Intrepid Travel’s Leigh Barnes on how brands can do better than impact-washing
As more and more brands are accused of impact-washing by a growing cohort of conscious consumers, Mumbrella’s Kalila Welch spoke to sustainable travel company Intrepid Travel’s chief customer officer Leigh Barnes about what brands can do to ensure their activism is meaningful, and the steps Intrepid Travel has taken to back up its advocacy through a set of ethical marketing guidelines.
In 2022, consumers expect more from the brands and organisations that they love than ever before. However, the growing momentum behind caused based marketing and advocacy from brands has seen more and more fall victim to the mistake of impact-washing.
Impact-washing more broadly comes in many forms, from token rainbow-washing of brands and logos during pride celebrations, to more insidious misrepresentations of sustainability (greenwashing) from companies whose business model is inherently harmful to the environment.
Leigh Barnes, chief customer officer, Intrepid Travel
