marketing issue paper and annex

8/2/2019 Marketing Issue Paper and Annex

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I s s u e P a p e r N o 3

[ A p r i l 2 0 1 0 ]

I S S U E P A P E R O N M A R K E T I N G A N D E F F E C T I V E C O M M U N I C A T I O N

In a globalised economy, average consumption levels are on the rise due to:

increasing world population; the expansion of middle and lower-income consumers and of a general culture of

consumption

economic systems in industrialised societies based on consumption and production.

These current consumption patterns are unsustainable, and the improvements in energyefficiency and the emergence of new technologies do not always outweigh them (called therebound effect

1) resulting in increased environmental damage. We therefore need to direct our

consumption towards more environmentally friendlier products and services. Changes in ourlifestyles are necessary. For consumers this entails modifying the ways in which they choose,use and dispose of products and services.

In this context, retailers, producers and other actors must help society reach its aims andencourage more sustainable consumption patterns. Communication from different stakeholdersand public authorities to consumers should enable society to meet its environmental and climatetargets.

I N T R O D U C T I O N

Marketing is the process associated with promoting the sale of goods or services. It is anintegrated process through which companies create value for customers and build strongcustomer relationships. In return value from customers is captured.

Marketing is used to create customer demand, satisfy customer requirements and retain theirloyalty. Customer-focused marketing is based on the four Ps: product, promotion, price andplacement. Product communication to the consumer is mainly part of the promotion instrument.The effectiveness of marketing instruments is usually measured in increased sales.Improvements in customer satisfaction or customer loyalty are objectives of marketinginstruments even if it is hard to measure direct impact.

Marketing can have a role in leveraging the companys sustainability credentials to build brandequity. In order to do this, it is vital to ensure consistency with the respective corporatesustainability strategy; any claims made must be consumer relevant, science-based andpresented in a specific, accurate and unambiguous manner.

Alongside consumer information and education in general, corporate reputation and productmarketing has a role to play in changing consumer consumption patterns. It enables consumersto identify, choose and use environmentally friendlier products and services, by providinginformation, relaying official campaigns and messages, ensuring availability and affordability.

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The extent of resource savings created by efficiency gains, such as new technologies, that is takenback by consumers due to an increased use of services and higher consumption.


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Moreover, within the context of sustainable consumption and production (SCP), marketing andcommunication can help address the issue of the rebound effect and to make consumptionpatterns more sustainable. For instance, they can be used to communicate more sustainablelifestyle messages.

Indeed, a recent Eurobarometer survey on Europeans attitudes towards the issue of SCPi,

showed that more than 8 in 10 EU citizens felt that a products impact on the environment isimportant when taking a purchase decision. This survey shows that a very large part of thepopulation is interested in buying more environmentally friendlier products. It also shows thatretailers have a unique opportunity to reach a number of people on a daily basis. FormerEurobarometer studiesii however showed the wide gap between awareness and behaviour ofconsumers.

S C O P E

The subject of marketing and effective communication is very broad and complex. Marketing, ingeneral, may be viewed in terms of the three pillars of sustainability i.e. the economic, social andenvironmental. However, given the purpose of the Retail Forum, this issue paper will focus on the

influence that communication and marketing on the environmental aspects of sustainability canexert on the final average consumeriii2 not the niche green consumer.

There is currently no consensus, based on sound scientific, measurable and transparent criteria,of what is meant by sustainable green, ecological, environmentally friendly,environmentally friendlier etc. products. Given that all products have negative impacts on theenvironment, we have used the term environmentally friendlier products. Within this term, wepropose to include all products which go beyond minimum legal requirements from anenvironmental perspective. It therefore includes products such as eco-labelled products andother certified schemes or industry-wideiv schemes and initiatives not subject to third partyverification.

M A R K E T I N G I N S T R U M E N T S T O P R O M O T E G R E E N B U Y I N G

For the marketing of environmentally friendlier products and services, companies use marketinginstruments which are well established for other products. The key challenge is to build trust thatsuch products and services produce measurable advantages for the environment and performequally well as the product formerly used, in a cost-effective way.

A number of company performance actions may influence the consumers decision to purchasegoods or services. All these actions of the company represent the marketing mix. Theseinstruments can be used either by brand owners or retailers for their private label products.

Marketing always constitutes an offer to consumers. In the competitive world between different

brands, manufacturer brands and retailer own brands and between numerous retailers,consumers decide on the success of different marketing instruments through their dailypurchasing decisions.

For fast moving consumer goods (FMCG)v, average European consumers spend 40 minutesper major shopping trip, make 1.2 major trips per week and spend approximately 5 hours amonth in a supermarketvi. The most important determinants in the consumers decision topurchase or not to purchase a particular product are the price and performance/quality ofproducts.

Consumers purchasing choices are also influenced by their faith in the brand. Companies canalso increase consumer trust and encourage enthusiasm for environmentally friendlier choicesthrough clear communication on what it means for their company to be green. This, alongside


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the different promotion techniques outlined above, would provide consumers with somethingpositive to buy into.

Product:

The product aspects of marketing deal with the specifications of the actual goods or services

the most important being the product performance, and how these relate to the end-user's needsand wants. The scope of a product generally includes supporting elements such as warranties,guarantees, and support.

Consumer research, product innovation and their development by producers and the listing ofthese innovative products by retailers are core elements. For durable products such as whitegoods (washing machine, refrigerators..) after sale services (repair, spare parts, etc.) are also ofkey relevance to consumers.

Promotion:

Promotion includes advertising and sales promotion as well as promotional education andpersonal selling. Purchasing decisions are motivated by emotional factors like trust and good

experience with a specific product or brand in the past. For some consumers, scientificallyreliable, consistent, understandable and non-misleading product information, shapes purchasingdecisions.

The goal of promotion is to make consumers aware of a product and its characteristics.Consumers get product information through brand names, packaging information, like productlabels or additional information on flyers, websites, etc. The producer (brand or retailer brand) isresponsible for this information.

