Turn Your Sustainability Strategy Into Sales With Sustainability Marketing
Before you go shouting from the rooftops about how eco-friendly your product or company is, there are some things you need to know. Sustainability marketing requires a bit of extra care as compared to the conventional marketing pathways.
In both conventional marketing and sustainability marketing the long-term goal is to grow your business. The short-term goals, however, are decidedly different.
In conventional marketing your immediate goal is usually to sell a product. In sustainability marketing, that still might be the case but really you are trying to sell your brand’s image. You want to show consumers that yes, you can be trusted and yes, you are making huge efforts to reduce your environmental impact.
When done correctly, sustainability marketing can be a dynamic tool to drive business growth.
What is sustainability marketing?
Any time that an organization speaks about the environmental or social qualities of their brand or a specific product, that’s sustainability marketing. It can take the form of a TV commercial, on-pack messaging, a blog article , or a social media post.
Sustainability marketing shows consumers that your business cares about environmental and social issues and that you are making every effort to minimize the negative impact that your business activities may have on the planet.
Why do this? Today’s consumers demand it. More and more consumers are scrutinizing organizations’ environmental and social records. Consumers want to ensure that they are supporting businesses aligned with their values.
Can any business do sustainability marketing?
Well, yes, any business can launch sustainability marketing campaigns, but we wouldn’t advise everyone to do that
In all industries, a growing amount of consumers are making purchase decisions based on the sustainability credentials of businesses. So, a lot of businesses are racing to meet this demand with sustainability marketing campaigns. These campaigns try to convince or demonstrate to consumers that their business is responsible and they truly care about environmental and social issues.
The problem is that businesses may stretch the truth or even flat-out lie to attract conscious consumers. This can create a lot of reputation and legal problems for businesses. Countries are now implementing market regulations to combat the greenwashing phenomenon.
So, before embarking on a sustainability marketing journey it is crucial to develop a clear sustainability strategy.
How is sustainability marketing different from conventional marketing?
Once your sustainability strategy has been developed, there’s no reason to keep it a secret. Consumers and investors are searching for responsible businesses so let’s help them find what they’re looking for.
There are some key things to keep in mind, however, when it comes to sustainability marketing.
With sustainability marketing, you can’t just make big, bold claims that are unsubstantiated as we sometimes see in traditional marketing (think “never before seen” or “industry best”). You have to be careful about what you are saying and which words you use.
If you exaggerate your sustainability claims, you run the risk of greenwashing. If you understate your sustainability claims, you sell yourself short and leave potential customers or investors unimpressed.
Saying you have an eco-friendly product might be okay in the USA, but you might not meet the threshold in the EU — and nobody wants to attract a greenwashing label.
Helpful tip: don’t call your product or business eco-friendly, or at least provide concrete examples to back up that claim. Eco-friendly is ambiguous and frankly, overused. Instead, get specific about what makes your business environmentally responsible.
It’s a fine line to walk, but businesses that do sustainability marketing correctly will position themselves very nicely to grab a larger slice of the sustainable shopping pie.
How to make your business a top sustainability choice
As mentioned, it starts with the sustainability strategy. With no strategy, there is no story to tell, but once businesses have developed their sustainability priorities and goals, it’s time to tell the world.
Consumer surveys have revealed that while many consumers want to shop responsibly, the majority of them don’t know who the sustainable companies are or don’t trust their messaging. If you can deliver sustainability messaging that makes you stand out from the crowd, you have the chance to win the hearts of today’s responsible shoppers.
Sustainable Sense’s marketing services bring a team of sustainability experts to your side. Our experts know how to navigate the greenwashing landmines and deliver messages that consumers care about, establishing your business as a sustainability leader.
It’s noble to conduct business responsibly, but let’s make it well worth your while and get you paid for that, too.
Contact Sustainable Sense to make the most of your sustainability efforts.
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