about green building techniques.
The primary message that the editors wanted to convey to manufacturers is excessive promotion and overselling of products to connect them to the green movement runs the risk of alienating both the media and customers.
“Green building is here—it’s big and it’s real,” said one survey participant. “Smart manufacturers will calmly and clearly point out their products’ green attributes. Those who oversell and work too hard to make a connection between green and their products will lose credibility.”
To compete with the groundswell of green press releases landing on editors’ desks, it’s important for manufacturers to simply focus on the facts. This will help forge a healthy reputation and strong credibility in the green building industry.
Here are a few of the more interesting comments received from the survey participants:
- “I just want to say that although I have my criticisms of the entire ‘green’ thing, I do have to say that it’s at least a step in the right direction. But, if we don’t clean up our act and get it straight as to exactly how we’re going to define green, we’re going to lose the hearts and minds of an overwhelmingly apathetic and bottom-line-focused public.”
- “Those who have embraced the business possibilities of green, love it and are profiting from it. Others see it as a passing fad. The fact that dealers are investing time and money in the Certified Green Dealer Program in the worst building market in decades is proof that interest is there.”
- “I think [manufacturers] think they’re being honest [with green/sustainable claims] for the most part. But, I don’t think most of them understand what it means to be truly ‘green.’ If you use recycled materials in your products, great. But, if the facility where you produce the products requires more energy than a small city, you’re not green!”
- “I try to determine what the real green value of the product is. For example, I know bamboo flooring is green because it grows quickly and therefore is highly renewable. But, I know it must be shipped from great distances, in many cases, and therefore, it is very un-green due to its contribution to smog, ozone depletion, etc. So, I try to think in those terms when I see green claims.”