Well, we knew this was coming. With renewed consumer interest in all things green, companies from across the spectrum of industries have jumped on board the green bandwagon, running ads and coining eco-friendly phrases to pump up their latest offerings. But how much of it is real, or sincere, has been left to speculation. Consumers, being informed and discerning as we are, can quickly tell true green credibility from a field of green posers, right?

Maybe not. According to a recent study of Green Perception vs Reality at the New Scientist, we’re actually hopelessly shallow and easily swayed. While most companies enjoying (and touting) a green reputation do in fact walk the walk, we’ve missed out on numerous companies that have been quietly toiling away in eco-friendly obscurity for years, sometimes more. When asked to rank companies in various industries based on green criteria, consumers consistently gave high marks to those who have done a good job of promoting their sustainability efforts, while their actual green business scores might be a little lacking compared to other, less vocal, competition. Maybe the new study is a chance for the lesser known to even the score, but only if word actually gets out.

In the meantime, it’s fun to see that while we all think that Whole Foods and certain “Fresh” food companies do better on  green issues than giants like Nike and McDonald’s, that’s not necessarily true. It’s a brilliant Flash graphic with layers based on industry type, so you can really see the players and how they rate. (hint: Food and Beverage companies as a group are pretty bad)

So share the following links with your friends, and pass it around the workplace. The key question to ask is “if our business was ranked in this study, where would we fall?” Try to make sure you’re on the right side of the graph – literally.

New Scientist interactive Green Perception vs Reality test results

Green Perception vs Reality in consumer opinions

Tags: green business, green marketing, sustainable business