Why build a sustainable marketing strategy? One of the reasons is for brands to adapt to the changing behaviour of consumers, who are becoming increasingly aware of the challenges of social and environmental change. Once the decision has been made, the next step is to structure the approach and avoid the trap of goodwashing. Clarisse Popower, an expert in responsible digital marketing, explains the roadmap for a sustainable and responsible marketing strategy.
Participating in the transformation of the environment and society has become essential for brands. Climate change, inflation, health scandals... consumer behaviour is evolving towards more responsible consumption. Faced with this societal transformation, brands need to integrate environmental and societal issues into their marketing strategies. But how can they do this? They can capitalise on the influential power of marketing by gearing their practices towards greater sustainability.
From hyper-consumption to sustainability
It is often accused of encouraging hyper-consumption to the detriment of environmental and social issues. Admittedly, marketing has long promoted materialistic values, perpetuated discriminatory standards and stereotypes (the cult of beauty), and encouraged inappropriate behaviour (over-indebtedness, junk food, wasteful clothing, etc.).
But if influence is the very essence of marketing, the question is how the brand is going to capitalise on it to influence behaviour, and with what objectives.
One of the key roles of marketing is to create value for consumers. In fact, more and more consumers are becoming ecologically and socially aware. Expecting transparency and ethics, they no longer hesitate to stop consuming a brand that no longer corresponds to their values. At a time when palm oil is getting bad press, Nutella is seeing its sales plummet. 4.41TP3Q in 2019. And 52% of consumers are even prepared to pay more for a brand that cares about environmental and social issues, according to a study by Havas Group (May 2021).
Sustainable marketing, but above all not goodwashing
Firstly, brands need to consider the triple impact of their offering: environmental, social and economic. Secondly, they must absolutely avoid the trap of goodwashing. In other words, not to give an illusory image of ecological or societal responsibility. A practice that would be as damaging, if not more so, to the brand's reputation as not committing to an approach of corporate social responsibility.
What's more, although regulations (polluter-pays taxes, bonus-malus, the PACTE Act, etc.) are helping brands to make this transition to a more sustainable approach, they are also benefiting from taking a more fundamental approach. This means rethinking brand positioning and identity to have a lasting positive influence. But how do you go about it?
The 5 key stages of sustainable marketing
Defining the roadmap for a sustainable and responsible marketing strategy involves 5 key stages.
Step 1: Determine your raison d'être
The first step in the process is to identify your raison d'être and your brand manifesto. The idea is to be more reactive, proactive and even anticipatory in the face of change.
Step 2: Choose a status
You then need to review your general organisation and choose a status that correlates with your activity: company with a mission, association, cooperative, SSE.
Step 3: Define the guidelines for your marketing mix
This guideline must be consistent with the brand's raison d'être. It is possible, for example, to adopt an eco-socio-design approach.
Step 4: Mobilise your stakeholders
To be effective, any sustainable marketing strategy must involve all the company's stakeholders. In other words, suppliers, customers, partners, employees... all must follow a course of action that is consistent with the brand's raison d'être.
Step 5: Be consistent when marketing your products or services
Once the brand mix has been adapted to the brand's raison d'être, it is essential to stay on course when marketing its products and services.
Staying the course means first and foremost favouring sustainable distribution methods. That means short distribution channels and optimised logistics.
It also means reinventing responsible communication in terms of both content and form: not misleading consumers, not encouraging them to adopt irresponsible behaviour, but rather advising them or raising their awareness of the environmental and societal issues involved in their consumption.
It also and above all means prioritising qualitative KPIs over quantitative ones. In other words, it means taking into account not only the economic management indicators (ROI and impact on sales) but also the image and reputation of the brand, the ecological footprintthe well-being index...
Once the roadmap has been drawn up, the brand must be consistent in operational practice of its sustainable marketing strategy.
Sustainable marketing also means more ethical marketing
How can we change behaviour by encouraging consumers to be more sustainable? Take inspiration from the trends of 2022 that are essential to the practice of more reasoned marketing.
Participatory marketing
Also known as collaborative marketing, this is a set of techniques for involving consumers from the design stage through to distribution. Participative marketing makes it possible, for example, to assess consumers' real needs, eliminate non-essential product or service functions and thus meet their expectations as closely as possible. In this way, consumers become active stakeholders from the design stage onwards.
Nudge marketing
Encouraging consumers without ever forcing them: this is the philosophy behind nudge marketing. It can be used to promote changes in behaviour in favour of the environment or society.
Inclusive marketing
By adopting an inclusive marketing approach, we can reduce cultural prejudice and help to bring about positive social change through content that is kind and respectful to all. The women's underwear brand Darjeeling is an example of this with its campaign #AsIAm featuring 18 portraits of women from all backgrounds and of all ages.
Marketing is often attacked, yet it is the ideal tool for promoting sustainable consumption models that are more respectful of society and the environment. The power of influence of brands can be used to encourage a more sustainable and virtuous world. Practising sustainable marketing means integrating value for the consumer, for the company and for society at large in an inseparable way.