There is a basket of in-store-information retailers can use to promote green buying. A coreelement is the dialogue with the sales person. In addition, there is signage, POS (point of sale)display systems, etc. Also important is the opportunity to try new products (especially foodproducts) in the store.

Branded goods companies or retailers may inform consumers through newsletters or advertisingon TV or in newspapers. Some retailers (especially consumer co-operatives) use their membersessions to inform the public about green consumption. The promotion of environmentallyfriendlier products could be assisted through customer loyalty programmes.

Consumer awareness may also be enhanced through national or local public campaigns. With alot of media response and public awareness raising of some issues, the number of obstacles tobuying green can be reduced. The challenge for brand owners and retailers is to ensure thatenvironmentally friendlier products bring continuous satisfaction to consumers including thedelivery of expected performance, so as to make them do a reiterated 'green' choice.

Price:The price, including discounts, of a product is generally alongside performance the maincriteria for purchasing decisions. This applies particularly for FMCG. In the case of consumerdurables, such as electrical appliances consumers are sometimes willing to pay more if they seea good price/benefit correlation over the lifetime of a product/service.

Key to promoting green buying is the affordability of environmentally friendlier products. Even if amajority of consumers claim in polls that they are willing to pay more for environmentally friendlierproducts, the higher price is an obstacle for buying green. Even for green consumers there is alimit to what they are willing to pay.

To promote green buying clear information to consumers about the costs involved during the life-

time of products is also key. In this sense, retailers can contribute to overcome the burden ofprice with good communication. For instance, information about the lower electricity costs ofenergy efficient white goods over the life-time of a product.


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Placement:

The placement refers to the channel by which a product or service is sold (e.g. online vs. retail),in which geographic region, to which consumer segment (young adults, families, businesspeople), etc.

The awareness and willingness of consumers to buy green differs from country to country.According to the reportvii on organic farming in Europe, the most mature and developed organicmarkets are in Austria, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden. Countries with a verylow share of the total organic food market are Spain, Greece, Portugal, Hungary and the CzechRepublic.

Concerning the product placement on the shelves, there are two general trends: off-shelf display(green corners) or category groups (e.g. organic pasta next to whole pasta). For green consciousconsumers, green corners might be the better option as they are actively looking for greenproducts. For the average consumer, category groups might be preferable, as they are lookingfor pasta and may, if presented with the option, decide to buy the organic alternative.

In periods of economic crisis such as today, these instruments, more specifically the price, takeon even more importance as competition between retailers increases. New competition elementscan also emerge. For instance, environmentally-based competition has penetrated the whitegoods market (energy label). This might also prove to be the case for environmentalcharacteristics of products.

Assessing the effectiveness of marketing and consumer information

Methods for assessing the effectiveness of marketing and communication tools differ dependingon the actor (producer, retailer, environmental or consumer NGO etc.) and the initiative. Forretailers and producers the success of a marketing initiative will usually be assessed on the basisof increased sales, numbers of people visiting the store etc. Sales data and market researchallow for a better understanding of consumer attitudes, beliefs and behaviours that can then be

fed into the planning process, driving innovation and guiding key business decisions, includingpricing, packaging and distribution.

According to the conclusions of the Green Claims research in the UKviii, consumers look for and respond to three fundamental principles referred to as the three Cs namely: clarity,credibility and comparability. For consumers, effectiveness will be assessed on whether theseprinciples have been met.

Nevertheless, from a sustainability perspective the real challenge is to ensure that the consumerwill develop loyalty to environmentally friendlier products (purchasing these instead of other lessfriendly ones) and changing their habits, when using and finally disposing of the product. Forinstance, reverting to compact washing powder requires using less product per wash and thatwashing at lower temperatures saves energy.

T H E E U L E G A L F R A M E W O R K

At European level, the renewed sustainable development strategy adopted by the EuropeanCouncil in 2006, called for an action plan on SCP (Sustainable Consumption and Production).The SCP and SIP (Sustainable Industrial Policy) Action Plan was adopted in July 2008ix. TheAction Plan is the EUs contribution to a global (UNEP) process on sustainable consumption andproduction, building upon both the Rio and the Johannesburg Summits. The Johannesburg Planof Implementation includes the following as measures to be taken as part of plans andprogrammes on SCP:

Develop production and consumption policies to improve the products and services

provided, while reducing environmental and health impacts, using where appropriate,science-based approaches, such as life-cycle analysis ;


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Develop awareness-raising programmes on the importance of sustainable productionand consumption patterns, through education, public and consumer information,advertising and other media

Develop and adopt, where appropriate, on a voluntary basis, effective, transparent,verifiable, non-misleading and non-discriminatory consumer information tools toprovide information relating to sustainable consumption and production, including

human health and safety aspects.

The EUs action plan sets out measures aimed at improving the environmental performance ofproducts and fostering their uptake by consumers and public authorities. It contains otherconcrete proposals:On the production side

:

extension of the Eco-design directive to cover all energy related products. Minimumrequirements are set for products with significant environmental impact, focusing onkey environmental aspects

revision of the EMAS (Environmental Management and Audit System) RegulationOn the consumption side

:

extension of the energy labelling directive to include more products; revision of the EU Ecolabel Regulation;

the setting up of the Retail Forum; targets and guidance for green public procurement.

There is no specific EU legislation regulating environmental communication and marketing.There is however a general directive on unfair commercial practices, which covers misleadingcommercial practices and applies therefore to misleading environmental claims (see Art. 6 ofDirective 2005/29/EC). This Directive ensures that consumers are not misled and that any claimmade by traders in the EU is clear, truthful, accurate and substantiated, thus enablingconsumers to make informed and meaningful choices. Furthermore, the Directive aims toensure, promote and protect fair competition in the area of commercial practices. In order todevelop a common understanding and a convergence of practices when implementing andapplying the Directive, the Commission has recently published a document ("Guidance on theimplementation/application of directive 2005/29/EC on unfair commercial practices"

x)on the key

concepts and provisions of the Directive, perceived to be problematic. A chapter of thisdocument is devoted to misleading environmental claims.

xi

At national level, some member states (e.g. France, UK) are taking initiatives to better controlenvironmental claims and advertising.

