Many companies aren't used to just big changes without negative consequences and also big change is hard to implement. Not only do companies have to factor in these elements, but also public perception. There have been many instances of greenwashing, too many to count. This has left such a negative and stigmatized view on companies who are trying to be more sustainable. It's quick and easy to call out a company for greenwashing, but once put in that category, how do they get out?
One thing that I do know, is that companies need to start utilizing sustainable marketing. "Sustainable marketing is the promotion of environmental and socially responsible products, practices and brand values" (Story). But sustainable marketing isn't just slapping on the works environmentally-friendly to their products or services. There needs to be evidence and initiative to back it up, short-term and long-term goals. The long-term goals needs to target high-scale change, showing that as a company you can maintain the idea of sustainability, looking at the grand scheme of things.
Yet how can companies implement sustainable marketing after causing a lot of distrust in the marketplace? "Marketing has been criticized for harming consumers with deceptive claims and practices and high-pressure sales. Unsustainable marketing has often fueled the desire for materialism versus quality of life" (YodelPop). The main difference now, is that consumers are looking for a better quality of life and work, starting with companies that they support. So how can sustainable marketing succeed?
According to YodelPop, a non-profit organization, there are five principles of sustainable marketing:
- Consumer-oriented marketing
- Customer value marketing
- Innovative marketing
- Sense-of-mission marketing
- Societal marketing
Consumer-oriented marketing is the idea that companies market their strategy from the point of view of the consumers themselves. Customer value marketing is the notion that if a company creates value for their consumers, their consumers in turn will create value for the company. The company must continuously improve the value that they are offering, otherwise, the consumers will no longer provide value for the company. Innovative marketing keep companies from being stagnate with their products. It's the intention of making sure that a company never stops finding better ways to develop their products, being able to turn something good into something great. The principle of sense-of-marketing is about defining a broad mission that speaks for society rather than just a singular product. This will help give a company a chance to create a long-term goal more oriented on the environment rather than the lifespan of a product. Societal marketing is balancing consumers wants and needs, company requirements, and interest of society and the consumers interest for the long-run.
Once companies are able to utilize sustainable marketing strategies, how does one promote their sustainable ways without garnering bad attention? Some key guidelines are:
- Making sure the product works
For this guideline, companies want to make sure that their product functions both traditionally and sustainably. If the product doesn't work well, it doesn't matter how environmentally-friendly or green it is. It also works the other way around, if the product doesn't work in a sustainable way, consumers might feel mixed emotions and tricked into believing something that wasn't true. And this can ultimately lead to a company being labeled as greenwashing.
- Be genuine in your sustainability effort
A company needs to be authentic, fulfilling their message and promise that the product, service, or that their company is being sustainable and making improvements to become more sustainable. It's all about showing the process and implementations, from sourcing of materials to how to dispose properly.
Marketing transparently is closely related to being genuine about a companies sustainability efforts. It's about making sure that consumers know the potential changes, advertising, and how it will overall effect them as a consumer. Consumers don't want to feel cheated!
- Manage any sustainable pricing gap
While we as a society, promote healthy living and sustainable products, often times, they are priced higher that traditional products. This makes it less accessible for certain people. It can also feel like consumers are paying for a product or service to be sustainable, almost like a fee or a tax. A company does have to worry about the profits that they will make, but making sustainability feel elitist, can deter them from purchasing.
- Don't force consumers to make big tradeoffs
Companies should make consumers feel like they have exchange or swap prices, performance, convenience, or anything else for the sake of sustainability. A product or service being more sustainable should feel like an extra bonus rather than a sacrifice.
Switching to sustainability will not only take time for companies, but consumers as well. Sustainability requires a lot of behavioral changes, and that takes time for people to adapt. As more companies become more environmentally-friendly, it'll be easier for consumers to eliminate barriers that might be in-place because of the slow emergence of it.
These are just basic outlines or guidelines that companies can follow to help them make the switch to a more sustainable positioning and promotional strategy. By following these steps, it can't guarantee a sure fire win or being completely on the right track. It takes much more effort and work than just these principles and recommendations, but there's always some place to start!
References
Keys to marketing a Sustainable Brand. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://saylordotorg.github.io/text_the-sustainable-business-case-book/s10-04-keys-to-marketing-a-sustainabl.html
Story, J., Lindley, S., & Wright, G. (2019, October 25). What is sustainable marketing and how should you use it? Smart Insights. Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://www.smartinsights.com/online-brand-strategy/brand-positioning/sustainable-marketing-how-should-you-use-it/
Ultimate Guide to Sustainable Marketing. Milwaukee, Chicago, Web Design, Branding & Inbound Marketing & Nonprofit Marketing Agency. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://www.yodelpop.com/ultimate-guide-to-sustainable-marketing
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