Sustainability & Green Economy

Sustainability influences purchasing decisions

It’s not just younger generations who regard aspects such as sustainability, environmental protection, and social commitment a decisive factor in purchasing decisions. This is because the boom in eco and fairtrade products is motivated by far more than mere lifestyle choices: the goal is to secure a sustainable future for humanity. End consumers therefore increasingly demand sustainability, and that applies to the entire value chain. This also includes green marketing, which should be part of every marketing strategy.

Walking the tightrope between marketing and greenwashing

For green marketing strategies to be credible, a corporate sustainability communication strategy is extremely important – both externally and internally. Transparency is key here. Considering that the target group is an extremely critical one, companies trying to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability shouldn’t play their cards close to their chest. After all, a company that has nothing to hide has no reason to withhold information and insights. If your brand is open and doesn’t shy away from dialogue, it’s in the optimum position to present its own sustainability credentials in a trustworthy manner. However, if the entire company doesn’t stand behind its sustainability principles and contribute to a green economy, marketing quickly becomes greenwashing, i.e. faking sustainability.

Sustainability through innovation

Some industries face particular challenges in switching to sustainable processes. For example, with the much-maligned fast fashion, the fashion industry is at a crossroads in terms of sustainability. The grocery delivery service market is also responding to public criticism with innovations. In Berlin, the delivery service Alpakas has made a commitment to sustainability and is focusing on unpackaged deliveries and a zero-waste strategy.

Sustainability beyond environmental protection

Sustainable business is not just limited to the environmental aspects. Creating a positive working atmosphere with purpose and flexibility is also gaining in importance. The big keyword here: new work.

The principles of new work are also reflected in the ESG criteria, which are used to assess the sustainability of specific business models and companies. These include the following aspects, which give the criteria their initialized name:

• Environment: respectful use of natural resources, a reduction in emissions, climate protection, and an increase in energy efficiency. There are opportunities for implementation, for example, in the areas of logistics, packaging, and returns management.
• Social: compliance with human rights, ensuring social standards and social commitment in the sense of corporate social responsibility (CSR).
• Governance: definition and adherence to behavioral guidelines as part of compliance and transparent communication.

Companies can win customers over by wanting to be part of a green economy, i.e., by aligning their economic activities with sustainability goals.

Sustainability as an opportunity

For brands that want to remain viable in the future, there’s hardly any way around sustainability and the green economy. After all, sustainability is increasingly influencing people’s purchasing behavior. Companies can take advantage of this change in thinking: businesses that demonstrate the right attitude and operate sustainably are not only doing good for the environment, but are also strengthening their relationship with their customers. An appropriate marketing concept is crucial for sustainability to bring about this two-fold success. Sustainable marketing can only succeed if brands present themselves authentically, transparently, and are credible in their commitment.