Marketing
Developing Strong Sustainable Marketing Practices
By Alice Ngatia
Indeed , sustainable marketing is a thing . In recent years , businesses have made a deliberate effort to align their efforts towards sustainable marketing practices because it builds good public relations for the organization , its products , and services . Furthermore , adopting sustainable marketing has a positive social and environmental impact , and this creates a better perception from consumers and other stakeholders on the capability of a business as it ventures into the market .
Meeting the goals of the present and not compromising the future is what is in the mind of most businesses when thinking about sustainability . Increased competition also creates the hunger for businesses to maximize sustainable marketing approaches to remain competitive .
Think about the printing business , it is highly saturated with printers operating from spaces such as small as our backyards . While at face value , sustainability may not be top of mind for a printing press , approaching clients with solutions such as the ability to use water-based inks rather than oil-based inks in their printing process ; or proposing the use of recycled paper rather than bleached
# FREEPIK paper automatically gives an edge in what may seem like a red ocean of suppliers .
There are several ways a business can build strong , sustainable marketing practices . First and most importantly , the business must look at its processes along its entire value chain to determine areas of inefficiency or wastage . Building sustainable marketing practices involves aligning the organization with its spoken and unspoken values . Businesses must ensure that their core values , provided they are within an ethical framework , are reflected in their day-to-day actions to develop strong , sustainable business and marketing practices .
Further , maintaining transparent communication is yet another way of building sustainable marketing practices . While some businesses operate in the boundary lines of embellished and halftruths while marketing their products and services , truly sustainable companies remain transparent and humble in their communication , placing the interests of all their stakeholders ahead of the business to ensure all contradictions are resolved through continuous improvement . Over time , transparency in all practices within an organization builds trust with clients , encouraging increased sales as well as with employees in the organization , encouraging loyalty .
When it comes to the type of communication that is projected from the organization , sustainable marketing demands that communicators should adopt value-adding communication .
Have you ever found yourself bombarded by a barrage of communication messages or receiving communication that is filled with stereotypes that do not necessarily convey the reality on the ground ? It is the responsibility of forward-thinking marketers to ensure that value is not only given in the production / process value chain but also in the messages conveyed .
Care for the society , traditionally known as Corporate Social Responsibility ( CSR ) is yet another way of building strong , sustainable marketing practices . Activities that promote the welfare of the local communities or conserve the environment show the respect and care an organization has towards the ecosystem in which it operates . Sustainable marketing reflects on adopting different eco-friendly practices including minimizing waste and reducing energy consumption all designed to reduce the organization ’ s environmental impact .
While the concept of sustainable marketing is highlighted as ‘ new ’, the practices within it are simple actions that look beyond the environment to treating all stakeholders with the ethical care and respect they deserve , positively amplifying the brand even in difficult times simply because trust is established . Such is the fundamental concept behind sustainable marketing practices , all of which exist to make a business grow and become competitive .
Alice Ngatia is a Marketing and Communications Professional by Day & Personal Branding Trainer by Night . You can commune with her via email at : alice . ngatia @ gmail . com .
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