I don't mean to go on about HSBC because, to be fair, they are at least doing more than most other banks, and that has to be better than nothing. But this did attract my attention: Brand Barometer - HSBC is banking on the green option
Thing is, they have made a big deal of going green, so I guess that brings them into the crosshairs of those attuned to such 'interest' a bit more. The fate of the pioneer, I guess.
What is noteworthy is the analysis of the ROI for their efforts. Now as a critical CD with an eye to actual communication I could estimate that it is a tad hard to empathise that much with a goat up a tree, but there you are. And for all those seeking Gold at Cannes next year there is this fascinating, if rather depressing point of note passed on from Dave of Solarventi not long ago: Which Ads Don't Get Skipped?
What's not there is the chart I am looking at in the magazine. So far their ad spend has been around £25M. That's 25,000,000 pounds sterling.
You can save a lot of planet with that kind of dough. But looking at the results, not to mention the enviROI, I wonder if it's all being as well directed as it might?
1 comment:
£25 Million!
Phew! That's an awfully large wad of wonga just for teaching a goat to climb up a tree and look photogenic!
Perhaps I'm being unfair, but an awful lot of this has probably gone on purchasing offsets, which as all regular readers know are not a particular favourite of mine; as we have already pointed out on several occasions on this blog, offsetting is akin to ordering a diet coke alongside your double burger and claiming it to be part of your dieting program! Most of the rest has probably gone on advertising that is, at best, green-cloaking and at worst, complete greenwash.
Despite the big wonga numbers I remain to be convinced that HSBC is doing anything more than any other similar financial institution to mitigate climate change; I rather suspect that it seems to be better at shouting about it and getting heavyweight PR for it though.
HSBC - the world's best green-branding bank?
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