Ethics and Marketing are two words that must go hand-in-hand in today’s world. Marketers are often criticized for creating urgency and pushing consumers towards overconsumption. Kotler and Armstrong in Principle of Marketing write sustainable marketing is Socially and environmentally responsible marketing that meets the present needs of consumers and businesses while also preserving or enhancing the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
Apart from the definition above I strongly believe sustainable marketing is the way we give back to the community and can be used as a strong marketing tactic by the brand. It is more than just saying I am green or we are eco-friendly. It’s the gradual transformation of the marketing process from discount/offers and urgency games towards storytelling and heart-winning. Brands must now look towards long-term strategies as more and more consumers around the world are ethically and environmentally concerned.
Gen Z is leading the way in terms of sustainability. 54% of Gen Z recognize a brand’s environmental efforts to be essential when it comes to buying decisions. (48%) millennials feel the same way while only (24%) of baby boomers recognize a brand’s environmental impact. The main difference between millennials and Generation Z is Gen Z existed after smartphones were developed. They are highly educated due to abundant resources and the availability of plenty of platforms to acquire those resources. Today a single user has the power to make or break the brand with a single tweet. Anti-plastic movements are already on the rise and Gen Z is willing to pay more for environmentally friendly products making sustainability a more important decision-making factor. Consumers now are smart and want to buy from brands that think and behave like them.
The Lush business model is transforming itself towards environmental change. Lush unsurpassed its mass production of its products (which are largely handmade than machine-made) creating complexity and giving competition to other brands by asking them to step out and take action. They have been producing vegetarian and vegan products eliminating the use of eggs in their product. This step brought much appreciation all over from both lush users as well as non-users.
Many brands argue that buyers have a right to choose but again buyers have very little information and education to make wise decisions and face sophisticated sellers. It’s the responsibility of brands to make consumers aware of what’s right and wrong. Consumers must take buyers through a journey where they can feel from the heart (use emotions) and use their brains to make rational decisions.
There is no better time for brands to act than now. Brands must realize sustainability is a new way to look into their marketing that will change their business trajectory. When consumers are slammed with countless ads and multiple options throughout the day, sustainability can be a better way to make your presence on top of the mind of consumers. Not all managers have good morals and are not sensitive toward environmental issues. They lose the battle against their ethics and company targets. Hence, sustainability starts with getting the right person in the team who has the same values as your company does.
