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Marketing: The 'negative equity' of Greenwashing

 by Michael Pistol

Catching a falling knife is a tricky business indeed - you need gloves, or experience. Handling what is known now as ‘green marketing' also requires gloves - or experience. In a marketing segment so much populated by omnibus statements, maxims, policies and protocols and by so little credible data, the end user - the consumer as well as businesses alike, should weigh its thoughts as opposed to feelings. And the exercise is becoming more painful, as the knives are getting sharper...

Reading today's various wire service reports, press releases and product info sheets, one is certainly struck by the seemingly never-ending abundance of green, as in some sort of all-powerful informational moss that may end up seizing all media's commonsense mechanisms.

If you feel overwhelmed by its sheer size, you may have already been experiencing the world of Greenwashing.... Green what?
According to the 10th edition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary, by its pure linguistic definition, greenwashing is "disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image. Origin from green on the pattern of whitewash."

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STRATEGIC/MACRO DAILY INFORMATION for Canadian automotive business

TJAAautoinfo FASTWEBLINK

Tuesday - Sept. 07, 2010

FOCUS: The rise and fall in China's auto production and sales growth since 2006: Shifting Gears - Caixin

FOCUS II: BMW Chief Plans ‘Big Push' to Fend Off Audi, Mercedes - BusinessWeek

FOCUS III: Gordon Murray and his T.25 city car - Telegraph

ECONOMIC FUNDAMENTALS: Four unexpected US economic bright spots - Fortune

ECONOMIC FUNDAMENTALS II: Unemployment in U.S. May Rise Toward 10% on ‘Feeble' Growth - Bloomberg

CANADA

Tough rate call ahead for Mark Carney - Reportonbusiness

Canada Firms Plan to Add Jobs in Fourth Quarter, Manpower Says - Bloomberg

Unions' Labour Day bogey: Government cuts - CBC

INTERNATIONAL

NADA not happy with proposed fuel economy letter grades - Autobloggreen

Analysts: US auto sales recovery under way, but may take longer - DetroitNews

GM Powertrain Hungary to double capacity - Reuters

Audi's $66,000 A7 to Challenge BMW, Daimler for Luxury Lead - Bloomberg

Fritz Henderson Makes The Weirdest Career Move Ever - 24/7WallSt.

MMC, Peugeot to make electric cars in Spain - Reuters

Long Weekend - Sept. 04, 2010

FOCUS: Taxpayers likely to face initial loss on GM IPO - Reuters

ECONOMIC FUNDAMENTALS: Japan Has More Than Just a Yen Crisis - BusinessWeek

ECONOMIC FUNDAMENTALS II: U.S. Economy: Recession Concerns Ease on Private Jobs - Bloomberg

ECONOMIC FUNDAMENTALS III: EU austerity policies risk civil war in Greece, warns top German economist Dr Sinn - Telegraph

CANADA

Kia Canada to recall 4,500 cars - TheStar

UBS lowers estimates for Canadian GDP growth - FinancialPost

Canada Credit: Yield Forecasts Fall as Carney Prepares Meeting - Bloomberg

INTERNATIONAL

Study: Modern li-ion batteries have little effect on life cycle impact of electric cars - Autobloggreen

Chrysler takes the wraps off of 2011 Dodge Durango - DetroitNews

Movie Star, Car Buff Tim Allen New Voice for Chevy - WardsAuto

Oil eases on growth concerns and weaker storm - Reuters

Ford Settles With Minor Leaguer's Family After Losing Verdict - Bloomberg

Friday - Sept. 03, 2010

FOCUS: Opel: The achilles heel in GM's IPO - Fortune/CNNMoney

ECONOMIC FUNDAMENTALS: White House: No second stimulus being considered - Reuters

ECONOMIC FUNDAMENTALS II: China reserves 65% in dollars, 26% in euro - MarketWatch

CANADA

Canada's Dollar Drops as Risk ‘Orgy' Flags Before Jobs Report - Bloomberg

TSX on longest winning streak since February - FinancialPost

Canada's big five banks earn $4.8 billion in third quarter - TheStar

INTERNATIONAL

US Treasury mulls over foreign investors in GM IPO - Reuters

Toyota's US August Performance Worst in More Than Year - WardsAuto

US hybrid sales drop off for August; even Prius records a 37.5% decline - Autobloggreen

GM IPO tour timetable emerges - DetroitNews 

Thursday - Sept. 02, 2010

FOCUS: Honda shares pass Toyota's on emerging market hope - Reuters

FOCUS II: How EPA's new fuel economy label would grade current cars - Autobloggreen

ECONOMIC FUNDAMENTALS: U.S. Avoids Recession as Data Can't Get Much Worse - Bloomberg

CANADA

Auto sales slow to a crawl - TheStar

Auto sales surge in Canada, slump in U.S. - Reportonbusiness

Electric car upswing would crash grid: Toronto Hydro chief - TheStar

INTERNATIONAL

German Aug. new-car registrations down 27% on year - MarketWatch

Continental picks banks for high-yield bond - Reuters

Toyota Leads U.S. Sales Drop on ‘Clunkers' Comparison - Bloomberg

Chevy's New Cruze Needs a Hard Sell - BusinessWeek

Ferrari 458 fires prompt global recall - Just-Auto

US Auto sales: Worst August since 1983 - CNNMoney

GM China Growth Slowest in 17 Months; Ford Sales Gain - Bloomberg

Wednesday - Sept. 01, 2010

FOCUS: Dan Akerson's first day at the top of GM - Fortune

FOCUS II: China's August Car Sales Increase 59%, Center Says - Bloomberg

FOCUS III: Feds investigate '11 Hyundai Sonata for steering issues - DetroitNews

ECONOMIC FUNDAMENTALS: The Knightian dog ate my recovery - Reuters

CANADA

Court clears Magna's $1B Stronach payout - FinancialPost

Auto Parts: Onex, CPPIB to delist Tomkins in London - Reportonbusiness

Ontario auto insurance reforms take effect Wednesday - TheStar

Canada's economic growth slows in Q2 - CBC

Canada's Dollar Falls to Eight-Week Low as Economic Pace Slows - Bloomberg

INTERNATIONAL

Visteon cleared to exit bankruptcy -DetroitNews

Tesla Roadster qualifies for Japan EV rebates - Reuters

Old GM, Motors Liquidation, files plan to revamp - MarketWatch

Japan Vehicle Sales Rise Most Since 1972 on Subsidy - Bloomberg

Hyundai Motor August sales dip due to holidays - Reuters

FASTWEBLINK DATABASE - Monthly Archive

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