Who's dissin' who?

When is branding disingenuous?

As with all things, it can span a range. I certainly think a lot are making things worse for themselves and the message by being so darn clunky, especially with the environment. If a plane is more fuel efficient or a bank goes 'carbon neutral' then great, but it really only helps their bottom line or CSR report at the AGM. Hardly worth an ad. And cars with leaves blowing out their exhausts are plain daft. And some are just desperate. I have AdSense on my blog and often click on intriguing, if vague, ads covering many green areas. Almost all seem to lead to Exxon Mobil. If I thought poorly of them before, I think even less now.

Best Global Brands: How valuable is green?

I think consumers do care about the environment more than some reports claim, and this may be a reflection on the questions asked and/or actions measures.

For a start, it's hard to care too much if there is no end-benefit. Sounds selfish, but it's true. I still get a PR almost daily expecting me to run a piece on why so-and so has gone carbon neutral. Despite that term having almost no rational meaning and now being almost worthless, while it's great a bank recycles its paper or uses green energy, that really only effects their own internal bottom line or CSR report.

Also so much is about things you can DO. It's hard to get very excited about anything that simply says 'isn't green lovely' when that's about the substance of it all.

The consumer needs to feel a sense of reward. This can be 'making a difference', so long as it is clear and measurable, and trusted, but there is little better than saving time, saving money... and the planet. Few brands deliver on that yet.

Exploiting a brands's green appeal

Google Bads

As it's 'in vogue', I will apologise unreservedly for something unacceptable.

What might make me a tad different to a few others who one might mention, is that I will try and sort this out for real.

I can't fire anyone. And I can't withhold my business (well I could, I guess, but I think trying to sort it out may be the best solution as they are free, and the only game in town).

However, I am going to try and track a person in Google Ads and ask them to stop allowing ads for things that really are not appropriate going on my site.

It's a long shot, and does highlight a problem, not just for me, but the mighty Google.

Because these puppies are automated, and it looks like a few greenwashing corporates have figured out that adding a key phrase or two on your sadder than sad message does get you places who would not ordinarily open their door to you.

Smart sods. But we will foil your plan! Hahahaha... manically.

Yours in sorrow...

FIRST STAB: I new this wouldn't be easy. So far all I have found is a help link that takes me to a Forum

My blog is on my site, and both have ads placed by AdSense.

Now I know that these things are (have to be) automated), but I just got - rightly - ribbed for an ad sitting atop my environmental site blog, from ExxonMobile.

I guess it is because they were/are claiming that they are helping the environment... er... somehow, but really.

Who the heck do I get in touch with to discuss filtering such guff out.

And, frankly, if major greenwashing corporates can circumvent the system this easily, then Google needs to up its vetting game.

What next? Porn ads in kids' sites simply by adding the word 'toys' to their tags?

ADDENDUM -

Hey the system works! A most useful reply already. On the case.

When good links go bad

One, of many, things I am desperately keen to address is a proper media management system.

Not just because that would, at last, mean some serious ad revenue flowing through, but I can be responsive to opportunities (a good friend of Junkk.com has asked for a banner in a local section relevant to them, but I can't remove Google Adsense - which does offer some fair revenue - from the system as it is 'all or nothing'), but I can also impose some ethical publisher control.

This is important not just to maintain Junkk.com brand values, but to avoid being accused of the very thing I (don't accuse, but cock a wry eyebrow at on occasion, so for now let's call it...) 'note' some rather preachy media can be when they say such as flying is the work of the Devil, yet run an ad for a weekend in the Bahamas atop the piece. And I know you can't sail there and back and still enjoy a Mai-Tai on the beach in the time... though trying would be fun.

So I was disturbed to see an ad for Tesco Insurance on the site yesterday (unless it was e-related, which I didn't notice, so it wasn't very good if it was). And a few for less than eco-topics on my blog, too.

None were contradictory I guess, but I'd just prefer the ads on the site to be totally in keeping with what is being written about and, just as important, the values we espouse.

Now, how the heck do I get that across to a robot at Google central? I recall the fun my wife had trying to get a human at eBay recently.