A Critical Analysis of Westinghouse Advertising Media

Greenwashing, Nuclear Power and Society

Leadership and Management Communication LE3020 644676

Abstract
The following piece of work was created to understand why and how Westinghouse might use greenwashing and intentionally bringing across a message in its advertising media. The application of semiotics from a Critical Discourse Analysis perspective explored whether the Nuclear Power Company was engaging in greenwashing and how they have done this through their marketing. The use of certain images, language and signs are used within the advert to portray an image. Through the analysis of these features the advert is clearly trying to distract from the problem or create an association with nature and cleanliness to change the perceptions of the reader. The use of these features has caused an effect on the way that the advert has been read. This report should be used to improve the standards set for this kind of practice and avoid companies being able to do this in the future.

Table of Contents
1. Introduction 2. Literature Review 2.1 Westinghouse Nuclear 2.2 Greenwashing 2.3 The Nuclear Debate and Society 3. Methodology 3.1 Strategic Function of Advertising Text 3.2 Mass Communications, Critical Discourse Analysis and Semiotics 4. Analysis 4.1 Top Section 4.2 Three images 4.3 Main Body of Text 5. Conclusion and Recommendations 6. References 7. Appendix

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1.Introduction
Nuclear power is an issue that is frequently in the media and has been a polemic topic since its creation, most recently the Fukushima disaster in March 2011 catapulted many countries and political figures into questioning their current view on nuclear power. It is clear that the politics of nuclear power were changed by the disaster in Japan - and may be changed further by Germany's decision. (BBC, 2011) The following essay consists of an analysis of a business text from Westinghouse Nuclear advertising media. The analysis performed on the text will be done using three approaches in a combined method. The use of certain sign systems will be identified through the application of Semiotic theory and these will be considered from a Critical Discourse perspective that views Westinghouse as an institution trying to exercise its power and alter perceptions of the public. Halliday (1973) produces a framework that can link social and political activity through linguistic form by identifying the text as having a strategic direction. The three approaches will be described in more detail in the methodology section of this project. The questions behind my research will address the following issues. How does Westinghouse, a nuclear power company using greenwashing to present an environmentally friendly image though its discourse? For what reason may Westinghouse have to do this? And how do the public perceive the advert? In this case it seems the company is involved in a phenomenon called greenwashing, defined as the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or its environmental benefits of a product or service even with the best of intentions (Friend, 2009 p.78) This definition will be utilized when defining if it has been used within the advertising text selected. This report will also include a literature review providing background information on current and relevant pieces of work, a methodology section describing the tools used for analysis, the analysis of the text itself and following this a conclusion and discussion of findings and recommendations for the future. In order to provide good reasoning for my arguments I will be drawing upon the work of scholars such as Halliday (1973), Schaeffner and Chilten (1997) and Paltridge among others. A copy of the text to be analysed is included in the appendix of the paper. 644676 3

2. Literature Review
The following literature review attempts to understand the way companies use greenwashing. It will also address the nuclear power debate to understand the arguments for and against nuclear power, to discover the possible reasoning behind the creation of the advert. Much of literature reviewed is from recent news articles and websites as the advert to be analyzed was recently published. This will ensure that the current climate surrounding nuclear power is taken into account. This will allow for greater understanding of the use, if present, of greenwashing in the advertising text selected. 2.1 Westinghouse Nuclear This information is taken from the official annual report by Toshiba. Toshiba bought Westinghouse for a massive $76 billion, since the disaster Toshiba reported losses of approximately $8.1billion in the Social Infrastructure Segment, which includes the nuclear power company. This annual report is written and given to stakeholders to create confidence in the company but even the company itself is uncertain of its future in the nuclear power industry as is obvious by the following extract from the annual report. With respect to the nuclear power business, since the incident that occurred at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, there is a possibility that, to some extent, the project plans and orders obtained by the Group may be reconsidered.reputation may be adversely affected, as a result of a natural disaster, the threat or occurrence of a terrorist incident, or of an accidentleads to environmental pollution or the potential for such pollution. The language used in this case shows that the company is threatened to a degree by external forces and allows us to understand why the company is trying to counter act these threats. It is important to note that this annual report was written for the fiscal year ending on March 31st 2011, This is interesting because the industry segment was already in decline before this disaster and most recently Toshiba has published a report in September 2011, for the 6 months following the disaster and attributes the economic losses in the power segment to the sharp yen appreciation and the Japanese economy, not the disaster. After a large investment, to be losing money in this sector is negative and possibly for these reason they are trying to increase confidence and levels of investment in the company. 2.2 Greenwashing The term greenwashing was derived form Whitewashing by environmental activists to describe the efforts made by corporations to portray them selves as environmentally responsible in order to try hide the actual environmental wrongdoings (MacDonald, 2007). 644676 4

