It seemed like a terrific business opportunity. Consumers and businesses were eager to buy eco-friendly products. So in 1991, Wausau Paper Corp. launched its EcoSoft line of paper towels and tissues, made from 100 percent recycled content.
It wasn’t exactly a success story. The problem: Wausau’s green marketing was lost amidst a welter of other companies’ eco-friendly claims. The number and variety of claims confused potential customers, who weren’t sure which products were truly green. So purchasers often stopped responding to green marketing.
