BP's Sustainable Marketing Strategy: A Study of Greenwashing Tactics

This report examines BP's marketing strategies, focusing on its efforts to position itself as a sustainable organization. It delves into the company's use of greenwashing tactics, the challenges it faces in achieving genuine sustainability, and the reasons behind its interest in greenwashing strategies. The report also includes a reflective section on personal sustainability practices and concludes that while BP has implemented greenwashing in its operations, true sustainability requires more than just marketing.

BUILDING A
SUSTAINABLE
ORGANIZATION

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
PART A...........................................................................................................................................1
Explaining how company make marketing strategy to position themselves as sustainable,
corporate green washing strategy and challenges to achieve.......................................................1
Explaining that organization are really interested to in green washing strategies.......................4
PART B............................................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES...........................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Building sustainable organization is related with assessing strategy which can allow to
obtain the competitive advantage that leads to growth and development. In the current era,
competition has inclined which is resulting into number of complexity. It becomes essential for
the organization to focus on formulating proper sustainable strategy to inclined productivity and
ability to coordinate with changing circumstances. Greenwashing is one of the strategy that is
widely taken into consideration for making companies sustainable. The current study is based
on BP corporation which is one of the British Multinational organization that operates in energy
sector. Present study will focus on assessing greenwashing strategy of company and challenges
to achieve the objective attaining this strategy. This study will present reflective report on
current lifestyle and compliance with sustainability so that depth understanding can be obtained.
MAIN BODY
PART A
Explaining how company make marketing strategy to position themselves as sustainable,
corporate green washing strategy and challenges to achieve
In the current era, the awareness regrading growth & development through green practices has
inclined. Stakeholders largely focuses on obtaining the products and services that are highly
suitable for environment. For this purpose, company pay attention on developing such practices
that are highly profitable and sustainable along with ensuring that stakeholders are positively
affected (Meisinger, 2022). There are several strategies which are utilized by firm for
developing green based company in turn economic, political, social, etc. aspect can favourably
impact company’s. There are number of marketing strategies which are taken into
consideration by the firm for developing accurate, reliable, relevant practice in turn declination
of non-eco-friendly practices can become possible. Marketing strategy of organization helps in
formulating the policy that contribute in creating positive impact for attaining favourable
environmental outcome by offering misleading information in the market.
There are few green marketing principles that is used by company for developing appropriate
level of practice that incline its presence in particular sector. It involves green product, price,
place and promotion so that higher extent of customer can be attracted to generate greater
amount of revenue. Advertising play important role in influencing performance of firm through
gaining competitive advantages such as higher profitability, large market share, effective
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communication practice, etc. so that ability to reach sustainable position can be obtained. To
coordinate with the climate change proper precise impact fossil fuel advertising that pledges on
emerge is exerted by specified organization. In addition to this, it can be specified that these are
the number of strategies of marketing that promotes greenwashing practices in market in respect
to help the organization. On the basis of this, it is identified that with help of marketing strategy
company attains sustainability through reducing emission, carbon foot print, etc.
Current corporate greenwashing strategies
There are various kinds of strategies which are taken into practice by the specified
organization in turn accomplishing objective of building firm as sustainable can become
possible. The company focuses on utilizing the mix of geographic strategies to coordinate with
changing requirements of customer (Van der Ven, 2019). The main objective of specified
enterprise is to reduce greenhouse gas, replenishing fresh water, focusing on the human rights,
etc. From the evaluation of the provided information regarding the prevailing circumstance it
can be articulated that firm has significant objective of creating good image among stakeholders.
Current firm uses technique to persuade consumers that its products manufactured and offered
are properly eco- friendly and helpful in making positive environmental action.
