Milwaukee’s Journal Sentinel recently ran a story about HY-brid and how we addressed the issue of Greenwashing “head on.”  But what is greenwashing?  Here’s how we define it:

It’s a problem many customers are facing—from the consumer goods aisles at the big boxes to the purchasing agents for large industrial facilities—green messages are everywhere.  And it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish fact from fiction.  It’s not news to those of us in the marketing arena, nor is it earth shattering to those of us tweeting, living and practicing green.  But unfortunately we do not the masses make.  So, how does HY-brid help consumers understand how to disseminate between companies that are truly environmental stewards from those who just have cool messages that make their products sound green?

An interesting issue and one we have walked a number of our clients through.  We first look at a business and ascertain what they have done and are doing to increase their opportunities to deliver real green messages.  Do they practice green in their manufacturing?  Has the organization embraced environmental practices as part of the company mission?  Are their products as environmentally friendly as they can be?  These are the simplest of the questions HY-brid asks, but you get the idea.  The answers we get help us determine if our clients have a holistic green message to deliver.  In some cases we counsel on what they could do to get an environmental position started. 

In the end, it’s a safe bet that not all green messages are true, and this is really just a snapshot of what HY-brid can do to help you help your customers understand where you land in the greenscape. 

We would like to help you get to your environmental place in the world.  Questions about how to develop a green message, or how not to greenwash?  Let us know — it’s why we’re here.  

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According to Merriam-Webster Online, a hybrid can be a variety of things, including “a person whose background is a blend of two diverse cultures or traditions,” or “something (…a vehicle…) that has two different types of components performing essentially the same function.”

“hybrid.” Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2009. Merriam-Webster Online. 24 February 2009
<http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hybrid>

Based on that definition, what is HY-brid? 

It’s Hoffman York’s (HY) more than 75 years of traditional advertising experience blended with its growing, in-house expertise in green marketing and messaging. 

What does this mean for our clients? 

HY offers an extensive range of services, from public relations to media placement to research, in addition to a team of people—HY-brid—who understand the delicate and evolving nature of green messaging. 

What does this mean for Hoffman York? 

It’s a really exciting time. For years, we’ve been helping clients promote their environmental efforts. However, what we recently realized is that green isn’t a standard knowledge set at many other agencies. 

Ah-ha moment: Our green expertise is a unique strength. 

Now known as HY-brid, this green expertise is the foundation for a new category of services being offered to clients. Since we began communicating this expertise, the level of interest has been eye opening. Suddenly, our knowledge of green is a competitive advantage. 

Basically, we’ve done for our agency what we’re promising to help prospective clients do: Recognize the ways your organization is already green. Learn how to be greener. Communicate your honest, green efforts/strengths to internal and external audiences. Turn your environmental awareness into a competitive advantage. 

I guess you could say Hoffman York (HY) was the first, full-fledged HY-brid client.

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