What is sustainable marketing?
Sustainable marketing is all about creating a better world for everyone, not just your customers. It's about reducing your company's impact on the environment so that you can leave a positive legacy and help protect our planet for future generations. Ultimately it places purpose over profit.
It includes the development and promotion of environmentally and socially responsible products, practices, and brand values. It is a way for businesses to communicate their commitment to sustainability to their customers, employees, partners, and other stakeholders.
“The most powerful marketing message a company can send is by aligning their brand with a purpose that benefits society and the planet.”
Customers are demanding it
Customers are becoming more educated about the impact of their purchases and how they can reduce their carbon footprint, and businesses are responding by including sustainability in their marketing strategies.
It's important not only for businesses but also consumers—particularly younger generations who are increasingly concerned about climate change—to know that they're engaging with companies who genuinely want to make a difference.
With the whole of the UK set to become net zero by 2050, all businesses will have a legal requirement to operate sustainably. But those companies that put it at the heart of their ethos will stand out from the crowd.
But what does it really mean to be sustainable?
It’s embedded in everything you do
Sustainable marketing isn't just about corporate social responsibility (CSR). It's about making sure that every aspect of your business—from the way you run it to how you communicate with your customers—is aligned with your core values and mission. That way, even when there aren't any outside pressures pushing you toward sustainability, you're already moving forward with purpose instead of just reacting to problems as they arise.
B Corps are an example of how companies can take sustainability beyond CSR into a more holistic approach to their business model. They're legally required to meet certain standards of accountability, transparency and integrity when it comes to environmental impact and community involvement. They also have a legal obligation not just to shareholders but also employees and other stakeholders like customers or suppliers.
What factors do companies need to consider?
It starts at the top
The key to sustainable marketing is engagement with leadership and stakeholder engagement. That means working with your leadership team to ensure that everyone is on board with your vision for sustainability, as well as engaging with stakeholders who are interested in what you're doing. Employees need to be fully engaged as everyone needs to play their part.
Look at your values
What are the sustainability values that are important to your business? Once you know your values, you can start to communicate them to your customers.
Understand your carbon footprint
In order to reduce your carbon footprint you need to understand your baseline starting point. Undertake a carbon assessment to see where the opportunities are to reduce your CO2 emissions. You can then make a plan of action to report against and see progress year-on-year.
The supply chain
Supply chain management involves tracking the carbon footprint of the companies that are providing services, as well as monitoring the materials used in creating and shipping your products, as well as the waste created when it's used up. It also means being aware of where those materials come from—for example, if they are mined in an environmentally-friendly way or if they contain toxic chemicals that need to be disposed of responsibly.
Be transparent
Be honest about your sustainability practices and goals. Don’t make claims that you can’t back up. Publish your goals and report on your progress. It’s ok that it will take time to reach your targets, customers are keen to see that you're taking action.
Reduce, reuse, recycle
Companies should adopt the principles of the circular economy. Reducing how much they consume and therefore how much waste they produce. From water and energy consumption through to paper and plastic. After that can it be reused? For instance there are companies that specialise in the refurbishment and resale of IT equipment and office furniture. Engaging with a company that specialises in recycling waste can help ensure nothing ends up in landfill. It’s important to ensure there are regular recycling points in the office to make it easy for staff to support these efforts.
Sustainable energy
As we transition away from fossil fuels, companies need to think about alternative sources of energy from renewables to HVO and hydrogen powering not only offices and factories but also fleet vehicles. Greenwashing of energy supplies does take place within the industry so make sure you do your homework with your suppliers.
Packaging
For companies that sell products, packaging is a significant contributor to climate change, having an impact on waste management, creating plastic pollution and it is not always recyclable. Food is often the most challenging one as hygiene standards need to be maintained. Companies are developing innovative new ways to package products.
Beware of carbon offsetting
Companies should be wary of carbon offsetting because it can be seen as a form of greenwashing, where companies use offsetting to create an image of sustainability without actually reducing their carbon emissions. Some environmentalists and scientists are skeptical of carbon offsetting, stating that it is not a substitute for actual emission reductions. Additionally, there are concerns about the quality of offset projects, as some may not actually result in the promised emissions reductions. Therefore, it is important for marketing teams to thoroughly research and vet offset projects before promoting them as part of a company's sustainability efforts.
Sustainable marketing is a growing trend, and it is becoming increasingly important for businesses to adopt sustainable practices. By doing so, businesses can not only improve their environmental impact, but they can also improve their bottom line.
“By incorporating sustainable practices into your marketing strategies, you not only attract environmentally conscious consumers, but also inspire others to join the movement towards a greener, more sustainable future.”
