Are you already using sustainable marketing? If your brand or business has a green focus, it might be a promising idea to show it as part of your next marketing campaign. As a top digital marketing company, today we wanted to share our thoughts on the usefulness of sustainable marketing as part of a well-rounded marketing campaign.
What is sustainable marketing?
Sustainable marketing is marketing aimed at any combination of ecologically or socially responsible products, practices or brand values. For example, locally produced products versus imports from China or brand targets for environmental efforts. This type of marketing focuses on presenting the sustainable aspect as a reason to buy products or services from a company, even if the costs are higher than those of a non-sustainable producer.
Sustainable marketing is also known as Green marketing with the connection of green and environment.
Some of the more well-known brands that focus on green or sustainable marketing in relation to their brand objectives are Starbucks, Timberland, Patagonia and Ikea. Starbucks uses green materials for production and packaging. Patagonia contributes millions of dollars to climate change and initiatives for sustainable agricultural practices. Ikea uses solar and wind farms for power generation and plants millions of trees around the world.
How useful is sustainable marketing?
The usefulness of sustainable marketing is not so direct compared to standard marketing practices. This is mainly due to the aspect of sustainability or green companies compared to the brand itself. For those brands that are actively focused on sustainability, green marketing can be very helpful in promoting their brand. It can also greatly increase confidence.
On the other hand, brands that aren’t very green or try to relate themselves as a sustainable business can do more harm than good if consumers consider it a symbolic attempt to earn business or fame. McDonald’s made such a blunder with their ‘eco-friendly’ straws that ultimately weren’t very friendly as they were hard to handle due to their thickness.
At the end of the day, there is not the same measurable expectation for sustainable marketing. The stats just aren’t there to judge how it can impact sales compared to other marketing channels. For example, based on a statistical analysis, we can determine a range of expectations by using different practices, such as ad purchases or conversion rate optimization. Sustainable marketing, on the other hand, does affect consumers, but it is not equally consistent across the board. It is more in proportion to the percentage of target customers who are themselves green or sustainably oriented.
But for consumers who are green, a green brand is much more attractive and reliable.
Get started with sustainable marketing
Create a Sustainable Web Page – Like an About page, which provides valuable information such as a company’s history, a sustainable or green page should cover their sustainability efforts and performance.
Add green to advertisements – Advertisements should include some mention of a brand’s sustainability efforts. This can be as simple as including a ‘greener’ version of a logo that links to the brand’s sustainability web page.
Promoting Green Aspects – In all areas of customer contact, the green aspects of the business must be promoted in some way. Blogs, social media platforms, coupons, emails or a newsletter and the like can all include mentions of a brand’s sustainability goals. However, don’t over-promote this aspect of a business.
Support green programs – Environmentally friendly programs, local, national or worldwide, must be supported.
Green Partners – Focus on partnering with like-minded cross-promotion brands based on sustainability rather than just interconnected companies. Many consumers prefer green brands over others, so it is important to increase your “green network”.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that if your brand focuses on green aspects, you should use sustainable marketing as part of the overall marketing focus. If a company or brand does its bit to protect the planet we all live on, that’s something remarkable. Many companies have put a premium on profits above all else, and many consumers have realized that this approach has led to climate problems with devastating effects worldwide. While not always delivering a direct sales increase, it directly impacts how consumers perceive the brand, which can boost long-term growth.
