The Erasure of Nature in Corporate Greenwashing: An Ecolinguistic Analysis of Environmental Claims in Multinational Advertisements in Pakistan.

Abstract

This study aims to explore how multinational companies market environmental sustainability through "greenwashing" their marketing communication. It focuses on how these companies make "green" claims using linguistic techniques to trick consumers into thinking they are environmentally responsible. The researcher has selected twelve advertisements from an intentional sample of eight multinational companies. Dove, Pond's, Hemani Herbal, Garnier, Ariel, Surf Excel, Bonus, and Express Power. To better understand the issue, a mixed-method approach has been used for this study. The qualitative analysis was conducted through Stibbes Ecolinguistic analysis of the advertisements from the eight selected companies. The quantitative analysis was conducted through a closed-ended Likert-type survey that was given to 200 participants. The SPSS software was then used to analyze the data generated from the quantitative analyses. Qualitative analysis discovered that all of the companies assessed were using language such as "chemical-free," "pure," "organic," and "all-natural." The use of metaphorical language (cleanliness, purity, natural harmony) in the advertisements further reinforced these misleading bio facts. Results of the quantitative analysis showed that participants were aware of certain corporate practices of exploiting consumers through greenwashing; however, they were still impacted by the eco-linguistic cues employed in the advertisements. In summary, this study found that multinational corporations used the linguistic and symbolic tools at their disposal to create an environmentally friendly narrative that influences consumer perception, while simultaneously hiding their lack of true environmentally sustainable endeavor. This study has shown that, in order to establish stronger regulatory control over and enhance the integrity of the way advertising is performed in Pakistan, greater transparency in the methods of communicating an environmental message will need to be established in the marketplace