To help spread the word about their new sustainability campaigns, leading companies including Coke, Anheuser Busch, and Ford are starting to leverage one of their most powerful assets: their employees.

Using employees to promote sustainable initiatives is a winning strategy. Why? Employees are “regular people” and, as such, they are much better equipped to gain more trust and confidence of prospective consumers than splashy Hollywood celebrities, million dollar CEOs, and paid pitchmen. Employees are objective critics of their companies' greenness. If employees are viewed as involved and openly on-board with the company’s sustainable initiatives, consumers are more likely to view the programs as genuine and lasting, rather than a temporary greenwashing stint.

Finally, every CEO knows that to recruit and keep the best employees, he or she has to maintain the highest eco-standards. Spotlighting employees in ads helps communicate internally that your company is on the green bandwagon.

What's not to like?
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Jacquelyn A. Ottman is president of J. Ottman Consulting. A regular contributer to SLM, Jacquie hosts our weekly Sustainable Brands e-newsletter.