By Gemma Charles, marketingmagazine.co.uk, 27 October 2009, 08:45am

B&Q chief launches tirade against government Act on CO2 ad

LONDON - The chairman of B&Q has attacked the government's £6m climate change campaign as 'negative' and unlikely to resonate with consumers.

Act on CO2 campaign

Ian Cheshire, who is also the chief executive of Kingfisher, said of the Department of Energy and Climate Change's 'Act on CO2' campaign, '[it] irritates the living daylights out of me'.

The latest phase of the campaign is being investigated by the Advertising Standards Authority after it attracted more than 350 complaints claiming either it was misleading or inappropriate for children.

Cheshire claimed the tone of the campaign was 'not the way consumers think or speak unless they are in the 20% who have already been converted'.

He pointed out that the majority of people in B&Q focus groups 'don't know what you're talking about when you ask them about carbon footprints'.

'It's too abstract and in the negative, finger-wag territory,' he added.

Last week B&Q announced several initiatives to help customers 'go green'. These include in-store 'eco-advisors' and the launch of an eco brand to help consumers identify products that will make their homes more energy-efficient.

The DIY retailer is also introducing 'Eco shops' within two of its stores by the end of the year and will extend the concept to bigger stores and online during 2010.

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All Comments

Peter Martin - 27 October 2009

He's bang on. They are only talking to a narrow demographic that a very narrow-minded bunch feel comfortable with. All urban 'Prius person' vs. the vast national majority spread that is 'Fiesta family'.

And it's insulting to figure the latter don't care about their kids' futures or have an interest in the various arguments still being had \(despite what this ad claims, so the ASA verdict on the VO text will be 'interesting').

Plus I could suggest a ton better places for £6m to go that would "DO" a lot more good than yet another box-ticking awareness campaign from one of scores of over-lapping climate quangos.

Starting with a boiler scrappage scheme that will keep jobs in the UK AND reduce emissions!

oliver payne - 27 October 2009

Ian Cheshire's \(Chief Executive of Kingfisher) comment that the majority of people in B&Q focus groups 'don't know what you're talking about when you ask them about carbon footprints' rings true.

And Peter \(above) is right in saying "...I could suggest a ton better places for £6m to go that would "DO" a lot more good than yet another box-ticking awareness campaign from one of scores of over-lapping climate quangos."

I like B&Q's rpo-active approach, and I welcome Peters thoughts on boiler scrappage schemes, but the real value we \(marketeers) can add is in creating desire where there is none.

I write about this here: http://www.thehuntingdynasty.com/2009/09/10-words-that-save-7-trillion-gallons-of-water/

And here:

http://www.thehuntingdynasty.com/2009/10/why-advertising-will-save-the-planet/

Behavioural economists would KILL for £6m to spend on changing the way we behave for the better \(as would my agency).

[CEO, Founder of The Hunting Dynasty - Advertising for sustainable products & services]