The environmental crisis continues to accelerate, and with that, sustainable marketing strategies should be implemented in any sustainability strategy. According to Forbes, 88 percent of consumers remain loyal to businesses that support social and environmental causes.
Beyond the apparent advantages to the environment, sustainable marketing can enable businesses to boost profits and appeal to a new market. Keep reading as we dive further into sustainable marketing and how to use sustainability as a lever to unlock business growth.
What is sustainable marketing?
Sustainable marketing refers to the promotion of socially and environmentally responsible products, practices, and brand values. Businesses that leverage sustainable marketing may source eco-friendly materials and packaging, create products that contribute to sustainable living, and donate profits to environmental causes.
The rise of the conscious consumer
While consumerism has been growing substantially over the past 50 years, times are changing. Consumer behaviour changes rapidly and frequently in ways we do not expect. To make successful business decisions, enterprises must anticipate and respond to shifts in customer preferences and needs.
This will be required with the latest trend, conscious consumerism. Although it is labelled as a trend, many believe it is not a passing one. Conscious consumerism refers to the rising number of consumers making informed and conscious decisions regarding what, why, and how to purchase products and services.
In addition, which brands and businesses to support with time and money. There is a body of research to show consumers are increasingly transitioning from complacent overconsumption to conscious consumerism. For instance, a Deloitte food and retail survey published in 2022 found that health and sustainability matter increasingly more to European consumers, alongside affordability and convenience.
Despite some businesses viewing sustainability as a deal breaker, Deloitte’s research finds 76 percent of consumers would pay more for sustainable products. Moreover, research commissioned by Bord Bia The Thinking House throughout 2017 and 2018 also highlighted a significant increase in individuals considered to be ‘conscious consumers’ in Ireland. The influx brings the consumers deemed ‘conscious’ or ‘concerned’ to almost half of the adult population in Ireland.
Why is sustainable marketing important?
Sustainable marketing helps businesses take credible climate action as they connect eco-conscious consumers with environmentally friendly offerings. Businesses that follow through on their promises can help significantly slow climate change and protect the environment.
This should be the primary focus of green marketing practices because it is why consumers’ preferences and attitudes have altered in the first place. In other words, they want businesses to practise accountability and use their enterprise as a force for good.
However, sustainable marketing strategies offer more advantages than environmental conservation. Businesses that engage in sustainable marketing strategies can avail of a range of benefits. These include increased brand loyalty and profitability, the ability to appeal to new markets, and lower overhead costs.
For example, it was recently announced that the jewellery giant, Pandora, switched to 100 percent recycled silver and gold. They successfully ended their use of virgin gold and silver a year ahead of their prior commitment.
Pandora’s move to sustainable sourcing has resulted in a considerable increase in sales. This shows the profitability of green marketing as the brand continues to outperform the market in revenue against a backdrop of a globally declining jewellery market.
Sustainable marketing best practices
Below are some best practices to enable you to harness the power of sustainability to drive business growth.
Authenticity
Authenticity in marketing happens when businesses engage deeply with their audiences and build connections with them that feel personal. These steps make customers feel heard and understood.
Brand authenticity is a key factor in purchasing decisions. Moreover, it is likely to be even more important with sustainable products as consumers are often sceptical about sustainability claims. For sustainable marketing to be effective, it must be authentic.
Transparency
Businesses must be clear about their sustainability practices and show a real commitment to continuous improvement. This means they must provide detailed information concerning the materials used in their products and explain how they are made.
Moreover, businesses incorporating sustainable marketing strategies should feature any evidence or certifications on their website to support environmental claims about their products. For example, material certifications, information about how the products are made, or B-corp certifications. All of this demonstrates to customers that you are serious about protecting the environment.
Engagement
Given that one of the main pillars of sustainable marketing is education, integrating it is an excellent opportunity to engage your customers, employees, and partners. Businesses can share detailed information about the environmental impact of a service or product throughout its life cycle.
