The "Green" Image

The other day in American Studies, we discussed the images that companies put forth in order to create a certain reputation that will boost sales. One company that was mentioned in particular was Bp. Bp's logo shows a flower-like object that is colored with white, yellow, and green. This object and its hues give off a natural glow. It is as if Bp is an environmentally friendly company!

However, when researching about Bp I found some data that greatly contradicts the green image the company attempts to promote. Bp was a nominee  for the Greenwash Awards in 2009 because they purposely exaggerated their environmental records. Greenwashing is the term given when companies claim to spend great amounts on being greener when in reality it is a very small portion of spending. For example, to Bp claims be environmentally friendly they only spend 4% on green investments and that was before they closed their London alternative energy headquarters. According to Greenpeace, Bp invested $20 billion in fossil fuels in 2008 and only $1.5 billion in alternative energy.


The thing is, most people don't know this about Bp. You would be surprised how many companies who put forth a certain image of themselves, actually contradicts the reputation entirely. It's all about the image. What people see and hear the most is what they believe. And if most of what they hear is from the company itself, then the consumers will believe in the fictitious reputation. As John Mayer said in "Waiting on the World To Change", "when you trust your your television, what you get is what you got". Americans trust in what they hear on the media, and most often its the company that's whispering the good things.