Chapter 5: Greenwashing in the Age of Digital Media: An Empirical Study

Of late, ‘Sustainability’ and ‘Eco-friendly’ have become the new buzz words in the marketing arena, thanks to the growing awareness and eco-consciousness of consumers. As the demand for green products rises, companies continue to devise creative marketing techniques to capture the imagination of the consumers. This has gradually resulted in greenwashing or deceitful marketing practices that deceive consumers about the true nature of the environmental activities of a company or its products and services and lead to the detriment of the environment.

With the emergence of digital platforms, greenwashing has become more widespread. This study aims to analyze the practice of greenwashing in the context of digital media by understanding the visual and textual content strategies used by companies and to evaluate the authenticity of their claims against their actual environmental performance. This paper intends to investigate consumer perceptions of genuine sustainability as opposed to greenwashing. Such analysis is especially crucial in the Indian context, which is emerging as a potential market for green products.

Thus, this study also aims to highlight the impacts of greenwashing on business practices, as well as its broader implications on the relevant legal and regulatory authorities in India such as the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), which can shape the future of green marketing in India in the coming years.