There is an increasing trend in being an environmentally conscious consumer there has been growth in the market named environmental consumerism (Carlson et al., 1993). Many companies are following the trend to be green as consumers are becoming more environmentally responsible but some have only focused on marketing this image that may have nothing to do with reality itself. This is where societys values come into play, changing external environments may have motivated Westinghouse to advertise itself in the particular way that it did. According to Estes many companies will change their marketing campaign in the hope that if they generalize their message to include children, grass and mountains someone will buy from them. The definition of greenwashing remains the same through all recent literature; I believe this is because it is a phenomenon brought on by recent changes in society. Various guidelines exist for identifying greenwashing in organizations promotional campaigns. Organizations including Greenpeace, EnviroMedia Social Marketing and the University of Oregon (2009), TerraChoice Environmental Marketing (2009), and the Committee of Advertising Practice (2009). Greenwashing is an approach to marketing a company and is considered a problem for a few reasons. It is misleading to the consumer and dishonest, also companies that are true to being green may have their credibility undermined by companies that implement greenwashing. Furthermore, the creation of an illusion of environmental sustainability could have negative social consequences, as consumers will continue to use products and support companies that further create environmental degradation and reduce the quality of living conditions for future generations (Davis, 1992). Future research should focus on how many companies are using greenwashing, how it has been used and for what reason. It should be identified and studied across more industries in order to avoid companies implementing this marketing technique. 2.3 The Nuclear Debate and Society Nuclear power is a topic that is closely related to politics, as the people in power are the ones who create the government policy on nuclear power for each country. Nuclear power is constantly under scrutiny from politicians as they are the ones who make the decisions in nuclear policy. Partly because if they need to address it, control it and ensure the safety of the people of their country. For these reasons I believe that this topic can be classed as a political topic and for these reasons there is a political motivation to win over the public opinion. Nuclear Power has been in the spotlight since the Fukushima nuclear disaster last year in Japan and there is a lot of literature for and against the creation of energy in this way. So from a business point of view, where the aim of a firm is to make a profit, Westinghouse may have to improve its marketing communications in order to continue to receive external investors. In addition, organizations such as Greenpeace label Nuclear power as an unacceptable risk to the environment and to humanity. According to them it creates much more nuclear waste that is toxic and difficult to store. Some of the key concerns surrounding nuclear power are the nuclear waste it creates; the huge cost of introducing it and the danger is 644676 5

poses. On the other hand Nuclear power is emission free and this is attractive to business that need to reduce their carbon emission due to laws imposed according to Whitman, companies that rely on 24/7 power to meet their electricity needs are contributing to emission-reduction goals by including nuclear in their energy mix. This is highly favorable aspect of nuclear power for large companies and provides a motivation for Westinghouse to advertise its power plants. From this advert with the target audience that Forbes Magazine has they can achieve investors and more businesses as clients. Through my research it was an interesting discovery to learn that Westinghouse was managing all nuclear power plants in Japan at the time of the disaster, but the plant was not their own design. It most certainly damaged the view of society on nuclear power but probably also the image of Westinghouse itself. According to BBC News (2011) following the Fukushima disaster in March 2011, Germany, one of the top performing economies in Europe announced its plans to shut down nuclear power completely by 2022, just one among many who are leaning towards the end of the nuclear age. In this analysis, the view of nuclear power as a threat to humanity and nature is taken into consideration.

