Marketing sustainability february 2012

Marketing “Sustainability”

• Strategic Planning Consultant• Behaviour Change Specialist

• Group Managing Director – Linc• Chairman – Days of Change

D. John Carlson

SUSTAINABILITY• Why is it important?• Who is it important to?• What are the keys?• How do you embrace it?

Why is sustainabilityimportant?

• Moral responsibility• Market expectations• Bottomline performance

TOMORROW’S CHILDWithout a name; and unseen face

and knowing not your time nor placeTomorrow’s Child, though yet unborn,

I met you first last Tuesday morn.

A wise friend introduced us two,and through his shining point of view

I saw a day which you would see;A day for you, and not for me

Knowing you has changed my thinkingfor I never had an inkling

that perhaps the things I domight someday, somehow, threaten you

Tomorrow’s child, my daughter-sonI’m afraid I’ve just begun

To think of you and of your good,Though always having known I should.

Begin I will to weigh the costOf what I squander; what is lost

If ever I forget that youwill someday come to live here too.

- Suhit Anantula

“The best way to make money is to work out what people want and give it to them. It’s very hard to change what people want and, if you lie, people will see through you fast enough”.

CONSUMERS• 10% - 20% want “true green”• 50% to 60% want “light green”• 80% take “green” into account

EMPLOYEES• 90% of job applicants are

influenced by your reputation• 61% of job applicants will

ignore incomparable brands

Who is sustainability important for?

• Staff• Clients• Suppliers• You

30% of people now take the environment into account in “all or most” of their purchases.

“Major businesses throughout the UK, Europe and USA are demanding sustainability.”

What are the keys to successful

‘sustainability’ marketing?

• Define sustainability• Be sustainable• Demonstrate sustainability• Don’t “sell” sustainability• Perform

DEFINE SUSTAINABILITY‘Sustainability’ is close to meaningless in Australia

Often confused with:• ‘Ethical marketing’• ‘Green marketing’

Economy Community

Environment

sustainability

Decide what you actually mean when you talk about sustainability and focus on that meaning.

BE SUSTAINABLEGiven growing levels of transparency, ‘walking the talk’.

Social media will destroy your credibility if you fabricate your ‘sustainability’ credentials.

Adopt sustainable practices and demand the same of your suppliers.

DEMONSTRATE SUSTAINABILITYMake sustainability part of your brand and hence your behaviour – walking the talk.

1. Board 2. Senior Management 3. Middle Management 4. Lower Management 5. Staff

• Replace DM with EDM• Use recycled materials• Embrace digital media

DON’T “SELL” SUSTAINABILITY• “Bragging” equates to “green

washing”• Green washing is “death”

PERFORMIf your project does not “perform” first – it will not sell on the basis of “sustainability”.Sustainability alone is never enough.

“Successful green products have been positioned around performance first, with the environment as a secondary benefit,” he says. “If green products can be shown to have a personal benefit, they will do well, but not if the benefit is societal.”

How do we embrace ‘sustainability’

marketing?

• Product• Price• Place (Distribution)• Promotion (Communication)

PRODUCT• Address consumer demand• Satisfy accepted criteria• Be certified where possible• Perform very well

PRICE• Be competitive• Offer added value• Demonstrate tangible value

DISTRIBUTION• Reinforce ‘sustainability’• Make it as easy as possible• Make it a differentiator

COMMUNICATION• Embrace new technologies• Embrace credible sources• Win ‘awards’• Be open and honest

“Green marketing involves developing and promoting products and services that satisfy your customers’ wants and needs for quality, performance, affordable pricing and convenience without having a detrimental impact on the environment”.

Some final thoughts…

‘Sustainable’ business has been called ‘principled capitalism’ – and should be positioned as such.

The community is embracing ‘deferred responsibility’ – and want you to participate.

Sustainability is now a ‘brand differentiator’ – but will soon be a ‘consumer expectation’.

Consumers are staggeringly sceptical; ‘trust’ is exclusive – and social media can be your best friend or worst enemy.

The fact that you are on a journey does not damage credibility – so long as you are open and honest.

Avoid discussion of ‘climate change’.

“SUSTAINABILITY”Is all about delivering a better

(the best possible) quality of life.

Interface Carpets

THANK YOU(for not going to sleep)