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O P P O R T U N I T I E S A N D B A R R I E R S

A major challenge towards sustainable consumption patterns is to foster in consumers long-termenvironmental values which they integrate into purchasing behaviour and decisions.Responsibility for such education lies primarily in the hands of public authorities and otherplayers whom consumers trust. For such education to be effective, however, identical or similarmessages must be given by a number of different sources. Producers and retailers have a keyrole to play in conveying such messages: the producers as they are at the source of productinnovation and the retailers due to their strategic position in the supply chain together with theirlong experience in working with players along the supply chain and alongside others, such asNGOs, media, public authorities etc.These messages have maximum effect if they are clear, simple and, when possible, highlight thefinancial advantage for the consumer.

O p p o r t u n i t i e s

Consumers are increasingly aware of environmental issues - in particular, climate change - andare more and more receptive to environmental messages. For instance, according to theEurobarometer survey on Europeans attitudes towards SCP, the level of environmental


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awareness of the impact of consumer products is high: some 55% say they fully know or knowthe most significant impacts of the products they buy. Consequently, there is much to gain forfront-running producers and retailers in adapting to new challenges such as climate change.

By embarking on the path of the environmental aspects of sustainability, companies can attractnew customers, and enhance their reputation and image, leading to greater customer loyalty (an

overriding objective of marketing), especially that consumer perception of the quality of productsincreasingly integrates environmental aspects.

Competition amongst economic operators is a driving force for changes to take place, especiallyin periods of economic recession and due to increasing public interest in issues such as climatechange. Focusing on the environmental aspects of sustainability can therefore also become acompetitive tool for retailers, in particular if there is a relative financial advantage for theconsumer.

To increase consumer confidence partnerships must be promoted further, for instance throughcampaigns involving retailers, environmental or consumer NGOs, manufacturers, industryassociations and public authorities (environment ministries, environmental agencies) etc.Partnerships with NGOs may take different forms. Most frequently, NGOs provide assistance in

the development of the sustainability strategy of the company, the communication ofenvironmental information and the identification of environmentally friendlier products.

Retailers might help consumers by developing their offer of environmentally friendlier products.Where appropriate, scientifically sound criteria, that take the entire product life-cycle into accountand are developed with input from all stakeholders concerned, should be used as the means todecide the relative and absolute environmental friendliness of products.

B a r r i e r s

Many studies on consumer behaviour demonstrate the wide gap between what consumers sayand what they do. Understanding and overcoming this barrier should therefore be a priority, usingresearch that already existsxii. When asked, consumers often identify the following barriers toenvironmentally friendly consumption habits:

lack of understanding how they, as consumers, can make a difference; lack of practical and relevant information about what they can do; that purchasing environmentally friendlier products is financially onerous; doubts about the quality and level of performance of environmentally friendlier products .

However, information alone, even when simple, accurate, well presented and action focused, willbe insufficient to produce the shift towards more sustainable consumption. Just becauseconsumers are provided with more information, or say that they are interested in finding outmore, it does not necessarily mean that action will follow.xiii

In addition to a lack of awareness and understanding, the gap between awareness and actioncan also partly be explained with behavioural biases. People may not behave rationally whenmaking purchase decisions due to habits that have been developed based on advertising andpromotion campaigns or brand loyalties.xiv

These remarks partially stem from the absence of a definition of environmentally friendlierproducts. Making better use of the scientific research already available (recognised LCAapproaches with sound criteria for each product category, etc.) could solve some of theconfusion. Developing and communicating user-friendly consumer information based on availablescientific criteria (in particular LCA) could allow consumers to make informed choices. In addition,available scientific data could be used by manufacturers/retailers to support innovation towardsmore sustainable products.

In the absence of definitions and clear rules of what can be called environmentally friendlier,some products carry environmental claims which are insufficiently substantiated. These tend tobe picked up by the media and are therefore potentially damaging to a companys credentials,and to consumer confidence in general. Only 6 % of respondents to the EU barometer survey


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claimed to fully trust producers claims. In some cases, official Type I ecolabels provide a strongdefinition and a benchmarking reference.

For this reason, many retail companies, fearing attacks from NGOs, the media or legislators, arereluctant to promote products which meet standards beyond legal minima but without reachingthe highest possible levels, such as the GlobalGap.

Well-designed LCA tools can identify what the key environmental impacts are and where alongthe lifecycle of the product they occur, whether in production, use or disposal. Misconceptionsabout areas of greatest environmental impact lead to the general conclusion that claims shouldconvey the overall picture. Yet to deliver an effective communication, it is important to convey thewhole picture.

Consumers also sometimes expect environmentally friendlier products to cost more thanstandard products: they therefore tend to be niche markets. However, prices could be reduced bymeans of public procurement, and fiscal incentives which would allow economies of scale. In thisframework, the EU is undertaking measures, such as the elimination of harmful subsidies or apossible ecological reform etc.

Consumers also occasionally question the performance of environmentally friendlier products.These issues become especially relevant in periods of economic uncertainty.

The competitive nature of company purchasing and the legal framework has prevented retailersfrom sharing best practice on sustainability issues such as criteria selection for better performingproducts. However, when possible relevant retailers could work together more than in the past, tocreate a market-wide demand for environmentally friendlier products. DG Competition needs tobe part of the discussion, to avoid anti-trust arguments coming when these are not appropriate.

There is also a practical obstacle to the promotion of environmentally friendlier products, namelythat the supply does not always meet the demand, as is the case for organic products. In suchcases, producers and retailers might decide to source globally and the environmental credentialsof the products they sell might be put at risk.

Finally, the capacity (in terms of available resources) for retailers to support individualmanufacturers or industry sectors voluntary initiatives in stores is limited.

L e g a l b a r r i e r s

The legal dimension can also prove to be an obstacle. In particular, the amount of mandatory on-pack information required may cause the key messages to be overlooked.

National implementation is not always in line with EU legislation, as in fishing quotas, preventingclear, simple, homogeneous information as well as an agreement on what is sustainable.Therefore, better enforcement of existing EU legislation is necessary.

