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Green advertising made easy with new workshops

   

News Release

Ref: 103/09
Date: 5 May 2009

Free workshops hosted by Defra, the IPA and ISBA are helping advertisers and marketing professionals to ‘go green’ with their products.

The workshops, held in London and Manchester throughout May, are aimed at getting businesses to contribute to the new green claims guidance which will help businesses understand how to make truthful and transparent claims about the environmental credentials of their products.

The innovative workshops will ask stakeholders to identify key issues and areas of confusion when making a green claim. The sessions will also provide an opportunity for those who have on hands experience or expertise in this area to identify improvements to the current code.

Defra has been working with the IPA and ISBA to create this programme of free workshops to help businesses navigate the plethora of terminologies in use today and make accurate claims that are easily understood by consumers.

From 12 May to 22 May the workshops will cover different business sectors such as: transport, travel, food and drink, clothing, energy appliances and banking.

Hamish Pringle, Director General at the IPA said:
"Agencies often complain about not having a place at the 'top table' - well here's a free invitation to participate in a Government-sponsored workshop on a topic that's right at the very top of the corporate agenda.  This is an ideal opportunity for senior agency managers and their clients to make their views known in a forum where they will be heard, and acted upon."

Ian Twinn, Director of Public Affairs at the ISBA, said:
“Defra’s initiative in launching these workshops is both constructive and timely. We all want business to be able to make green claims, but the area is complicated. Misleading green claims help no-one, but we need to move from accusing people, to helping them get it right. I believe the sessions will help to do that and deserve the support of all who use, or might use, green claims in marketing.”

The workshops will cover all aspects of marketing communications, from media advertising to packaging claims, company websites, promotions, merchandising and delegates will hear from a range of leading industry speakers. These workshops have been organised as part of the process to update the Green Claims Code, which was last revised in 2003, as a result of the exponential growth in the market for ‘green products’,. The updated code will support businesses and ensure that the broad range of environmental claims they make are accurate, truthful and relevant. Last February Defra announced an industry led steering group to assist with the updating of the Green Claims Code.

Notes to editors

To register

1. The London sessions will be held at Wallacespace St Pancras, 22 Dukes Rd, WC1H 9PN, www.wallacespace.com/22dukeroad_map.html and for Manchester it will be at Urbis, Cathedral Gardens, Manchester M4 3BG www.urbis.org.uk/corpevents.asp with registration and breakfast from 8.30am and a prompt start at 9am.

In London:
May 12 - Transport, Travel, Automotive and Tourism
May 14 - Food & Drink, Clothing, Personal Care (cosmetics, pharma, etc), Household products,
May 15 - Utilities, Energy and energy-using Appliances, Construction and Industrial, Furniture,
May 22 - Banking and Financial, Other Retail, plus all others

In Manchester:
May 20 - All sectors
The workshops will be led by David Wethey of Agency Assessments International.
2.  Admission will be by reservation only and strictly limited to 60 participants per session. The sectors included will be adjusted according to response, so please state your first and second preferences to Clare Ruthven-Stuart at: clare@ruthvenstuart.co.uk
Please state clearly:
(1) Name:
(2) Title:
(3) Company name:
(4) Contact phone number:
(5) Business sector e.g. transport, food & drink, construction:
(6) Are you currently involved in making green claims and, if so, for which brand?

(7) With whom (agency or client) would you like to attend? Please give their name, title and company name:
This information is simply for the purpose of arranging attendance in the best possible way.
(8) Any comments?

3.   On 18 February 2009, Lord Philip Hunt, the Minister for Sustainable Development, announced those listed below to be part of a steering group to update Defra’s ‘Green Claims’ Code.
Advertising Standards Authority
Advertising Association
BERR
BRC
CBI
Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)
Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)
COI
Consumer Focus
DFT
Forum for the Future
Institute for Practitioners in Advertising (IPA)
ISBA (Voice of British Advertisers)
OFT
Sustainable Development commission

End

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Page published: 5 May 2009