They can feature this information on their website and social media pages so consumers can easily discover the brand is committed to sustainability. For employees and partners, brands should consider hosting educational events like workshops that allow individuals to dive deeper into how they can be part of the solution.
Innovation
At its core, innovation emphasises original thinking and the dissemination of new ideas. This philosophy is vital to accomplishing sustainability objectives and ensuring you are never left behind.
To address the greatest challenge of our time, climate change requires new ideas and leveraging new technology. Through innovation, brands can work to add value and improve customer experiences, which is exactly what today’s consumers are always looking for.
Collaboration
Collaboration is a vital ingredient of successful sustainable marketing. Environmental issues demand collective responsibility. Leveraging collaboration in sustainable marketing strategies allows businesses to achieve more.
This is because they can set common goals and pool resources with the individuals or businesses they partner with. In other words, they are combining their resources and efforts, which ultimately boosts their reach and impact.
Challenges in green marketing
Businesses are turning their attention to green marketing due to the number of benefits it brings, but some remain hesitant to fully embrace it. Green marketing remains a new concept and comes with several challenges for organisations. For instance, there is a lack of standardisation to certify a product as green.
Moreover, some consumers only want to satisfy their buying needs and remain indifferent to their environmental impact. This means they are likely to be unwilling to pay more for sustainable products. Meeting and remaining compliant with evolving regulations can also be difficult, particularly, when these requirements vary across regions.
The greatest challenge of green marketing is unsurprisingly, greenwashing. This phrase describes the practice of brands using green marketing techniques to mislead consumers into believing that they and their goods or services are more ecologically friendly than they are. Greenwashing could involve advertising select “green” attributes of a service or product that is not wholly environmentally friendly.
It could also include marketing products as eco-friendly based on vague measures or unsubstantiated claims. The practice of greenwashing can not only minimise the effectiveness of green marketing as a whole but also threaten reputation. Greenwashing can also include making sustainability claims in corporate policies and not seeing them through.
Implementing your green marketing strategy
Before you devise your sustainability marketing strategy, it is a good idea to assess your company’s current environmental impact. Understanding your carbon footprint across operations, supply chains, and products enables you to identify potential areas where you can improve.
Once you have assessed your environmental impact, you can set clear and measurable objectives. These goals should align with your business values and your target audience’s expectations. All team members should work towards these goals.
With this in mind, an important next step for some team members may be completing business sustainability training that focuses substantially on green marketing. This training will help them in their roles and better position them to achieve the company’s green goals. Now that we have that covered, let’s take a closer look at the steps you should take to implement your green marketing strategy.
1. Understand your audience
Start by getting to know your target audience. Ask yourself, what does sustainability mean to them? Are they concerned about reducing waste, lowering carbon footprints, supporting ethical sourcing, or all of the above?
Tailor your green marketing efforts to align with their values and concerns. Following that, identify specific segments of your audience that are most likely to respond positively to eco-initiatives. This will enable you to create targeted campaigns that resonate more effectively.
2. Assess your current practices
Before launching a green marketing campaign, assess your company’s current environmental practices. Ensure that your products, services, and operations are genuinely sustainable and identify areas for improvement.
Additionally, establish sustainability goals that are specific, measurable, and aligned with your overall business strategy. These could include reducing energy consumption, increasing the use of recycled materials, or achieving certain certifications.
3. Be authentic and transparent
When it comes to green communication, transparency and authenticity couldn’t be more important. Greenwashing is on the rise, and consumers are increasingly savvy about sustainability claims. Ensure that your green marketing is backed by real, verifiable actions. Avoid making vague or misleading claims that could be perceived as greenwashing.
On the note of transparency, be open about your sustainability journey, including both successes and areas where there is room for improvement. Consumers appreciate honesty and are more likely to trust brands that are transparent about their efforts.
4. Highlight your unique selling proposition (USP)
When you’re marketing your products, focus on what sets you apart from the rest. Simply stating that you’re sustainability isn’t enough; consumers want to know what makes your green efforts so unique.
