The Role of Marketers in Creating a Sustainable Future

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Productivity is the biggest economic issue for the developed world. As costs continue to rise, people find it harder to maintain their desired standard of living, let alone achieve the lifestyle they aspire to.

Economists emphasize that increasing value from the existing workforce and natural resources is the key to breaking out of this cycle. Interestingly, this is also the solution to combat over-consumption, or rather over-production, which leads to waste, pollution, and the greenhouse gases that worsen the climate crisis.

Creating more value with less stuff is the key to both challenges. This can be achieved through offering services or rentals when needed, reducing costs of ownership through better utilization and multiple uses, and utilizing repairable, renewable, and regenerative materials in design. This concept of circular living is promoted by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme), a global NGO.

The advertising industry has a crucial role to play in accelerating the transition to a more productive and sustainable economy. By harnessing the persuasive powers of marketing and advertising, the industry can frame, explain, and create desire for more sustainable choices among consumers.

Introducing 'Sustainable Advertising'! In our new book with the same title, we are encouraging everyone in the industry to join us in signing a straightforward manifesto to do their part.

Why is this important now? The reason is quite simple - there is a pressing need for significant action. We are convinced that businesses will be the ones driving the necessary changes, and the key questions to consider are: who will be at the helm, and will they be a positive force for good?

Our vision is to create an industry that drives the demand for sustainable products and services, while also transforming its own practices and attracting top talent.

It is essential for marketers to play a key role in promoting the advertising industry's commitment to sustainability.

We have decades of experience in the world of marketing and advertising, which is where our solutions come from. We understand what works and what doesn't based on our own experiences. While we don't claim that marketing and advertising are the only solutions, we do believe they can make a significant impact when used effectively. It will require effort from people from all walks of life to make a difference, and we leave other professions to those more qualified in those areas.

We are also looking back at the first three years of Ad Net Zero, a cross-sector initiative aimed at tackling the climate emergency in a practical and systematic way. Thanks to the support of hundreds of companies and trade bodies worldwide, new tools and measurement frameworks have been developed to help businesses reduce their carbon footprint and contribute positively to the green economy. These resources are already being utilized, with more innovations on the horizon.

We also explore the essential elements needed to bring about lasting changes in behavior. Our research highlights the importance of using aspirational and emotional appeals to achieve more effective outcomes. By emphasizing the personal benefits of a product or service to the customer and their loved ones, we can encourage sustainable behavior. The key principles of successful behavior change campaigns remain the same: make sustainable choices easy, accessible, socially desirable, and timely. Pressuring people to make choices solely for the "right reasons" could hinder progress in building a sustainable economy.

For instance, consider Ebay's collaboration with ITV's Love Island, and Hellmann's 'Cook Clever, Waste Less' campaign with Channel 4. These partnerships focus on promoting individuality and saving money, respectively, while also encouraging behavior changes that support sustainability. Even incorporating more sustainable lifestyles into the storyline of an advertisement for a different product can help normalize environmentally-friendly behaviors.

Marketers play a crucial role in promoting sustainability in the advertising industry. It is important for us to be climate literate, avoid greenwashing, and encourage our businesses and suppliers to set carbon reduction and net zero targets. By holding each other accountable for progress, we can make a positive impact on the future.

"Sustainable Advertising: How Advertising Can Support A Better Future" by Matt Bourn and Sebastian Munden is now available for purchase through Kogan Page.

Editor's P/S:

The article highlights the urgent need for a shift towards a more sustainable economy, emphasizing the critical role advertising plays in driving consumer behavior and promoting eco-friendly choices. By harnessing the persuasive power of marketing and advertising, the industry can frame, explain, and create desire for more sustainable products and services among consumers.

The authors propose a "Sustainable Advertising" manifesto, encouraging industry professionals to join them in promoting sustainability. They emphasize the importance of using aspirational and emotional appeals to achieve more effective outcomes, highlighting the personal benefits of sustainable choices to customers and their loved ones. By making sustainable choices easy, accessible, socially desirable, and timely, marketers can contribute to lasting behavior changes and build a more sustainable economy.. Marketers can play a key role in promoting circular living by highlighting its benefits and making sustainable choices easy, accessible, and socially desirable. By embracing sustainable advertising, the industry can become a positive force for good, driving demand for eco-friendly products and services while attracting top talent and transforming its own practices.