Bamboozled: Protecting your brand from its own positioning.

This week, Naked Sprout, bazoo and Bamboo have been under the spotlight for their sustainability claims.

Through industry-standard testing, Which? have discovered that some ‘100% bamboo’ products contain as little as 2.7%, with the majority of their fibre composition being virgin hardwoods often connected with deforestation.

The news serves a timely reminder on the risks of marketing with big, industry-leading claims – especially in the context of sustainability and greenwashing. Here are our takeaways:

Big claims need total confidence:

Every brand wants to be the best at what they do or celebrate an untouchable USP to stand head and shoulders above the competition. Before you go big, it’s imperative not to leave any stone unturned for total confidence in the integrity of what you’re saying. A brand or product built on an unwarranted claim is in a precarious position; trust is earned slowly and lost very quickly.

Audit thoroughly and prove regularly to stay ahead. Be honest with yourself and your audience.

Silos are dangerous:

Without knowing the absolutes of any of these businesses, the fallout does flag a common issue we’ve experienced with countless organisations over the years. A lack of effective internal communication and inter-disciplinary collaboration allows important information to fall through the gaps, clouds big-picture thinking and reduces the opportunities for challenge or rectification from colleagues and contributors.

Dealing with a crisis:

With the best will in the world, things can and do go wrong; but it’s how you deal with it that matters. Proactive approaches to potential crises will leave you confident and in control, as well as fuelling illuminating workshops on risks and their management.

Credit where it’s due, Bumboo have tackled the issue head-on in a timely manner, engaged well with the press, taken accountability, answered critique directly and made clear their actions to rectify the issue and protect against future errors. Gold star for the crisis comms team.

Others who are digging their heels in, disputing research and questioning the method which exposed a genuine issue may be making the turnaround significantly harder. As above, however, when a brand hangs on its position as ‘most sustainable in the market’, the climb-down can be difficult - if not impossible.

Read more at Which?