also implement social sustainability policies - the social aspect of ESG - to potentially improve employees ’ daily lives . For example , an organization may implement a flexible paid time-off policy to prioritize employee work-life balance over short-term profit . This type of social sustainability policy can improve employee satisfaction and reduce turnover .
Supports regulatory compliance
To launch effective sustainable marketing campaigns , business leaders should address their organizations ’ environmental and social effects . For instance , an organization can reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and voluntarily disclose its emission levels before it engages in sustainable marketing . These practices can help organizations comply with a growing number of ESG regulations .
Increases profits
In the past , many business leaders viewed sustainability initiatives as constraints to success because they can require costly upfront investments . However , sustainable practices can increase organizations ’ profits . For instance , a sustainable marketing campaign may center around an organization ’ s reduction in energy and water consumption . As organizations implement more energy-efficient technologies , appliances and processes , they can reduce overall operational costs .
The Challenges
As with many other initiatives , adopting sustainability has its risks . Some of these are universal regardless of the organization or group . Here are a few challenges marketers often face : Lack of appreciation or poor understanding of sustainability benefits by business leaders , consumers , and other stakeholders . In this case , marketers must recognize their roles as sustainability pioneers . Sustainability education isn ’ t a one-time thing ; it should be a continuous effort . Sustainability information should be reviewed , simplified , and disseminated incessantly .
Loss of profitability can also occur , especially in cases where businesses dive head-on into green initiatives without thorough testing . This sometimes happens , in a desperate bid to appeal to consumers . Marketers often have to deal with the fall out of such losses . A solution : Sustainable marketing initiatives , like regular marketing campaigns , must be tested before implementation . The delicate nature of sustainability makes this testing even more important . People may have negative associations with sustainability , believing that if a company focuses more on sustainability it is compromising on quality . Companies can combat this with proper messaging , emphasizing that quality and marketing sustainability do not need to be a trade-off .
Reputational damage is another common issue when casually adopting sustainable marketing . Remember Volkswagen ’ s ‘ Clean Diesel .’ Volkswagen had released an ad campaign to debunk that idea that diesel was bad environmentally ; the company claimed to use a technology where diesel emitted fewer pollutants . It turned out that the German car giant used highly sophisticated software to cheat in emissions tests , resulting in a $ 14.7 billion settlement - and reputational fallout . The lesson : Make sure there is foundation beneath your sustainable marketing statements .
Joe Nyutu is a Leadership , Strategy and Culture expert . You can commune with him on this or related matters via email at : Josephnyutu @ gmail . com or reach him on YouTube : joe nyutu .
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