Sustainable Marketing

#wwusustainability

In the research that I have done over the course of this quarter in Marketing and Sustainability, it has become extremely clear that consumers care about sustainability and are beginning to demand it from businesses. In an article from Network for Business Sustainability, the distinction of what sustainable marketing is is given. They say that sustainable marketing is "foster(ing) marketing activities and strategies that promote environmental wellbeing, social equity, and economic development in a manner that enhances the business". (Unuoha, 2022). This is a bit broad and vague so they go on to give tips on how marketers specifically can work towards sustainability.

It begins with product development. Marketers can prioritize sourcing raw materials for the product in an ethical way. They can also consider whether the packaging is sustainable or even necessary. For example, it's great to use recycled plastic to make clamshell packaging but it's even better to eliminate the packaging all together if it's technically unnecessary. Also, of course, determining the product lifecycle and finding ways that the product could be repurposed or reused at the end of its life.

Marketing messaging/communication can also be used to influence or push consumers to behave more sustainably. If marketers focus on using psychological tactics like norms, which state that people are more likely to buy/act sustainability if they believe everyone around them is. Marketers are also educators. If they can use the power that they hold in their messaging, more people can become educated on the importance of being environmentally friendly and ethical. These messages can be put on packaging, included in visual or radio advertisements, or can be incorporated into the brand website.

At the beginning of the quarter in my very first blog post, I talked about how I loved the planet and cared about sustainability but was interested in going into the field of transportation and logistics. These two things can traditionally be seen as impossible to combine. Transportation is a typically necessary, but harmful industry. It means a lot to me that I don't join a company that actively contributes to environmental damage or social injustice. That's why I'm very excited for my internship this summer with Lynden Inc. They are a large transportation and logistics company that operate primarily in Alaska, Washington, California, and Puerto Rico but are also worldwide. They have a very extensive sustainability program and are committed to protecting the very sensitive lands that they operate in (tundra, mountains, indigenous lands, oceans, etc). They are the recipients of many sustainability awards from the EPA. They invest in more expensive equipment that is more efficient and environmentally friendly.  They have imbedded the principles protection and thoughtfulness for future generations company wide. I am very excited and incredibly proud to be able to join their team. I hope that I can always feel that way about my career because I care about preserving our earth.

Sources

Onuoha, A. (2022, March 16). What is Sustainable Marketing? Network for Business Sustainability (NBS). Retrieved May 24, 2022, from https://nbs.net/other/what-is-sustainable-marketing/ 

Sustainability Program. Lynden Inc. (2022, March 31). Retrieved May 24, 2022, from https://www.lynden.com/about/sustainability-program/