From here, you can build your green marketing strategy around these USPs. Whether it’s a particular eco-friendly product line, a zero-waste initiative, or carbon-neutral operations, make sure this is front and centre in your messaging.
5. Engage your audience
Use your marketing platforms to educate your audience about sustainability issues and how your brand is contributing to solutions. This could include blog posts, social media content, or video tutorials.
However, don’t stop there; encourage your customers to get involved in your sustainability efforts too. This could be through initiatives like recycling programmes, sustainability challenges, or customer feedback opportunities on how to improve green practices.
6. Leverage Storytelling
People connect with stories. Share the story of your brand’s sustainability journey – how it started, the challenges you’ve faced, and the milestones you’ve achieved. This creates an emotional connection and enhances brand loyalty.
Case studies of successful sustainable marketing strategies
Bee’s Wrap
Bee’s Wrap is a small business based in Vermont, USA, that produces reusable food wraps made from organic cotton, beeswax, and jojoba oil. These wraps are an eco-friendly alternative to single-use plastic wrap.
Bee’s Wrap focuses on educating consumers about the environmental impact of plastic waste and the benefits of switching to reusable products. Their marketing emphasises the natural materials used in their products and their commitment to reducing plastic waste. They also engage customers through social media campaigns and partnerships with eco-conscious influencers.
Bee’s Wrap has gained a strong following among environmentally conscious consumers, thanks to its clear and consistent messaging around sustainability. Their success has led to increased awareness and adoption of sustainable food storage solutions.
LOLI Beauty
LOLI Beauty (Living Organic Loving Ingredients) is a small, New York-based beauty brand that creates clean, sustainable skincare products using food-grade, organic, and upcycled ingredients. They are committed to zero waste, and their products come in reusable and compostable packaging.
LOLI Beauty’s marketing focuses on the purity and sustainability of their ingredients, as well as their commitment to zero waste. They use storytelling to connect with customers, sharing the origins and benefits of their ingredients and the environmental impact of their packaging choices. LOLI Beauty also engages in transparent communication about their sourcing practices and sustainability goals.
LOLI Beauty has built a niche following among consumers who prioritise clean, sustainable beauty products. Their clear and consistent green marketing has helped them establish a strong brand identity as a leader in sustainable skincare.
Sand Cloud
Sand Cloud is a small business that produces eco-friendly beach towels and apparel made from recycled materials. They are dedicated to protecting marine life, and a portion of their profits is donated to marine conservation organisations.
Sand Cloud’s marketing strategy revolves around its mission to protect the oceans. They use social media to engage their audience, sharing content that highlights their sustainable products and the environmental causes they support. Sand Cloud also leverages partnerships with influencers and ambassadors to spread their message and promote their products.
Sand Cloud has successfully built a community of eco-conscious consumers who share their passion for marine conservation. Their green marketing has not only driven sales but also raised awareness for important environmental causes.
Ecovative Design
Ecovative Design is a small company based in New York that develops sustainable materials made from mycelium (mushroom roots). Their products include biodegradable packaging, insulation, and even alternatives to leather.
Ecovative focuses on innovation and sustainability in its marketing, highlighting the environmental benefits of its mycelium-based materials as alternatives to traditional, less eco-friendly products. They use educational content to explain the science behind their materials and the potential to reduce waste and carbon emissions. Ecovative also collaborates with brands looking to incorporate sustainable materials into their products.
Ecovative Design has positioned itself as a pioneer in the sustainable materials industry. Their innovative approach and clear communication about the benefits of mycelium have attracted partnerships with larger companies and increased interest in sustainable manufacturing.
Looking ahead: The future of green marketing
Sustainable marketing can no longer be considered a trend but a type of marketing that is here to stay. Not only that but it is set to dominate as consumers increasingly want to align their purchases with their values and demonstrate a preference for brands committed to sustainability.
Businesses that embed sustainable marketing strategies open themselves up to new opportunities, enhance brand reputation, and curb costs, all while driving positive change. The bottom line is sustainable marketing should be reflective of company values and show a clear passion and dedication to the cause.
