Afternoon keynote: Paul Zeven
credit Saul Bromberger
Please forgive me for cutting and pasting from my Web article.
SAN FRANCISCO: Paul Zeven, CEO of , and Jeffrey Hollender, CEO of Seventh Generation, served as the keynotes at PRWeek’s Target Green conference on May 9.
Zeven’s afternoon keynote spoke of Philips’ initial failure to respond to a challenge from Greenpeace India, which named it as the worst offender for avoidable carbon dioxide emissions in India.
“Our PR group did not [initially] get the word out” about the good Philips was doing, Zeven said.
Addressing the philosophy that promotion of green initiatives should be muted, he said, “In today’s media world, this wisdom is quickly eroding.” Zeven gave advice to attendees looking to get off on the right foot in highlighting green initiatives.
“You must make sure your own house is in order, base [claims] on proof, admit mistakes, and correct them,” he said. “You must believe sustainability is right for your company, as well as your personal life.”