For this course of action enterprise has inclined new ambition of reimagining energy for
people so that more strategic holistic approach in order to integrate with energy, environment,
human rights, client and social issues can be exerted. In respect to track its financial
performance as well company has given focus on developing appropriate level of activities in
terms of green practice so that direct & indirect emission from operation can be reduced. It has
as well formulate approach to decrease its carbon related aspect to complied with prevailing
environmental rules and regulations (Wedari, Jubb and Moradi‐Motlagh, 2021). It exerted fancy
television commercial though emphasizing on the green products, etc. game has been played by
firm for creating honest & true green company image. Green washing practices are basically
considered to be one of the mal action that are usually taken in order to coordinated with firm. In
respect to this, it can be stated that organization has applied these action to attract factors
which can make it sustainable.
Challenges of becoming green company
In the recent era, alert ness regarding ethical & non fair action has inclined which
require firm to emphasize on identifying the barriers which can arise from green wash
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strategies. From the assessment it has been recognized that there are various sins which are
obtained via applying green wash strategy. It provides assistance in identifying that becoming
green company is highly difficult as several rules & regulation of government, industrial
standards, etc. the list of drawback that obtains from applying greenwashing marketing method
such as hidden trade off, no proof m vagueness, worshipping false labels, irrelevance
information, fibbing, etc. There are other issues which are faced by firm to green business
model such as h loss of h trust in global competition, demand of greater level of transparency,
inclined hazard & risk to profitability, etc. In addition to this, continuous changing legislation
regarding such action, lack of comprehensive & integrative strategies, etc.
In the current competitive scenario of business much emphasis is needed to be given on
estimating carbon dioxide emission, waste material, water utilization, sourcing, etc. On the basis
of this, it can be articulated that there is larger climate change, financial crisis, security & safety
of labor, unequal opportunity, discrimination, factor public health, etc. These are the certain
challenges which are required to be evaluated for ascertaining how effectively the company is
dealing with issues in respect to have higher extent of profitability and sustainability. BP as
being an international organization has faced number of issues that has affected its financial
and non-monetary position (Chen and et.al., 2020.). It has been blamed by number of media
for conducting green washing activities for spreading misleading information regarding
products. In addition to this, it has affected adversely to financial & non-monetary position of
firm in sector. It has reduced profitability, sustainability, sales revenue, etc. On the basis of
provided insights regarding challenges that has been faced by enterprise which has impacted its
ability to accomplish the objective of attaining sustainability.
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Explaining that organization are really interested to in green washing strategies
To overcome the issues regarding the sustainability and profitability firm focuses on
creating and implementing strategies that can allow to get capabilities to reach desirable
position in sector (Nguyen and et.al., 2019). The main reason behind applying the green
washings strategy is to make sure that positive image among stakeholders is created. With
respect to this, it can be mentioned that the main objective that is possessed by organization to
incline its profitability and sustainability via higher market share, greater productivity, good
brand image, etc.
There are several reasons which are concentrated by company for having depth
understanding and ability to coordinate with the changing requirements of customer. Economic,
political, legal, social, etc factor keeps on changing that need enterprise to largely drag
attention on developing such course of action that is helpful in leading economic &
organizational growth. Green washing strategy is one of the action that permits business to
overcome complexity to deal with social, legal, political, etc. components.
The greenwashing practices has been seen to be very helpful for the organization for
embracing their pursuit towards the greener practices which help in the corporate actors which
face the influx in the litigation of the misleading claims for the environment. Greenwashing is
considered to be a rarely caused by the malicious practices which are helpful for resulting
towards the overenthusiasm which helps the marketers in being enthusiastic. Those
organizations which are able to easily deceive their customers are considered to be the one
which are very successful in deceiving the customers which are able to bridge the gap between
the artificial and genuine concern towards the environment (Torelli, Balluchi and Lazzini, 2020).
There are certain organization which are more focused on using green washing for being
sustainable. Thus, it is essential for the organization to manufacture their products and services
in sustainable fashion. There should not be any toxic materials which have the potential of
depleting the substances. It is also important for the organization to understand the importance
of the ability to recycle the produces products which can help the organization in the creation of
renewable materials. It can also be said that the excessive packaging of the organization can help
the business in the management of the organization policies towards greenwashing.
