Whitewash - Greenwash: who cares if your business is green?

To paraphrase an article by Wendy Melillo and Steve Miller in last July's Brandweek,

1. Consumers are growing increasingly confused over what it means to be "green"
2. Is it about the environment, organic food or 'good-for-you' living? It could be about all of those things
3. It is easy to say you are green, but consumers are skeptical.
4. Because everyone wants to jump on the green bandwagon, all of a sudden it is noisy in this space, and it is hard to break through.

A study found that 64% of respondents couldn't name a "green" brand; 51% of those who considered themselves to be environmentally conscious were unable to name one.

"As much as the term has been tossed around, many people . . . are unclear as to what it means," the study reported.

What does being green mean for your business? Ask yourself the following:

1. Do you know what being green really means for a business like yours? Does anyone else?
2. Will having "green" credentials improve your business?
3. Is the "green" thing just a cynical marketing ploy to get customers on your side? Isn't it all just "greenwashing"? And if so, what are you going to do? - join the bandwagon?
4. How can you square multinationals like Nestle's, BP and Shell claiming to be green when clearly many of their activities appear to run in the face of the ethos of the "green" movement?
5. Can you afford not to be green?

If green is the new black... what are you going to do about it?