3. Methodology
The research project will be based on secondary data, which consists of the collection of Westinghouse media. The actual advert that is being analysed was found at random, while carrying out research for a previous project. The medium, genre and context of the text will all be considered before the analysis is produced and the purpose of the analysis must be clear. In this case the analysis will try to identify the hidden messages and their motivations in Westinghouse media. The text that was chosen was the advert found in a magazine and was chosen because personally I had not seen an advert for nuclear power and many questions arose. Why would a nuclear power company be advertising in a magazine? In addition, the uses of certain sign systems that seemed irrelevant to the topic of Nuclear Power caught by attention. I believe that through the analysis of the text itself from both a semiotic and critical discourse analysis standpoint I will be able to discover the purpose of this text and any underlying meaning it may portray. 3.1 Strategic Function of Advertising Text The workings of Schaeffner & Chilton will be looked at in order to define function in an attempt to attribute thems within the language used in the text. According to their work if the text has been produced to be for example, coercive, the participatory analysis of linguistic detail will help to identify this within the text. This will allow us to consider how the strategies are enacted by the choices in language and other sign systems. They defined four strategic functions and they will be used to identify speech acts within the text. This will uncover the possible desired effect of the discourse on the reader and therefore attempt to 644676 6

understand the reasons behind the production of the text. Originally designed as functions to characterise Political Discourse according to Schaeffner and Chilton it can also be adapted to social life, however we politicize them if we view them in this manner. It is adequate to view the issue Nuclear Power as Political as it is an important topic in todays society. To balance any shortcomings in the analysis of the text through CDA and Semiotics the functions will be defined to link the linguistic analysis to the reason behind the creation of the text. 3.2 Mass Communications, Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and Semiotics. The studies surround the subject of marketing are limited to marketing books and journals as they provide the context, practices and process behind the creation of advertising but not what they have produced. The advert being analysed is a form of mass communication, which differs from the study of the marketing and looks at persuasion and manipulation. It is mostly studied qualitatively and using interpretation, critical or cultural approaches. (E.g. OSullivan 1997, McQuail 2005.) In this project a critical and interpretive approach will be taken to the analysis of the discourse. CDA is used on the analysis of mass media texts as demonstrated by studies edited by Fulton (2005), they assume and as this research will assume that the construction of verbal and visual text ideologically and evaluatively position a mass readership. The media is studied from a great number of different disciplines, the application of a combination of CDA and Semiotics will allows us to identify sign systems and vehicles which are the most important within the text and uncover their hidden meaning. In order to effectively discover the underlying messages within the text CDA is a useful tool as it helps to reveal some of the hidden and often out of sight values, positions and perspective.discourses are always socially, politically, racially and economically loaded. (Paltridge, 2006 p.178) The tools will be used in conjunction to combat the weaknesses of each tool used alone. The analysis is done systematically from top left to bottom right, which according to Brierly (2005) is the way adverts are designed to be read. Based on these assumptions the analysis will start with the first words on the page. If greenwashing is present in the advert it will be obvious through the use of purposefully chosen language, imagery and content in general. Semiotics will define features of the advert that should be questioned in the lights of a social and or political standpoint shining the light on encrypted messages within the text. In this work political will be defined as action, in this case through discourse that involves power or resistance. It is important to consider the paradigms of the text, which are medium, genre and theme used for the advert. The advert was published in Forbes Magazine, on December 5th2011 and is a form of mass media. Since the target audience of this magazine is described by Ricci (2010) as a high-profile consumer in four different luxury and influential editorial environments: business, investing, luxury, lifestyles and politics we can imagine that the purpose of this particular advert is to encourage investment and sway the opinions of high profile consumers. The suggestion that it is there to increase confidence and investment 644676 7

is backed by the fact that the articles preceding the advert are articles about investing in nuclear power, so we expect the advert to reinforce the messages there and be persuasive. The genre of the text seems to be informative as it provides us with factual information about the nuclear power plants, for example more than 200 times safer than.

