Green means sales for global brands

The latest advertising campaign by clothing company Timberland reflects the trend of brands promoting their green credentials in order to attract customers, gain consumer trust and increase profits.

Manufacturer of outdoor wear Timberland launched its US version of its "Nature needs heroes" campaign on September 3. The campaign, which also runs in the UK and Europe, promotes Timberlands EarthKeepers movement line of environmentally friendly footwear which retails for upwards of €132 (£110).

The campaign, which will be launched globally over the coming weeks, seeks to inspire consumers to do small environmentally friendly actions such as recycling a runaway plastic bottle. The brand also plans to unveil an application which allows users to record their own environmentally friendly actions on Facebook.

The campaign by Timberland is part of a developing trend by brands to try to convince consumers of their ecological credentials, which the majority of consumers increasingly believe to be an important consideration when decreeing whether or not to buy a product. Such as Starbucks, which ran a competition earlier in the year to design an eco-cup, and Nike, which began producing football shirts made with recycled materials.

By promoting their green credentials and advertising their goods from an environmental perspective, brands are not only trying to influence consumers but also increase their profit margins, as consumers are more willing to spend larger sums of money on products they consider to be green, according to an August survey by PR group Cohn & Wolfe.