MARKETING & SUSTAINABILITY
What is the Relationship Between Sustainability and Marketing?
Marketing advances sustainability by engaging customers and consumers in promoting sustainable consumption through product offerings and consumption models. Consumer behavior research informs sustainable marketing strategy.
Perhaps more than any other business major (or business function), marketing has enormous power to inspire new habits, help consumers envision new realities, and to change culture.
The traditional sales-orientation is expanded by sustainable marketing to include a more robust customer engagement and education component. After all, nearly every change we need to make to improve our treatment of people and the planet involves customers changing behaviors. That’s what marketing is all about!
Smeal’s Dr. Karen Winterich shares her marketing research into recycling behaviors
Why Sustainability Needs Marketing
Consumer spending makes up about 70% of the U.S. economy and marketers spend around $280 billion on advertising annually. Moreover, much of the planet resources we want to conserve flow literally through our hands: around 90% of plastic isn’t recycled and 85% of textiles (think clothes) end up in the landfill or being incinerated.
Meanwhile research from Nielsen, the Natural Marketing Institute (NMI) and others shows strong and persistent demand for sustainable products across food, clothing, personal care items, electronics and more. This includes a preference not only for environmental responsibility but a desire to support minority and women-owned businesses.
And this isn’t just talk. Consumer spending on sustainability is increasing and for many companies their sustainable product lines are growing faster and pulling the business along.
ADVANCE YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF MARKETING AND SUSTAINABILITY
Learn what sustainability marketing is all about and its importance
Learn the important things to know in this field
Learn how sustainability fits into your courses
Learn how sustainability relates to your career