December 12, 2006

Car Ads Buddy Up to Green Consumers

Car companies have emphasized fuel efficiency for years. Now, they’re beginning to market their cars as good for the environment too, The New York Times reports. Oil companies and rental car companies are also getting in on the action.

Here are some examples from the article:

• Chevrolet sent a fleet of 60 ethanol-compatible S.U.V.’s to transport people and equipment to and from the MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall saying, at the time, “Going green never looked so good.”
• Ford’s Focus car was recently granted the EPA’s SmartWay seal. Ford is highlighting the SmartWay designation in the brochures that dealers give out. “It isn’t that we are changing course from gas mileage to concern for the environment,” said Kristen Kinley, who handles environmental communications for Ford. “But the two go hand in hand, and the E.P.A. designation for the Focus was a good fit for marketing and point-of-sale materials.”
• Honda’s current campaign, called Environmentology, tries to position Honda as the “most fuel-efficient auto company in America” as well as one that is “committed to developing environmentally responsible technology.”
• Exxon Mobil ran full-page newspaper ads in November that claimed that the company was developing engine and fuel systems that could improve fuel economy by 30 percent while significantly reducing emissions.
• Hertz recently inaugurated its Green Collection which costs an extra $3 to $5 a day.

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