MARKETING SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS

2. Introduction
Costof Growth
TheRoleof Marketing/Advertising
Sustainable Marketing
Moving Up the Ladder: SustainableSegmentation
Doesit Work?
TheNeed: Better Messaging
Classroom Presentation
Conclusion

3. It took the world’s population until the 19th
century to reach 1 billion. Bythe turn of the 20th
century, the world population had reached 6
billion and is estimated to reach 9 billionby 2050
(U.S.CensusBureau 2012).
At the sametime, our consumptionis growing at
apacethat the planet cannot keep upwith.
Currently, it takes the planet 1.5 years to
regenerate the renewable resources thatare
usedwithin oneyear.

4. Thisunsustainable lifestyle is called ecological
overshoot, which means that people usemore
than the planet can provide. Thisecological
overshoot occurred for the first time in the 1970s
and hascontinued ever since. (WWF2012, 18-
41.)

5. Thispursuit of constant economic growth and
consumption is seenasameansto improve
peoples’standard of living. But the cost of this
growth is enormous andunsustainable.
Isthe way we measure growth flawed? For
instance, if many people are sick and need
medical treatment, the GDPincreases but at the
sametime amore efficient health system,which
would lower costs, would also lower the GDP
.
(Stieglitz 2009.)

6. Are we trading short-term profits forlong-term
loss?
When corporations measure performance from
quarter to quarter and countries from year to
year, we lose sight of the biggerpicture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4H1N_yXBiA

7. Who do we rely on? EVERYONE(government,
business, individuals)
Marketers in particular havebeen faced with
environmental and social criticism over the
years. Marketing is, at least partly, regarded as
responsible forthe current condition the planet
is in, by constantly creating demand and
encouraging consumption (e.g.: planned
obsolescence, cultural pollution, etc.)

8. Sinceconventional marketing is considered
mainly responsible for continuously increasing
consumption, the goal of sustainable marketingis
to promote sustainable consumer behaviour and
offer suitable products, with the aim of economic
and environmental sustainability.

9. Sustainable marketing is aholistic approach with
the aim of satisfying the wants and needs of the
customers while putting equal emphasis on
environmental and social issues, thus generating
profit in aresponsibleway.
In order for sustainable marketing to be
successful, consumer behaviour and
consumption patterns have to bereconsidered.

10. Possiblesustainable segmentation (DEFRA
2008, 42-45)
Segment Ability/Willingne
ss
Barriers
Positive
Greens
High
Waste
Watchers
Medium/Low • Think they are doingenough
• Scepticism
Concerned Medium • Think they are doing morethan
they actuallydo
• Difficulty adapting lifestyle
• Scepticism
Consumers

11. Segme
nt
Ability/Willingne
ss
Barrier
s
Side-line
Supporte
rs
Low/Medium • Low knowledge about
sustainability
• Difficulty in changing habitsand
adapting lifestyle
Cautious
Participan
ts
Medium/Low • Difficulty changing habitsand
adapting lifestyle
• Losing self-identity
• Low priority
• Donot want tobe identified as
green
• Not the socialnorm

12. Segme
nt
Ability/Willingne
ss
Barrier
s
Stalled Starters
Low
• Low priority
• Scepticism
• Low knowledge about
sustainability
• Inconvenience, costs
• Difficulty in adaptinglifestyle
• Losing self-identity
• Donot want tobe identified as
green
Honestly
Disengag
ed
Low • No opinion about or interestin
sustainability
• Not the socialnorm
• Low priority

13. Over the years, many sustainability campaigns
have been appealing to our better intentions,
from hotels primarily requesting you hangyour
towels, to brands asking you to recycle for the
“next generation.”
Themodus operandi is to cajole, coerce and
guilt-trip usinto doing the right thing, for the
higher purpose of sustainability. That’s alot of
existential angst to load into ashoppingbasket.

14. Getting consumers to act on their good
intentions still represents the final frontier for
sustainability. Astudy from National Geographic
found that although the number of global
consumers who saythey are very concerned
about the environment (61%)hasincreasedsince
2012, sustainable purchasing behaviour has
actually decreased in key markets such asthe US,
Germany, Japanand China.

15. Confronting consumers with the threat of climate
change or loss of biodiversity can be intimidating
and causeguilt or fear, which does not
necessarily lead to achange in behaviour.
Although consumers might feel guilty, theymight
also feel that the claims are false or at least
exaggerated, aswell asbeing manipulated. (Belz
& Peattie 2009, 187; Emery 2012,219-221.)

16. Theproblem with sustainability marketing?Not
enough “me”
Consumers are more receptive to change when
communications appeal to their self-interestsor
focus on their benefits. Although consumers do
care about the environment and social issues,
they want to know what is in it for them when
they use sustainable products.

17. Asabrand, whether you are trying to motivate
behaviours or sell products, you need tostart by
asking “what’s in itfor my customers?”
Byshowing consumers what sustainability cando
for them (rather than what they can do for
sustainability), marketers can close the values-
action gap alot faster.

18. Examples:
H&M Campaign
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4xnyr2mCuI
Heineken
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3n7qKojyH0
Mud Jeans(BusinessModel)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8COUfBNRaDk

19. Classroom Presentation
Useone of the techniques discussed in the
sessionon Advertising Strategy to create anad
to reduce plasticuse
Motivation Drivers/EaseDrivers

20. Conclusion
Sorry Future Generations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRLJscAlk1M