Marketers don't know the size of their carbon footprints

by Antoinette Odoi, Marketing 28-Jan-08, 14:00

LONDON - Marketers are still largely unaware of their companies' carbon footprints despite three quarters thinking their departments can do more for the environment.

Nearly 80% of marketers do not know to what extent their businesses were harming the environment, according to a survey by customer information management service, Acxiom. More than half of the marketing directors surveyed have no concrete environmental objectives in place.

Despite this ignorance, marketers must increasingly take a green approach as a key strategy to achieve their marketing goals, according to Keith Jones, group leader of multi-industry solutions at Acxiom.

Marketers have been increasingly keen to tune into the public's growing concerns about the environment with many high profile names such as Virgin Trains, Honda and Eurostar launching 'green' incentives and campaigns.

The desire for companies to engage on this front may be due to the fact many marketers believe companies with green credentials are more likely to retain customers in the future; the survey revealed 61% directors believe customers' awareness of green issues will later affect their interaction with a company. Only 2% of directors do not see this as an important issue.

But companies hoping to beef up their environmental initiatives should take note: the Advertising Standards Authority recently warned it would rigorously scrutinise all green claims after several members of the public voiced their concerns regarding the environmental claims made by some firms.