4. Analysis
4.1 Top section For a strong economy, Westinghouse is focused on safe, clean nuclear energy. In this case the sign system is language and the phrase is relevant to the present day where there are many fears of a weak economy, it is also relevant to the Nuclear Power Company and states that Westinghouse is safe and clean. The audience, being aware of the current economic climate will be inclined to believe that Westinghouse can directly affect the state of the economy, as it seems to direct it personally. The structure in which they have chosen to lay out is taken from another genre of text, the structure of a letter. It begins as if it were addressing the rest of the advert to a strong economy. Our target audience, being educated and involved in business will be able to relate to the importance of a strong economy and this advert suggests that Westinghouse is the way to get there. This is a persuasive technique in the form of a coercive function. It positions itself in a powerful position, we can affect the economy and the reader is somewhat obliged to temporarily accept this and puts them in a frame of mind that favours the company. The green leaf-like background emphasises the cleanliness and safety mentioned in the main heading and suggests that nature is behind the whole company concept. In the whole advert there is no mention of being an environmentally friendly company but the use of the colour green, the leafy background and the other images on the page which all include trees suggest that this company is in harmony with nature. The audience will associate the company with being green and create a favourable reaction towards the company. This can be classified as greenwashing as the company attempts to portray an environmentally friendly image but in reality Nuclear Power is known to be dangerous and produces nuclear waste that is dangerous to the environment. The reader knows this 4.2 Three Images As we move further down the page we come across three images; all three pictures have been chosen deliberately to convey a message to the reader. The first on the left is a picture of a nuclear power plant, there is no smog, smoke or harmful looking substances within the visual sign system. It represents one of the companies own power plants and so it is important for them to continue promoting this image of cleanliness. In addition there are trees and a body of water next to the plant which emphasises the point that Westinghouse provides environmentally friendly energy, the damage that is usually expected such as contaminated water is certainly not included in the picture as they try to combat 644676 8

these negative images concerning nuclear power. The following image is a young child that is irrelevant to nuclear power and there is clearly a message that is trying to be put through. Westinghouse is trying to look safe and reliable and they give the appearance that their nuclear plants are enough to have your own kids play happily next to one. Even the colours chosen go with the whole theme, the setting is a blue sky, very clean and the girl is wearing a green dress with white flowers, this is another reference to nature and another attempt to associate themselves with it. The third image is a representation of an office block and yet again they have included a reference to nature by including the image of a tree that is a vivid green colour. In this image business and nature seem to complement each other and the audience is expected to associate this with the initial message that Westinghouse can create a strong economy. In all three images they have deliberately left out the reality that nuclear power creates nuclear waste and can be extremely dangerous. 4.3 Main Body Of Text In terms of function this text is looking to persuade and enact authority in todays society. The use of certain language for example technical jargon is frequent; when targeting a consumer that is unaccustomed to use such jargon it will make Westinghouse look like an expert in its field and therefore magnifying its power. The readership of the magazine is more business orientated and will find this impressive and trustworthy. To enhance this the small print that says A Toshiba Group Company which is a well-known company known for quality products. Directly below this is the phrase You can be sure.if its Westinghouse again trying to impose a feeling of trust on the reader by addressing them directly through the personal pronoun. There is positive reinforcement of Westinghouse as a company through the use of Reliable Affordable helps they are directly addressing the main concerns surrounding nuclear power, waste, cost and environmental impact. It boasts about how it is dedicated to safe performance and the most advanced design available to legitimize its position and coerce the audience into finding them believable through factual information such as 15,000 employees. Within the text we can identify legitimization. Furthermore, in the use of made possible the company wants to sound like they made the impossible, possible and is an attempt to be more believable through positive self-representation. In addition ENERGIZING THE WORLD FOR 125 YEARS is significant as the reader will know in any business experience is most valuable and again they will feel inclined to trust everything within the text and fail to question the validity of its claims. The reader will have their own opinion on nuclear power and the reader at this point may be challenging the views that they have and be persuaded by the impressive facts that Westinghouse provides 45 percent of the carbon free electricity in the world. These aspects were designed to create this kind of effect. 644676 9