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PART B
I have most recently came across the idea about the need of becoming more sustainable
for protecting our home planet. My belief is that it needs to be a collective effort of every
individual and organization to do everything possible in their day to day life for impact the
planet. It is not possible for me to start prohibiting everything which has the potential of
damaging the environment. Rather, my approach to the sustainability is to avoid those practices
which can be avoided. These small changes made in the life will be very lessen the impacts on
the environment if every individual practices. In the sustainability practices which I need to
implement saving energy is a very important way of reducing the carbon emissions. For me the
best way of doing so is to switching off the standby appliance at home which will automatically
save some units of production which will contribute the sustainability practices. The production
of the meat is known to be the biggest changer of the climate change. It is known to pollute the
landscape and waterways (Pereira and et.al., 2018). Thus, less consumption of meat will help the
reduce the impacts which is created by the meat industry on the earth. It is also a great way of
saving lives of animals which are slaughtered for their meat. Thus, this is yet another way in
which I can implement sustainability. Utilization of reusable items in place of plastic ones is
something everyone adapts to in their daily practices. I consider this to be the best practice for
improving on sustainability as a person. Less use of paper is also a good way of saving the trees
which are cut for the preparation of paper. Rather emails need to be used for better and more
effective form of developing sustainability (Nikolaou and Tsalis, 2018). Application of
renewable energy practices in the daily use for consumption can be done by me even in the
future for being sustainable. I have also understood that when we reuse a certain product or item
which can be reused it some way or the other saves the environment. Thus, reusing these items
can be considered to be helpful for reduction of waste. From my studies I have been able to
understand producing vegetable and fruits in your own garden is a great way of achieving
sustainability through a great hobby of planting. Donation of those items which are not of any
use for me is also a way in which I have develop sustainability in my daily practices.
CONCLUSION
With the help of this project it can be concluded that BP corporation has been able to
implement green-washing in its operation of producing sustainable energy. In this project the
way in greenwashing is known to be a sustainable way for the marketing strategy has been
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shown. This project has been able to examine the corporate greenwashing strategies for the
organization and also explain what were the challenges they faced. In this project the
comparison of whether corporations are considered to be really interested in the green-washing
and strategies which are helpful for simply paying the services which help in the sustainability
issue has been made. This project was also helpful in understanding the personal view towards
the sustainability ideas which can be used in the current lifestyle.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Chen, Y. S and et.al., 2020. Greenwash and green purchase behaviour: the mediation of green
brand image and green brand loyalty. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence.
31(1-2). pp.194-209.
Wedari, L. K., Jubb, C. and Moradi‐Motlagh, A., 2021. Corporate climate‐related voluntary
disclosures: Does potential greenwash exist among Australian high emitters
reports?. Business Strategy and the Environment.
Nguyen, T.T.H. and et.al., 2019. Greenwash and green purchase intention: The mediating role
of green skepticism. Sustainability. 11(9). p.2653.
Van der Ven, H., 2019. Beyond greenwash: Explaining credibility in transnational eco-labeling.
Oxford University Press.
Meisinger, N., 2022. A tragedy of intangible commons: Riding the socioecological
wave. Ecological Economics. 193. p.107298.
Torelli, R., Balluchi, F. and Lazzini, A., 2020. Greenwashing and environmental
communication: Effects on stakeholders' perceptions. Business strategy and the
Environment. 29(2). pp.407-421.
Pereira, L.M., and et.al., 2018. Designing transformative spaces for sustainability in social-
ecological systems. Ecology and Society. 23(4).
Nikolaou, I.E. and Tsalis, T., 2018. A framework to evaluate eco-and social-labels for designing
a sustainability consumption label to measure strong sustainability impact of
firms/products. Journal of cleaner Production. 182. pp.105-113.
Online
What Is Greenwashing?. 2021. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/10946-greenwashing.html>.
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