{"id":26431,"date":"2023-02-14T09:12:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-14T09:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newonclusivstg.wpengine.com\/?p=26431"},"modified":"2026-04-29T17:04:47","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T17:04:47","slug":"how-to-build-brand-reputation-in-an-era-of-greenwashing-backlash-part-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onclusive.com\/en-gb\/resources\/blog\/how-to-build-brand-reputation-in-an-era-of-greenwashing-backlash-part-one\/","title":{"rendered":"How to build brand reputation in an era of greenwashing backlash:\u202fpart one"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n \n\t\t\t
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As we\u2019ve seen from our media analysis in our <\/span><\/span>previous post<\/span><\/span><\/a>, the public discussion and scrutiny around<\/span> greenwashing<\/span> is only increasing. <\/span>So,<\/span> effectively <\/span>communicating your brand\u2019s <\/span>environmental sustainability <\/span>strategy will be an essential part of your role for the foreseeable future, if not forever!<\/span>\u202f<\/span>Y<\/span>ou need to get it right if you want to build a solid brand reputation<\/span> and avoid greenwashing accusations.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Your success will depend on three crucial things:\u202f<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. How well you <\/span>know<\/span><\/b> your stakeholder groups\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. How well your comms strategy is <\/span>aligned<\/span><\/b> to your ESG strategy\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. How <\/span>authentically<\/span><\/b> you communicate with the media and other stakeholders\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    In this blog post, we\u2019re digging into \u2018how well you know your stakeholder groups\u2019.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t

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    <\/h3>\n

    <\/h3>\n

    SUCCESS PART ONE: Know your stakeholder groups<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

    The good news is that there\u2019s growing acknowledgement that embedding a robust environmental sustainability strategy doesn\u2019t happen overnight. <\/span>However, identifying and understanding the different stakeholder groups that impact, shape, and influence your business – whether that’s consumers or regulators – will ultimately enable you to have greater control of your brand reputation.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Your environmental sustainability claims will be scrutinized from different angles by these stakeholder groups. Each stakeholder group will be looking out for specific messages to satisfy their priorities and concerns. So how do you create a comms strategy that satisfies the needs of all your key stakeholder groups and helps you to build a credible and transparent environmental brand reputation?\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t

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    Do your research (over and over again)\u202f<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    You must show how your environmental sustainability efforts align with your stakeholders\u2019 priorities. That means understanding what they want and how they perceive your brand. It\u2019s not enough to rely on your judgement about what messages will and won\u2019t land well \u2013 opinions and behaviors change.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t

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    Be bold enough to challenge\u202f<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    If it doesn\u2019t seem genuine or feels misinformed, question it. You need to be your company\u2019s harshest critic. Let\u2019s say a food brand asks its comms team to seek media coverage to promote how it\u2019s using local ingredients to reduce its carbon footprint. Great right? Not quite. You need to consider the wider picture before taking this message public. What about the packaging and processes that suppliers are using to create and deliver the product \u2013 what environmental impact is that making? This level of scrutiny will be applied by environmental journalists and other stakeholders. Get into the details to ensure that no element of greenwashing (intentional or not) is taking place before pressing \u2018send\u2019 on the press release.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t

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    Get in<\/span><\/b>spired \u2013 don\u2019t copy<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

    Monitor competitor activity consistently. What environmental issues are driving them and how are they successfully communicating that in the mainstream and social media? This doesn\u2019t mean you should copy what your competitors are doing. You must be driven by your own purpose and commitment. But use their success to positively inspire and influence your comms strategy.\u202f<\/span><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t

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    Pre-empt tough questions <\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span><\/h3>\n

    It\u2019s your job to protect your brand and that means pre-empting the tough questions that skeptical stakeholders might ask. To do this, you need a clear picture of what messages and initiatives (yours and your competitors) have caused negative sentiment in the past. Look at how others have responded. What worked well to appease audiences and what developed into a comms crisis? By understanding this, you\u2019ll know which messages to avoid, be prepared with robust responses, and understand where a course correction might be needed. \u202f<\/span><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t

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    \u202f<\/strong>Implement environmental horizon scanning\u202f<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    The role of comms professionals has significantly evolved in the past few years. Your ability to be responsive to the latest environmental issues plays a large role in your overall business value. Having your finger on the pulse of changing markets, shifting stakeholder expectations, and tying your brand\u2019s messaging into these in an authentic and relevant way is crucial. If you can anticipate opportunities and events that your business can align to or potential crises facing your industry, you can proactively prepare and act.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t

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    Demonstrate your value<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    It\u2019s vital to demonstrate how the environmental action your company\u2019s taking is making a reputational impact and performing against competitors. This level of reporting is invaluable for influencing wider environmental sustainability strategy and validating the importance of your team.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t

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    <\/h3>\n

    How do you get to know your stakeholders?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Your environmental comms strategy (and wider ESG strategy) should be driven by extensive stakeholder group analysis. This needs to leverage historical and real-time data to:\u202f<\/span>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n