Increasingly, antitrust rules may make businesses behave very cautiously when consideringcollective voluntary action to raise product standards, for example if retailers are invited toconsider decisions on choice-editing of certain types of products.

I n t e r n a l b a r r i e r s

In smaller companies, environmental challenges might not always be fully taken into account.This lies mainly in the fact that environmental measures are often proportionately moreburdensome for smaller companies than for larger ones.

For larger companies on the other hand, there are also occasionally diverging views between themarketing and sustainability departments as to what is a sexy product or message to putforward. A specific case of the retail sector is that companies are often structured in such a way

as to leave as much discretion as possible to each shop regarding what they sell and themessages they convey, limiting the possibilities for large scale marketing and communication.


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According to a recent study on retailers and CSRxv, progress along change trajectories towardseffective CSR requires both internal and external strategic and operational alignment.

To communicate their general company sustainability strategy, large producers and retailers usesustainability reports. Yet generally these are not directly addressed to consumers but toshareholders etc. Communication on this point needs to be improved to help improve the

credibility of the retail brand.

C O N C L U S I O N S A N D P O S S I B L E A R E A S F O R A C T I O N

Changing consumer habits and consumption patterns towards more sustainable ones is a long-term objective.

K e y c h a l l e n g e s

develop a common vision and policy on SCP

stimulate discussions on SCP in the framework of the EU 2020 strategy and economicrecovery exit strategies

building on already available references and benchmarks, develop sound definition andcommon understanding of what are environmentally friendlier products and what the keyenvironmental hot spots are for each product category (building on already available science +framework to elaborate guidelines);

identify what messages should be conveyed, in order to support consumers makinginformed choices and to promote behavioural change including after sales;

closing the gap between what consumers say and what they do;

make environmentally friendlier products with a good performance affordable;

convincing consumers to buy an environmentally friendlier product repeatedly with a view toa final change in consumer behaviour;

reconciling product information and broader messages (sustainable life-style etc.), withoutignoring the fact that information overload negates the benefit of the information

.

W h a t r e t a i l e r s c a n d o

Most of the following points can also apply to producers and other economic operators:

facilitate access to environmentally friendlier products at affordable prices, in particularthrough a widening of the range of environmentally friendlier products;

all environmental claims should be clear, credible and comparable. Claims must rely onverifiable, science-based, transparent information and easy-to-understand labels. Third-partyverification schemes can be an option;

build on potential existing campaigns and relay such sustainable consumption messagesthrough participation in government and civil society campaigns (e.g. sustainable energy Europeweek, mobility week, world environment day);

mobilise their marketing and communication teams towards sustainable development : notablyby generalising dedicated training

communicate the companys vision on sustainability internally and externally and ensure thatthe stores concerned meet the respective messages communicated and are consistent at allstages;

build into the development of marketing campaigns an assessment of the potential impactson consumer behaviour with regard to sustainable consumption. Ensure close cooperationbetween the marketing, communication and environment departments;

develop a clear vision of what it means for a company to be green;

the preference of consumers may depend on a variety of different factors. Retailers andproducers should do research with their own customers to determine how they can maximiseeasier green choices for consumers;

raise-awareness and train store teams on environmental issues (waste sorting, plastic bags,energy management, etc.) and their purchasing and sales staff about environmentally-friendlierproducts.

W h a t p o l i c y - m a k e r s c a n d o


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Ensure coherence between different policy areas when reviewing the SCP action plan, analyse the issue of consumer behaviour. Other issuesto consider are (i) the assessment of good practice models to encourage behavioural change and(ii) build in state of play of what consumers want/understand

improve the knowledge base, identifying the hot spots according to consistent and credibleLCAs. Current environmental LCA databases are often incomplete (missing emission factors for

many common ingredients and components). Harmonisation between these databases and LCAmethodologies is needed to make them interoperable and produce robust, reliable andcomparable results.

intensify efforts for better consumer education and consumer trust by public authorities andother players consumers trust. Messages must also be consistent over time.

facilitate access to environmentally friendlier products at affordable prices, introducedifferent types of incentives for consumers;

revise mandatory rules for labelling in order to limit on-pack information to a minimum andthrough this achieve greater clarity of information. Other instruments such as SMS or websitesmight prove more appropriate for some information particulars;

provide guidance on corporate green claims

educate consumers on the environmental benefits of correct product use and correctpackaging disposal;

stimulate and promote ecolabels, the organic and other certified schemes to increase thenumber of products with such labels or information (e.g. information on websites). Enhance theknowledge and credibility of these schemes and improve even further their credibility;

promote green public procurement

W h a t r e t a i l e r s , p r o d u c e r s a n d o t h e r s t a k e h o l d e r s c a n d o t o g e t h e r

Collaborate further with all the relevant stakeholders along the supply chain, including publicauthorities, to share best practices regarding the promotion of environmentally friendlier productsand to develop simple common messages on issues to be identified and/or build on existinginitiatives.

conduct marketing and communication assessments to focus more on sustainability criteria,including comparison between the effectiveness of different communication tools and their

deployment; consumer education: conduct campaigns linking consumption and lifestyle. For someproducts the major environmental impacts are related to the way the products are used and dealtwith as waste; some types of products promote more sustainable lifestyles than others. Involveall relevant parties in such campaigns to make a sustainable lifestyle trendy.

build-on existing best practices, partnerships, campaigns and voluntary actions carried outby relevant stakeholders to optimize their visibility, their reach out and thus their impact/influence.

organise an event 2011 for all stakeholders so as to provide a platform for discussion on therequired steps for the review of the SCP Action Plan.

undertake research with consumers to ensure understanding of consumer wants and needsas well as the barriers they face to taking up environmentally friendlier products and services.


