As climate crises continue to rise around the world, consumers are increasingly interested in doing their part. Many companies have rushed to meet this demand, but not all efforts are equal. Whether knowingly or unknowingly, greenwashing, the use of misleading or ambiguous claims of environmental friendliness, has become widespread. This places a greater need for communicators and consumers alike to educate themselves on the nature of green advertising, how to verify claims and seek meaningful change.
Our own Dr. Sigal Segev was joined by Dr. Julianna Fernandes of UF and industry experts Kristopher Hesson and Susannah Enkema have come together for a webinar detailing how to identify greenwashing and understanding the implications of these messages. Are your favorite green products as good for the environment as you thought? Watch the full presentation below and find out.
Want to learn more? Check out the FTC’s Green Guides at:
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/topics/truth-advertising/green-guides
Our Speakers:
Dr. Sigal Segev is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication, Florida International University. Her research focuses on green advertising as well as cross cultural consumer behavior. She published in leading advertising and consumer behavior journals, including, among others, Journal of Advertising, International Journal of Advertising, Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising, European Journal of Marketing, International Journal of Consumer Studies, and the journal of Computers in Human Behavior. Sigal is an active member of the American Academy of Advertising (AAA) and served in different roles including AAA’s Vice President and chair of the Research Committee.
Dr. Juliana Fernandes (Ph.D. University of Florida, 2010) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Advertising in the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida. Dr. Fernandes is an expert in the uses and effects of negative information in persuasive communication messages (i.e., green and political advertising) and how social and traditional media are used as a strategic tool during political campaigns. She has published academic articles in top advertising and mass communication journals (Journal of Advertising, International Journal of Advertising, Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising, Mass Communication & Society, Journal of Public Relations Research, Journalism, American Behavioral Scientist, Communication Studies, Environmental Communication) and has several book chapters in edited collections.
Susannah Enkema is the VP of Research & Insights at Shelton Group, the nation’s leading marketing communications agency focused exclusively on energy and the environment. She directs her team in designing primary and secondary, quantitative and qualitative research projects. She plays a key role at the front end in making sure they’re asking the right questions, and then helps dissect the findings and boil them down to the most important insights – the ones that pave the way for recommended marketing strategies and creative approaches. Shelton Group’s clients include Consumers Energy, Cotton LEADS, Eastman, Ecolab, Environmental Defense Fund, Mattel, Pactiv Evergreen and Papa John’s.
With 20 years of market research experience working with a range of clients from Hanes to HGTV, Susannah is a pro at helping her clients understand what makes their customers and consumers tick and decoding the marketing and messaging that will spark action.
Kris Hesson serves as VP of Market Engagement at Shelton Group. His passion for doing good — in the world and for his clients — is a driving force at Shelton Group. He leads his department and account managers to orchestrate creative strategy, implementation and refinement. He is responsible for ensuring that Shelton’s work is truly effective in the marketplace. He keeps his eyes on our clients’ goals at all times to make sure our work generates positive business outcomes for them.
Before joining Shelton, Kris served as Senior Marketing Automation Strategist at award-winning digital agency Pyxl. From international tech companies to some of the world’s largest security companies, he’s helped brands leverage technology to drive amazing business results.
