
MAZ marks the second phase of its 2023 Superbrand research process
The unveiling of the Top 200 brands by the Marketers Association of Zimbabwe culminates in the Superbrand Awards at year-end.
GREENWASHING
By our News Team | 2022
Oil companies spend big on ‘green’ PR, but only 12% of their average capital expenditure on low-carbon investments, research finds.
The world’s largest oil companies are spending huge sums to portray themselves as taking action on climate change, but they are spending comparatively far less on actually developing low-carbon activities that will benefit the planet.
A new analysis by InfluenceMap, an energy and climate think-tank based in the UK, claims the climate-positive messaging by BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell and TotalEnergies does not tally with their actions on the ground.
Image by Marcin from Pixabay
“These companies talk about cutting emissions and transitioning the energy mix, but at the same time continue to invest heavily in new fossil fuels. While this PR strategy might convince some people, it doesn’t change the fact that these companies are out of step with science-based pathways to net zero,” said Faye Holder, a spokesperson for InfluenceMap.
She added: “The world’s big oil and gas companies are spending huge amounts of time and money talking up their ‘green’ credentials, while their business investments and lobbying activities tell a very different story.”
The think-tank’s research analysed 3,421 individual evidence items of public communication from the big oil giants during 2021. These included company and chief executive social media accounts, press releases, speeches and secondary websites intended for outreach purposes.
Categorised each message based on its narrative
It then categorised each item based on its narrative, noting that some items contained multiple messages (for example, both ‘green’ and pro-oil claims).
Overall, the report shows 60% of public messages contained at least one ‘green’ claim, such as emissions-reduction targets, transitioning the energy mix or promoting fossil gas as part of a clean-energy solution.
The report concludes there is a “systematic misalignment” between the business models and lobbying activities of oil’s big players when compared with their public relations strategies, and highlights that several of these companies are forecast to expand oil and gas production through to 2026.
In a statement to broadcaster CNN, a Shell spokesperson said the company was “already investing billions of dollars in lower-carbon energy”.
“To help alter the mix of energy Shell sells, we need to grow these new businesses rapidly,” the spokesperson said. “That means letting our customers know through advertising or social media what lower-carbon solutions we offer now or are developing, so they can switch when the time is right for them.”
A TotalEnergies spokesperson told CNN, “Our public announcements policy reflects the transformation of TotalEnergies in[to] a multi-energy company.”
The unveiling of the Top 200 brands by the Marketers Association of Zimbabwe culminates in the Superbrand Awards at year-end.
While culture and history still permeate the North African consumer experience, it is also a region undergoing a dramatic evolution.
Company says order-fulfilment software from the US digitises and optimises the picking, packing, staging and distribution of online orders.
Placing goods that are not on promotion next to ones that are being discounted can have both positive and negative effects.
AzamPesa mobile money wallet set to close the gap between urban and rural areas in terms of access to financial products and solutions?
Survey finds people spend a month of their lives waiting for call centre agents to pick up. So insurer unveils ‘#StopHoldMusic’ campaign.
Top brands of the future will not be focused on the products they sell, but rather on serving an ecosystem of stakeholder needs.
Growth is expected to resume in 2023 at more than double the rate of last year, with the retail sector being the biggest spender.
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are usually associated with celebrities and market volatility. But there is untapped potential for marketers.
Annual Brand Africa study shows the continent’s brands are losing ground to their international counterparts.
Auchan – a competitor to Carrefour – will make Algeria its fifth market on the African continent later this year.