Branding is a valuable asset for businesses. A combination of a number of factors such as reputation, product reliability, visibility and competitiveness, that the consumer perception of a company acquired in the long term. The result of a long process of marketing and communication, the mental representation established in public opinion can be broken up overnight. An unfortunate case, a defect in production, or a social policy are cynical element that can ruin a picture and patiently built dearly. Today, environmental issues are at the heart of society. Pact Nicolas Hulot, ecological heritage, climate change, environmental sustainability, etc.… Large enterprises are fully take this reality and adapt to this new trend. Observe the communication policy of the major groups of energy. How are they doing to shape public opinion a positive image for themselves? Undoubtedly through communication and advertising, these companies are trying, rightly or wrongly, to agree some merits in the environment. However, the existence of a gap between rhetoric and reality (Greenwashing) might prove to be excessively injurious. Especially since now, thanks to the technology of information and communications, real undertakes campaigns against influence. Examples in pictures!


"Broadcast Yourself" (set yourself), is the slogan of the most visited and most popular Internet sites with video online: YouTube. Many other sites of its kind exist: Yahoo Video, Google Video, Daily Motion,… etc. All these platforms broadcasts offer a tremendous visibility to everyone. In practice this means that anyone with a computer and digital camera can freely distribute his film on the Internet in the eyes of the world. In October 2006, Google buy YouTube for the modest sum of 1.65 billion dollars. Why such a transaction? Why buy a site ultra deficit, attacked from all sides for his lack of copyright? Because this global video broadcasts every day nearly 100 million videos. The stakes are enormous, and Google has understood this.

For businesses, this means that they are now at the mercy of any attack information. Since then, the campaigns of activism against them can take an instant, global and professional. Free and total freedom, these sites to create links to their videos. Most of the time these videos are sent between office colleagues to show the latest stupidity in vogue.

But imagine a campaign or each member of an organization (religious, ecologist, professional, etc.). Send by mail to all the people he knows a video denouncing any type of practice. Such a chain reaction represent a fantastic résonance.Les fund companies are prepared for this new situation? Watching these videos we can doubt it.

Here are some recent advertising campaigns for large energy firms:

AREVA
A good advertising, the realization is clear and concise, the effect resulting in a disco hit (Lipps Inc. - Funkytown). The design borrowed from the famous video game Sim City suggests that everything is under control. The message is clear: we do with energy and moving so nice. Here is clearly focused on public opinion in its entirety. In fact few people are affected by the activity of the group Areva (nuclear distribution network). The target is not so much the final consumer. It addresses the mental.

Misuse of advertising AREVA
Even music, professional quality, and parallel notable images are derived directly from the video game SimCity as to show that the director is not fooled by the effect sought by the original advertising (we are in a virtual world and reassuring, no Game Over). The symmetry of the shape is so obvious that the author did not even bother to mention Areva at one time or another. Apart from that, no particular argument is developed. Target: nuclear power

TOTAL
Beautiful advertising, production and creativity in order. Envoutante music J.C. Blagovitch created specially for the occasion of this advertising. Again it seeks public opinion. No argument is developed, no product is put forward. Only a sense of well being in a beautiful world of progress under control. What is covered is the representation of Total, its image. It must be said that the sinking of the Erika and AZF are passed by.

Misuse of advertising TOTAL
Even technique as before: paraléllisme forms, music and achievement are the same. It falls into the symmetry opposed to the message of the original advertisement. If Total boasts one way idyllic reality, this video caricature and blackened. No argument at all, any given is cited. Only a hijacked resumption of the slogan and logo are presented in total at the end.