Red Tractor reputation at risk over misleading eco messaging
Red Tractor’s reputation faces scrutiny after misleading environmental claims. It is a classic case of how poor messaging can damage trust – and why transparency and accountability are vital for safeguarding brand credibility in today’s climate-conscious market.
The UK’s advertising watchdog, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), has upheld a complaint that Red Tractor, a food assurance scheme, misled consumers by exaggerating its environmental standards in promotional materials in a TV campaign it ran for two years. It did.
The contention lies in the following line: “From field to store all our standards are met. When the Red Tractor’s there, your food’s farmed with care.”
Here is the advert,. which ran from 2021-2023:
The ASA found that claims suggesting Red Tractor farms were “greener” or met high environmental benchmarks were not – and subsequently could not be – substantiated by the actual standards required for certification. As such, the ASA has ordered Red Tractor to remove or amend the claims.
According to The Guardian, Red Tractor says it will review its communications and ensure future messaging is clearer, more accurate, and less bulls*itty.
What impact, if any, might this have on the certification scheme?
Erosion of trust: The media interest in this story suggests that consumers will be watching how this crisis of reputation pans out. Right now, consumer confidence and trust in the scheme will have plummeted given that many of us are increasingly making purchasing decisions based on the sustainable and social credentials of businesses and brands.
Mixed messaging: Red Tractor says that its “core purpose is food safety, animal welfare, and traceability. Whilst we have some environmental standards, they are a small part.” But have they been guilty of allowing consumers to ‘assume’ they are exemplars of sound environmental practices? It would seem so.
Stakeholder pressure: It isn’t just consumers who appear to be confused, retailers are too. Tesco told the BBC: “Red Tractor has established itself as a mark of quality, standing for… environmental protection.” There is also the real risk of the scheme being totally discredited which might lead to retailers requesting brands ditch the logo from their products. If that were to happen, this will likely have serious implications for the scheme, especially if it hits the back pockets of the 45,000 farmers who are part of the scheme.
What can/should Red Tractor do to get through this and rebuild its reputation?
Red Tractor, it would appear, need to review their current advertising and PR messaging quickly before creating further confusion and exacerbating the reputational damage that has been done.
If sustainability is not their focus, as the reactive statement shared with the media suggests, they need to rethink their proposition and stick to the facts.
We see this all the time – organisations use sweeping statements in their communications with little attention given to how the message is being received and interpreted.
‘Assuming’ the audience understands what is being said is poor PR practice and makes businesses and brands vulnerable to criticism, as evidenced in this case.
If you’re organisation is facing a risk to its reputation, email me directly using the link below and let’s set up a call to discuss your options.