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A n n e x t o I s s u e P a p e r # 3 : M a r k e t i n g a n d E f f e c t i v e C o m m u n i c a t i o n

E X A M P L E S O F G O O D P R A C T I S E

The following examples of good practices were sent by stakeholders:

R E T A I L C O M P A N I E S

A u c h a n p i c t o g r a m s

A u c h a n F r a n c e h a s d e v e l o p e d 6 p i c t o g r a m s t o r a i s e t h e a w a r e n e s s o f c o n s u m e r s a b o u t

e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y f r i e n d l i e r p r o d u c t s b y m a k i n g t h e m m o r e v i s i b l e . T h e s e p i c t o g r a m s a r e f o u n d i n

s t o r e s , a d v e r t i s e m e n t s a n d o n t h e A u c h a n w e b s i t e . A u c h a n F r a n c e c o n t r i b u t e s t o p r o m o t i n g

e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y f r i e n d l i e r p r o d u c t s ( w i t h a n o f f i c i a l l a b e l w h e n a v a i l a b l e ) , b y m a k i n g t h e m

a f f o r d a b l e b y d e v e l o p i n g o w n - b r a n d p r o d u c t s ; b y o f f e r i n g a 5 % d i s c o u n t a l l y e a r r o u n d o n t h e s e

o w n - b r a n d p r o d u c t s ; t h r o u g h s p e c i a l o f f e r s e t c .

M o r e i n f o r m a t i o n p . 3 9 :

http://www.groupe-auchan.com/pub-adm-fw3/display/000/506/695/5066951.pdf

C a r r e f o u r a n d t h e S u s t a i n a b l e E n e r g y E u r o p e C a m p a i g n

cr e a t i o n o f a l i m i t e d e d i t i o n p a c k a g i n g t o h e l p b u i l d c o n s u m e r a w a r e n e s s o f

e n v i r o n m e n t a l i s s u e s

I n p a r t n e r s h i p w i t h T e t r a P a k a n d s p e c i f i c a l l y f o r t h e E u r o p e a n U n i o n S u s t a i n a b l e E n e r g y W e e k

2 0 0 9 , t h e C a r r e f o u r G r o u p h a s c r e a t e d a l i m i t e d e d i t i o n p a c k f o r i t s C a r r e f o u r - b r a n d e d m i l k a n d

o r a n g e j u i c e p r o d u c t s . T h e i n f o r m a t i o n o n t h e p a c k a g i n g w i l l h e l p i n f o r m a n d r a i s e c o n s u m e r

a w a r e n e s s o n s u s t a i n a b l e e n e r g y , o n t h e b e n e f i t s o f c a r t o n d r i n k s p a c k a g i n g a n d o n t h e

i m p o r t a n c e o f r e c y c l i n g t h e p a c k a g i n g .

T h e l i m i t e d e d i t i o n p a c k s w i l l b e i n t h e G r o u p ' s s t o r e s ( h y p e r m a r k e t s a n d / o r s u p e r m a r k e t s ) i n

F r a n c e , B e l g i u m , S p a i n a n d I t a l y f r o m l a t e J a n u a r y 2 0 0 9 t o m i d - F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 9 .

h t t p : / / w w w . s u s t e n e r g y . o r g / t p l / p a g e . c f m ? p a g I D = 1 5 & i d = 2 5 0 1 & s u b m o d = d e t a i l s

h t t p : / / w w w . c a r r e f o u r . c o m / c d c / g r o u p / c u r r e n t - n e w s / g r o u p - t e t r a - p a k . h t m l

I n - s t o r e p r o m o t i o n o f g r e e n s o l u t i o n s t o e n c o u r a g e r e s p o n s i b l e c o n s u m p t i o n

T o h e l p b u i l d c u s t o m e r a w a r e n e s s o f e n e r g y e f f i c i e n c y , t h e C a r r e f o u r G r o u p w i l l r u n p r o m o t i o n s o n

a s e l e c t i o n o f e n e r g y - s a v i n g p r o d u c t s ( e . g . l o w - e n e r g y l i g h t b u l b s , A r a t e d e l e c t r i c a l i t e m s . . . ) .

T h i s r a n g e o f i n n o v a t i v e p r o d u c t s w i l l b e h i g h l i g h t e d i n t h e G r o u p s s t o r e s ( h y p e r m a r k e t s a n d / o r

s u p e r m a r k e t s ) i n F r a n c e , B e l g i u m , S p a i n , I t a l y , G r e e c e a n d P o l a n d b e t w e e n 9 a n d 1 3 F e b r u a r y

2 0 0 9 .

h t t p : / / w w w . s u s t e n e r g y . o r g / t p l / p a g e . c f m ? p a g I D = 1 5 & i d = 1 7 6 7 & s u b m o d = d e t a i l s

h t t p : / / w w w . c a r r e f o u r . c o m / d o c r o o t / g r o u p e / C 4 c o m / P i e c e s _ j o i n t e s / C o m m u n i q u e s _ d e _ p r e s s e / 2 0 0 9 /

C a r r e f o u r % 2 0 G r o u p % 2 0 p r e s s % 2 0 r e l e a s e _ U E % 2 0 E n e r g y % 2 0 W e e k _ 0 2 0 2 0 9 v 2 . p d f

M a r k s a n d S p e n c e r c o l l a b o r a t i o n w i t h O x f a m

S i n c e 2 0 0 8 , M a r k s a n d S p e n c e r a r e w o r k i n g t o g e t h e r t o e n c o u r a g e c u s t o m e r s t o r e c y c l e c l o t h e s

t h e y n o l o n g e r w e a r .

h t t p : / / p l a n a . m a r k s a n d s p e n c e r . c o m / a b o u t / p a r t n e r s h i p s / o x f a m / s t o r i e s / 1 0 /


11/13

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M e t r o i n f o r m a t i o n c a m p a i g n

I n 2 0 0 7 i n t h e M e d i a - S a t u r n G r o u p e m b a r k e d o n a l a r g e - s c a l e i n f o r m a t i o n c a m p a i g n i n c o o p e r a t i o n

w i t h t h e G e r m a n E n e r g y - A g e n c y . T h e i d e a w a s t o c o m m u n i c a t e t o c o n s u m e r s t h e d o u b l e b e n e f i t s

o f e n e r g y e f f i c i e n t e l e c t r i c a l a p p l i a n c e s b o t h c o s t s a v i n g s a n d r e d u c i n g c l i m a t e i m p a c t . O u r

e m p l o y e e s i n t h e s t o r e s o f M e d i a M a r k t a n d S a t u r n i n G e r m a n y w e r e t r a i n e d b y t h e G e r m a n

