A CONTENT-ANALYSIS OF GREEN ADVERTISING IN POPULAR MAGAZINES

BY: ASHLEY BRUCE

Going Green or Growing Greed:

Research Question

How have corporations used green advertising in the media to attract consumers.

Literature Review

History of the Green Movement-widely disputed

-heightened environmental awareness today due to issues like climate change, dwindling energy resources, etc.

-Herndly and Brown (1996)

-Killingsworth and Palmer (1992)

-Mastry (2003)

Literature Review

Role of Advertising and Marketing

- Meyers (1999)

- Fowles (1996)

Literature Review

Women as a Target Audience

- Advertising agencies see women as target audience in the early 1920s

- Hill (2002)

-Fowles (1996)

Veblen (1912)Veblen (1912) Elgin (1993)Elgin (1993)

- Conspicuous consumption of goods

- Voluntary simplicity

Theory

Methodology

Content analysis of two popular magazines Better Homes & Gardens Sports Illustrated

All green advertisements from 1998-2008 constitute data set.-every other month

Total Sample: 88 green advertisements

Sports Illustrated: 31 green advertisementsBetter Homes & Gardens: 57 green advertisements

StrengthsStrengths WeaknessesWeaknesses

Easy replication of research project.

One of first projects to look at green advertising.

Allows comparison between men and women as target audience.

Time constraints

Available resources

Public Library

Methodology

Findings

Rise in Green Advertising from 2005-

2008

Figure 1:

Frequency of Green

Advertisements

Findings

Rise in Green Advertising

-Green as subject of the advertisement.

Total: 60 green advertisements

Prior to 2005: 15 green advertisements

2005-2008: 45 green advertisements

Shaw Flooring (Better Homes & Gardens, October 2007)

“I want a floor that is designed to be recycled. Because I care about more than just the beauty of my home.”

Findings: Frequency of Product Categories from Male and Female Popular Magazines

Product Category Better Homes & Gardens

Sports Illustrated Total/ %

Automotive 13 26 39/44%

Appliances 13 0 13/15%

Home Remodeling 9 0 9/10%

Cleaning Products 9 0 9/10%

Paper Products 7 0 7/8%

Food 3 3 6/7%

Recycling 2 0 2/2%

Banking 1 1 2/2%

Jewelry/Watches 0 1 1/ 2%

Total 57/65% 31/35% 88/100%

Findings

Women as Target Audience

Table 2: Type of Person Represented in Green AdBetter Homes

& GardensSports

IllustratedTotal/ %

Female 18 1 19/31%

Child 18 3 21/34.5%

Male 16 5 21/34.5%

Total 52 9 61/100%

Findings

Green as a Marketing Strategy

Shift to the use of green as subject of ad. Actual environmental impact vs. marketing pitch Mohawk carpets: “From Green to Clean” Clorox Green Works: “Just what the world needs, another

dishwashing liquid. It’s made from plants, but cleans with the power you expect from Clorox. Actually, it’s exactly what the world needs.”

Use of celebrity within green advertisements.Labeling existing product as “green”.

Discussion

Green advertisement is on the rise and may have societal implications. Possible outcomes from the rise in green advertising:

Movement spreads, more environmentally friendly products in the marketplace.

Movement seen as a marketing pitch, prohibits movement from spreading.

Consumers see the different ways products are marketed as “green” and demand more environmentally friendly products.