Green Fatigue

A recent article in Ad Age states that people simply aren't responding to 'green marketing' like they use to. Consumers aren't believing the message anymore. While it's always nice for a legit entity to write it down, this doesn't scream news to me. It's the cyclical nature of anything driven by the media. People don't like being beaten over the head with the same message all day.

It's like those popular underground bands that people grow to hate once they get popular. When no one has heard of them, they sound fresh and new. Then everyone starts talking about them. Before you know it, they are playing everyone 30 minutes on the radio, which results in listener revolt. They are still a talented band, but you can only hear the same song so many times before the melody loses its hook.

While the green message is important, it's gotten too much radio play of late. Instead of standing out, brands are starting to blend in. Once the bottom of the barrel brands jump on board, you know the message has worn out its welcome. It's the same reason the Republicans took back the power in the House this election, and the same reseason they will lose it in the next one.

Once you recognize the cycle, it's a lot easier to embrace it.