E n e r g y - A g e n c y . W i t h t h i s u p d a t e d k n o w l e d g e t h e y i n f o r m e d c u s t o m e r s a b o u t h o w t o u s e t h e

E u r o p e a n e n e r g y l a b e l t o i d e n t i f y c l i m a t e f r i e n d l y r e f r i g e r a t o r s a n d w a s h i n g m a c h i n e s . T o

o v e r c o m e o n e o f t h e b i g g e s t p u r c h a s e b a r r i e r s - t h e h i g h e r p r i c e - M e d i a M a r k e t a n d S a t u r n h e l d

E n e r g y S a v i n g W e e k s a n d o f f e r e d g i f t c e r t i f i c a t e s f o r c u s t o m e r s b u y i n g e f f i c i e n t p r o d u c t s .

C u s t o m e r s w h o b o u g h t a n A + r e f r i g e r a t o r g o t a g i f t c a r d f o r 1 0 0 . D a t a f r o m t h e m a r k e t r e s e a r c h

i n s t i t u t e G f K G r o u p s h o w c l e a r l y o u r s u c c e s s : T o d a y 5 0 % o f r e f r i g e r a t o r s s o l d i n G e r m a n y a r e A +

o r A + + a p p l i a n c e s . T h e r e f o r e G e r m a n y i s t h e m o s t a d v a n c e d m a r k e t f o r e n e r g y e f f i c i e n t

r e f r i g e r a t o r s i n E u r o p e .

h t t p : / / w w w . m e t r o g r o u p . d e / s e r v l e t / P B / m e n u / 1 1 8 3 1 2 0 _ l 2 _ e P R J - M E T R O D E - M A I N P A G E / i n d e x . h t m l

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C o o p I t a l y : S a v e E n e r g i e s P r o j e c t T h i s p r o j e c t , w h i c h i n v o l v e s 1 , 5 0 0 f a m i l i e s o f c o n s u m e r c o - o p e r a t i v e m e m b e r s a l l o v e r I t a l y , i s

a i m e d a t r a i s i n g a w a r e n e s s o n t h e t o p i c s o f C l i m a t e C h a n g e a n d E n e r g y E f f i c i e n c y . T h e f i n a l

o b j e c t i v e i s t o c h a n g e t h e d a i l y c o n s u m p t i o n p a t t e r n s o f t h i s c o m m u n i t y , w h i c h w i l l b e a l s o a b l e t o

e x c h a n g e i n f o r m a t i o n t h r o u g h a n a d h o c w e b s i t e . M o r e i n f o r m a t i o n :

h t t p : / / w w w . c a s a c o o p . e - c o o p . i t / g u e s t ? a c t i o n = v i s u a l i z z a _ a r t i c o l o & i d = 4 2 4 .

T h e C o - o p e r a t i v e G r o u p ( U K ) : S t o p t h e C l i m a t e C h a o s c o a l i t i o n

T h e C o - o p e r a t i v e G r o u p w o r k s i n p a r t n e r s h i p w i t h t h e " S t o p C l i m a t e C h a o s " c o a l i t i o n t o d e l i v e r a

c l i m a t e c h a n g e o u t r e a c h i n i t i a t i v e t o i t s m e m b e r s .

M o r e i n f o r m a t i o n : h t t p : / / w w w . c o - o p e r a t i v e . c o o p / e t h i c s i n a c t i o n / t a k e a c t i o n / t h e w a v e / w h o s -

i n v o l v e d - w i t h - T h e - W a v e /

R E T A I L A S S O C I A T I O N S

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P u b l i c p r i v a t e n a t i o n w i d e c a m p a i g n t o p r o m o t e t h e F r e n c h N F E n v i r o n n e m e n t a n d E U E c o l a b e l

I n 2 0 0 9 , 7 0 0 0 s t o r e s ( 8 0 0 h y p e r m a r k e t s , 3 0 0 0 s u p e r m a r k e t s , a n d 3 3 0 0 s h o p s a t t h e c o r n e r )

p a r t i c i p a t e d a t t h e c a m p a i g n l e d b y t h e F r e n c h e n v i r o n m e n t m i n i s t r y , r e p r e s e n t i n g a t o t a l o f

1 5 0 0 0 0 p r o m o t i o n d a y s . I n F r a n c e , b e t w e e n 7 5 a n d 9 5 % o f e c o l a b e l e d p r o d u c t s ( N F

E n v i r o n n e m e n t a n d E U E c o l a b e l ) a r e r e t a i l e r b r a n d e d p r o d u c t s .

M o r e i n f o r m a t i o n p . 9 : h t t p : / / w w w . f c d . a s s o . f r / m a j / u p l o a d / a c t u a l i t e s / f i c h i e r _ 2 1 0 _ 0 . p d f

N a t i o n w i d e c a m p a i g n t o p r o m o t e o r g a n i c p r o d u c t s

F o r s e v e r a l y e a r s n o w , a l l m a j o r r e t a i l e r s i n F r a n c e p a r t i c i p a t e a t t h e P r i n t e m p s d e l a b i o

o r g a n i s e d b y t h e F r e n c h a g e n c y f o r t h e p r o m o t i o n o f o r g a n i c p r o d u c t s A g e n c e B I O . F i r s t o f f i c i a l

e s t i m a t i o n s d o i n d i c a t e a m a r k e t s h a r e i n c r e a s e o f m o r e t h a n 2 0 % i n 2 0 0 9 .

