In the local news today, an analysis of Vermont Governor James Douglas’ plan to develop and market a Vermont-branded standard for evaluating carbon offsets. Among the wealth of political opinions and posturing, a comment by “free-market advocate” John McLaughry caught my eye.

After expressing his strong skepticism on the carbon credit program — “I can’t get very excited about it. I think the whole thing is a giant scam” — he then advocates promoting the program based on Vermont’s reputation for environmental responsibility.

“It is trading on Vermont’s green reputation. Any way you can market that to a customer who will pay a premium for it, so much the better.”

Ouch. Regardless of your political stance, that’s a dangerous take on marketing.

Brands and products that fail to deliver real value to their customers are doomed in any market. It’s enough of a challenge to create success with a product that you’re completely behind, one that offers value and innovation. Driving success from a product you believe to be inadequate is a fool’s mission in any market.

And if you’re fortunate enough to have a successful brand, you’ve inherited a responsibility to maintain its integrity. This responsibility extends to your stakeholders, vendors, employees and your customers.

The State of Vermont has been fairly consistent over the years in its understanding of the value a positive brand image can have on the regional economy, although the resulting creative efforts have been less reliable. As the state’s Department of Tourism explains in How to Use the Vermont Brand,

The brand exists solely in the minds of consumers and it encompasses their overall perceptions and attitudes of Vermont.

I’m not going to offer an opinion on the validity of the Governor’s carbon credit proposal. But let’s be clear: there’s no room for disingenuous marketing strategies that seek to tarnish the authenticity and reliability that add to the Vermont brand.