5. Conclusion and Recommendations

In conclusion, it is obvious that the advert is pushing the reader to think about the company in an ecological and ethical light which is driven by all the sign systems identified that make reference to nature, children and trust. In terms of greenwashing the company is not making any environmental claims but the images used and language used insist that it is environmentally friendly. This being not entirely true because it threatens the environment more, nuclear waste cannot be disposed of. Westinghouse is in fact using greenwashing to appear more environmentally friendly. It portrays itself as a trustworthy company so that the readership will feel inclined to invest in the company or buy energy from them. The aim of this text was to persuade the reader to take action and combat all the negative literature that is currently readily available to the public. For these reasons they have constantly used certain signs such as the colour green, the leaf and the text to oppose the literature of interest groups such as Greenpeace. From the literature reviewed it is clear to see the motivation behind improving the image of nuclear power and they have clearly attempted to do this. Word Count: 3600

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References Brierly, S (2005) The Advertising Handbook. New York. Routledge Publishers. BBC (2009) Nuclear power in Germany: The reasons behind Chancellor Merkels U-turn. BBC News, [online] 20 May. Available at: <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13595171> [Accessed 17 March 2012] BBC (2011) Germany: Nuclear power plants to close by 2022. BBC News, [online] 30 May. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13592208 [Accessed 17th March] Carlson,L. et al. (1993), A Content Analysis of Environmental Advertising Claims: A Matrix Method Approach Journal of Advertising, JSTOR, [online] September. Available at: <http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/4188888?uid=3739256&uid=2129&u id=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21100741525041> [Accessed 17 March 2012] Davis, J. (1992). Ethics and Environmental Marketing. Journal of Business Ethics, 11:2, pp. 81-87.Vol. 22, No. 3 M.E Sharpe Inc. [Online] Available at: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4188888 [Accessed 15th April 2012] Friend, Gil. et al. (2009) The truth about Green Business. New Jersey. FT Press. Greenpeace (2012) End the Nuclear Age. Greenpeace, [online] Available at: <http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/nuclear/> [Accessed: 12th Apil 2012] Galitz, W. (2007) The Essential Guide to User Interface Design: An Introduction to GUI Design Principles and Techniques, 3rd ed. Wiley Publishing Inc Indianapolis. Halliday, M. A. K. (1973). Explorations in the functions of language. London: Edward Arnold. Ricci, N. (2012) A True Premium Community. Branded Content, [Online] Available at: http://brandedcontent.adage.com/ang/vendor.php?id=11 [Accessed 1st April 2012] McDonald, C (2007) Encyclopaedia of Business Ethics & Society. Sage Publications 644676 11

McQuail (2005) McQuails Mass Communication Theory, 5th ed. Sage Publications. OSullivan (1997), Key Concept in Communication and Cultural Studies, Routledge. Paltridge, (2006) Discourse Analysis, Continuum International Publishing Group. Schaeffner and Chilton (1997) Discourse as Social Interaction Vol.2, Sage Publications. Toshiba (2011) [Online] Toshiba Annual Report. Toshiba Inc. Available at: http://www.toshiba.co.jp/about/ir/en/finance/ar/ar2011/tar2011e.pdf [Accessed 15th April 2012] Appendix

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