I’m fascinated by the Green tsunami and the way it touches just about every corner of marketing. For example, we used to be able to just buy t-shirts, perhaps 3 to a pack without a care in the world other than price. Now we are asked to consider where the cotton was grown and if it is organic, who made the shirt and did they earn a reasonable wage in decent working conditions. Don’t get me wrong, I think all of this is good and affords enlightened marketers an opportunity (however brief) to gain competitive advantage by demonstrating their greenness.
According to the Organic Exchange, organically grown cotton generated close to $600 million in retail sales last year and is expected to hit $2.6 billion in 2008. That’s not chicken scratch. One of the leaders in this area is Gaiam, which makes a point of telling you where their cotton is grown (India) and offers “Thoughtful Tees” complete with green pride messages like ” “The Solution Comes Up Every Day” and “Keep On Growing.” No one will miss where you stand when you buy one of these Tees. Here’s how Gaiam describes its Tees:
Our message tees make a statement about conscious living. Created with Earth-conscious 100% certified organic cotton and a low eco-impact dye-and-wash process, they sport messages in tune with your values…10% of sales benefit the Solar Living Institute and its environmental education programs.
So, if one buys a green tee, drinks green tea and then uses chemical-free solvents to clean both, could “green washing” suddenly be a good thing? Hmmm. Clearly, I need to give all of this a lot more thought.