M o r e i n f o r m a t i o n p . 1 3 : h t t p : / / w w w . f c d . a s s o . f r / m a j / u p l o a d / a c t u a l i t e s / f i c h i e r _ 2 1 0 _ 0 . p d f

I N D U S T R Y A S S O C I A T I O N S

A I S E

A . I . S . E . c a m p a i g n s t o p r o m o t e s u s t a i n a b l e c o n s u m p t i o n ; w w w . w a s h r i g h t . c o m f o r l a u n d r y

d e t e r g e n t s ; w w w . s a v e e n e r g y a n d w a t e r . c o m f o r a u t o m a t i c d i s h w a s h i n g d e t e r g e n t s ;

w w w . c l e a n r i g h t . e u a s i n d u s t r y w e b p o r t a l f o r t h e w h o l e s o a p s , d e t e r g e n t s s a n d m a i n t e n a n c e

p r o d u c t s i n d u s t r y

A . I . S . E . s u s t a i n a b i l i t y s c h e m e , a i m e d a t m a n u f a c t u r e r s a n d r e t a i l e r s ( f o r t h e i r p r i v a t e l a b e l

p r o d u c t s ) t o s t e e r b e t t e r p r a c t i c e s f o r t h e w h o l e i n d u s t r y , t h r o u g h o u t t h e l i f e - c y c l e a n d f o r t h e

w h o l e i n d u s t r y , i n c l u d i n g r e p o r t i n g : w w w . s u s t a i n a b l e - c l e a n i n g . c o m


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12

E u r o p e a n S C P F o o d R o u n d T a b l e

T h e E u r o p e a n F o o d S u s t a i n a b l e C o n s u m p t i o n a n d P r o d u c t i o n R o u n d T a b l e i s a p u b l i c - p r i v a t e

i n i t i a t i v e t h a t i s c o - c h a i r e d b y t h e E u r o p e a n C o m m i s s i o n a n d f o o d s u p p l y c h a i n p a r t n e r s . T h e

R o u n d T a b l e a i m s t o d e v e l o p a h a r m o n i s e d m e t h o d o l o g y f o r t h e e n v i r o n m e n t a l a s s e s s m e n t o f

f o o d a n d d r i n k p r o d u c t s w h i c h w i l l f o r m t h e b a s i s f o r t h e v o l u n t a r y c o m m u n i c a t i o n o f

e n v i r o n m e n t a l i n f o r m a t i o n a l o n g t h e f o o d c h a i n , i n c l u d i n g t o c o n s u m e r s . T o t h i s e n d t h e R o u n d

T a b l e i s d e v e l o p i n g a s e t o f g u i d i n g p r i n c i p l e s w h i c h w i l l i n c l u d e g u i d a n c e o n i s s u e s s u c h a s t h e

f o r m a t , s c o p e , m e a n i n g , a n d u n d e r l y i n g d a t a f o r c o m m u n i c a t i n g e n v i r o n m e n t a l i n f o r m a t i o n .

T h e s e p r i n c i p l e s w i l l b e a d o p t e d a t a p l e n a r y m e e t i n g i n J u l y 2 0 1 0 a n d w i l l b e a v a i l a b l e t o

d o w n l o a d f r o m t h e F o o d S C P R o u n d T a b l e w e b s i t e :

h t t p : / / f o o d - s c p . e u / .

F E V E ( T h e E u r o p e a n C o n t a i n e r G l a s s F e d e r a t i o n )

S t o r y - t e l l i n g v i r a l t o e n c o u r a g e r e c y c l i n g r e t a i l e r s t o p l a y a n i m p o r t a n t r o l e i n c h a m p i o n i n g

r e c y c l i n g . S t o r y t e l l i n g t o c o n v e y m e s s a g e s i s a s t r o n g w a y t o c o m m u n i c a t e w i t h c o n s u m e r s .

H a n k - t h e s i n g i n g b o t t l e p e r f o r m i n g I l l b e b a c k i s a g o o d e x a m p l e o f h o w t o e n g a g e p e o p l e

w i t h a p u b l i c i n t e r e s t m e s s a g e o v e r h a l f a m i l l i o n p e o p l e h a v e v i e w e d t h e c l i p . I t i s a v i r a l , a n d

p o r t a b l e i n f o r m a t i o n t o o l , c o n t a i n i n g a p u b l i c i n t e r e s t m e s s a g e t h a t c a n b e u s e d b y r e t a i l e r s a n d

s t a k e h o l d e r s o n w e b s i t e s , a n d t h e c h a r a c t e r c o u l d a l s o b e u s e d t o p r o v i d e i n - s t o r e i n f o r m a t i o n .

h t t p : / / w w w . f r i e n d s o f g l a s s . c o m /

C O N S U M E R A S S O C I A T I O N S

B E U C a n d C o n s u m e r F o c u s

T h e U n i t e d N a t i o n s E n v i r o n m e n t P r o g r a m m e c r e a t e d a n o n l i n e p o r t a l w h i c h p r o v i d e s a C r e a t i v e

G a l l e r y o n S u s t a i n a b l e C o m m u n i c a t i o n s . I t i s a d a t a b a s e o f a d v e r t i s e m e n t s d e s i g n e d t o e n c o u r a g e

c o n s u m e r s t o p u r c h a s e e n v i r o n m e n t a l a n d e t h i c a l p r o d u c t s . M o r e i n f o r m a t i o n :

h t t p : / / w w w . u n e p . f r / s c p / c o m m u n i c a t i o n s / a d s . h t m

M E M B E R S T A T E S

D e n m a r k

O r g a n i s a t i o n s , r e t a i l e r s a n d a u t h o r i t i e s h a v e a g r e e d o n a y e a r l y c a l e n d a r t o c a r r y o u t c a m p a i g n s

e . g . w e e k 9 i s t h e f a i r t r a d e w e e k , w e e k 2 5 i s t h e o r g a n i c w e e k a n d w e e k 4 1 i s t h e e c o l a b e l w e e k .

T h i s c a l e n d a r a l l o w s r e t a i l e r s t o p l a n m a r k e t i n g i n i t i a t i v e s a n d t o e n s u r e t h a t p r o d u c t s a v a i l a b l e

d u r i n g c a m p a i g n s .

