Environmentally Conscious or Exploitative
By: Tom Mercer on 12 24, 2007
Happy Holidays to all.
Just wanted to check in and post a link related to a discussion we’ve been having on this blog the last week or so. The folks at MarketingProfs had a very interesting post recently about how hotels play on travelers’ emotions through environmental messaging rather than really doing the most they can to decrease their environmental footprint.
Well, as you know, we’ve tried to get beyond the marketing messages and get a better idea of concrete actions that both Hilton and Marriott have taken. We declared Marriott the winner.
First of all, I completely agree with MarketingProfs’ assessment of where the “green consumerist” movement is right now. There is a lot of marketing to play on people’s emotional response to environmental issues, but not enough substance, regulation, or knowledge of how to implement effective environmental change in products and services. (That’s note to say that the knowledge isn’t out there — it is, in many respects.)
Secondly, this gets at exactly what we’re trying to do with Simple Green Choices. We want to take the traveler’s emotion OUT of the equation and look at what travelers can do by making the proper choices and taking actions that lessen their environmental impact.
Reusing towels is a nice first action–it saves energy, water, and money on the hotel’s bottom line, but it’s a drop in the bucket. Let’s all be honest–with ourselves and with our customers.