F r a n c e

T h e g o v e r n m e n t h a s s i g n e d a c h a r t e r w i t h p r o f e s s i o n a l s o n e c o - r e s p o n s i b l e a d v e r t i s i n g . A

c o d e o f c o n d u c t h a s a l s o b e e n e s t a b l i s h e d w i t h t h e s e c t o r , w h i c h i n c l u d e s t h r e e i n n o v a t i v e a s p e c t s :

b e t t e r e x p l a n a t i o n o f e n v i r o n m e n t a l s e l f - d e c l a r a t i o n s , l i m i t a t i o n t o m i s l e a d i n g e x c e s s i v e g r e e n i n g

o f t h e p r o d u c t s c e n e r y , a n d t a k i n g i n t o a c c o u n t o f t h e l i f e - c y c l e .

i i h t t p : / / e c . e u r o p a . e u / e n v i r o n m e n t / e u s s d / p d f / F L 2 5 6 _ s u m m a r y . p d f

h t t p : / / e c . e u r o p a . e u / e n v i r o n m e n t / e u s s d / p d f / F L 2 5 6 _ a n a l y t i c a l % 2 0 r e p o r t _ f i n a l . p d f ii

Eurobarometer 295:Attitudes of European Citizens towards the environment, March 2008

http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_295_en.pdfi i i

W e s u g g e s t u s i n g t h e w o r d i n g o f t h e E u r o p e a n C o u r t o f J u s t i c e , i . e . a v e r a g e c o n s u m e r s a r e r e a s o n a b l y w e l l

i n f o r m e d a n d r e a s o n a b l y o b s e r v a n t a n d c i r c u m s p e c t .i v

E . g . w w w . s u s t a i n a b l e - c l e a n i n g . c o m f o r t h e d e t e r g e n t s a n d m a i n t e n a n c e p r o d u c t s i n d u s t r y i n E u r o p e vF M C G a r e i n e x p e n s i v e p r o d u c t s t h a t p e o p l e u s u a l l y b u y o n a r e g u l a r b a s i s , s u c h a s s u p e r m a r k e t f o o d s o r

t o i l e t r i e s . ( E n g l i s h C o l l i n s D i c t i o n a r y - E n g l i s h D e f i n i t i o n & T h e s a u r u s

vi p . 1 8 6 o f T h e p o w e r o f p o i n t o f p u r c h a s e a d v e r t i s i n g : M a r k e t i n g a t R e t a i l . E d i t e d b y R o b e r t L i l j e n w a l l P O P A I -

2 0 0 4


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R e p o r t O r g a n i c F a r m i n g i n t h e E U . F a c t s a n d F i g u r e s 3 N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 5 ( E u r o p e a n C o m m i s s i o n D G

A G R I - G 2 E W - J K D ( 2 0 0 5 )

viiiG r e e n E x p e c t a t i o n s , C o n s u m e r s u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f G r e e n C l a i m s i n A d v e r t i s i n g , C o n s u m e r F o c u s , J u n e 2 0 0 9

ix ( C O M ( 2 0 0 8 ) 3 9 7 f i n a l )

x h t t p : / / e c . e u r o p a . e u / c o n s u m e r s / r i g h t s / i n d e x _ e n . t h m

xi

B e y o n d t h e " b l a c k l i s t " c o n t a i n e d u n d e r A n n e x I o f t h e D i r e c t i v e , w h e r e s o m e p r a c t i c e s a r e a l w a y s c o n s i d e r e d

u n f a i r , a n d t h e r e f o r e p r o h i b i t e d , r e g a r d l e s s o f t h e i m p a c t t h e y h a v e o n t h e c o n s u m e r ' s b e h a v i o u r , t h e a b o v e

m e n t i o n e d G u i d e l i n e s h i g h l i g h t t w o d i f f e r e n t s i t u a t i o n s , r e g a r d i n g e n v i r o n m e n t a l c l a i m s , w h i c h m a y o c c u r :

( i ) O b j e c t i v e m i s l e a d i n g p r a c t i c e : t h e e n v i r o n m e n t a l c l a i m i s m i s l e a d i n g b e c a u s e i t c o n t a i n s f a l s e i n f o r m a t i o n

a n d i s t h e r e f o r e u n t r u t h f u l .

( i i ) S u b j e c t i v e m i s l e a d i n g p r a c t i c e : t h e e n v i r o n m e n t a l c l a i m i s m i s l e a d i n g b e c a u s e i t d e c e i v e s o r i s l i k e l y t o

d e c e i v e t h e a v e r a g e c o n s u m e r , e v e n i f t h e i n f o r m a t i o n c o n t a i n e d t h e r e i n i s f a c t u a l l y c o r r e c t .

B r e a c h e s o f b i n d i n g c o d e s o f c o n d u c t c o n t a i n i n g e n v i r o n m e n t a l c o m m i t m e n t s m a y a l s o b e c o n s i d e r e d

m i s l e a d i n g a c t i o n s xii

M o s t n o t a b l y , s t u d i e s u n d e r t a k e n b y T i m J a c k s o n , P r o f e s s o r o f S u s t a i n a b l e D e v e l o p m e n t a t S u r r e y

U n i v e r s i t y , U K . F o r a l i s t o f h i s r e l e v a n t w o r k , s e e :

h t t p : / / w w w . s u r r e y . a c . u k / r e s o l v e / v i e w _ p r o f i l e s . p h p ? t e a m M e m b e r _ I D = 1 5 xiii

N a t i o n a l C o n s u m e r C o u n c i l ( 2 0 0 5 ) : D e s p e r a t e l y S e e k i n g S u s t a i n a b i l i t y xiv

p . 4 6 i n P r o m o t i n g S u s t a i n a b l e C o n s u m p t i o n G o o d P r a c t i c e s i n O E C D C o u n t r i e s O E C D , 2 0 0 8 xv

C S R b u s i n e s s m o d e l s a n d c h a n g e t r a j e c t o r i e s i n t h e r e t a i l i n d u s t r y : A D y n a m i c B e n c h m a r k E x e r c i s e t 1 9 9 5 -

2 0 0 7 ) ; L E I W a g e n i n g e n , U R , T h e H a g u e ; O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9

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