Last Updated on May 31, 2023 by Packoi Team
In this article, you’ll learn more about the importance of sustainable marketing and how you can implement it to scale your business.
The Reason Why a Sustainable Future Matters in Business
What does sustainability have to do with your business strategy? Everything. The main reason for that is your customer. Sustainability can help you win more customers.
You see, there’s a lot of hype around the devastating destruction in our environment. And the culprit? Industries and companies. Irresponsible business practices. Exploitative methods and operations.
According to environmentalists, businesses are to be blamed for the destruction of the earth. Commercialism led businesses to use natural resources extensively – sometimes in a very exploitative manner.
With materials irresponsibly taken from forests and the whole supply chain being careless about their carbon emissions, it’s adding to the growing threat of climate change and global warming. Some experts believe that we might have gone beyond the point of no return.
That means there’s an urgency to reverse the effects of what we’ve done to the environment.
This is the message that people are getting right now. It’s shaping the buying perception of your customers. This is why your company should you pay attention to it.
At the moment, customers want to help save the environment. But they don’t have the resources or the means to make it happen. So they look to the companies that they support to see who is practicing sustainability and eco-friendly practices.
That’s where they throw their support because by doing so, they think they’re doing their part in helping the environment.
How can you take advantage of this? This is where the game-changing sustainable marketing strategy comes in.
The Truth about Sustainable Marketing
If you want to attract more customers, you need to change the direction of your marketing strategies. At some point, you might even have to change your business model.
But for now, the first step is to focus on what sustainable marketing means and how it relates to your business.
What Is Sustainable Marketing?
Sustainability refers to a system that maintains and renews a resource indefinitely. From a more environmental perspective, that means creating an ecological and economic balance that’ll allow businesses to consume natural resources without depleting them for future generations.
The idea of sustainable marketing is often confused with recyclability, reusability, etc. To understand what it is, you have to get to know what the 2 words mean.
Marketing, on the other hand, refers to the strategies that a business has to implement to create a demand for its offer.
Considering these two definitions, sustainable marketing refers to a strategy that creates, communicates, and delivers customer value in a way that preserves and enhances the resources used to produce an offer.
If you think about it, this requires a bit of innovative marketing strategy to implement. But if you can do it well, it can give your business a competitive advantage.
What Is NOT Sustainable Marketing?
If you want to implement sustainable marketing strategies, you have to forget about regular marketing methods that focus on making your company stand out. Your methods should go beyond the benefits and rewards that your business will get.
Here’s an example to explain that further.
If you’re creating sustainable packaging, for instance, you don’t just look for what your product will need. While that’s the primary concern, your focus will be bigger than the product.
You have to find a way to make your product AND sustainable message stand out. This message isn’t just about being green.
It’s about encouraging your customers to practice sustainability in their lives through your packaging. That’s what companies should try to achieve through sustainable marketing.
5 Principles of Sustainable Business Strategies
As you plan how you’ll implement your sustainable marketing plans, there are a couple of principles that you have to understand to do it correctly.
To avoid wasting your sustainability efforts, here are 5 principles that you have to consider.
It Is Customer-Oriented
Your offer will always be about your customer first. You want to contribute to having a more sustainable future but that doesn’t mean your whole business model will change.
Even if you’re converting your usual packaging into a more sustainable one, you still have to meet the needs of your packaging.
That means if the best way to economically and conveniently package your product is by using plastic, don’t change it to glass or paper packaging. Stick to plastic if that’s the best way to meet the expectations of your customers.
The challenge is finding a way to do that while reaping sustainability benefits. Research an environmentally-friendly alternative to plastic like those made of Polylactic Acid (PLA). This looks and functions like plastic but it’s made of plant starch – making it a biodegradable material.
It Offers Value
When you create an environmentally-friendly offer for your customers, you want to give them the best value possible. But the real difference between regular marketing and your new sustainability strategies is the need for continuous improvement.
Just because your customers are already happy, that doesn’t mean you should strive to impress them further.
The idea of sustainability is when your customers are happy with the value you give them, they’ll give you value in return. How?
They’ll buy from you. They’ll recommend you to others.
When they stay loyal to you because of the value you bring, that’ll make your business grow exponentially.
It Is Constantly Innovating
Innovative marketing is the key to increasing the value of your offer. You have to be consistently upgrading your knowledge about new sustainability practices that your business can adapt.
Take a look at your product’s supply chain operations. Do they have new things that you can use to improve your offer?
Keep communicating and expressing your intention to improve. That way, they’ll keep you updated on new things they’re trying out. This might even help you try out unique and innovative ideas that can make you stay ahead of your competitors.
It Has a Mission
All types of businesses have a mission. But now that you’re building your reputation as a sustainable business, you have a corporate responsibility to be more eco-friendly.
Your mission will have to be aligned with that. Otherwise, your efforts won’t be authentic.
Whether your mission is to reduce plastic waste or lower your carbon emissions and improve your carbon footprint – you need to define this carefully.
Choose a mission that you want to be associated with the brand image that you’ve built so far. Don’t just pick something that offers the biggest sustainability benefits. Choose something applicable to your supply chain. That way, you don’t have to stray too far from your usual suppliers and business partners.
You can encourage them to start the journey toward sustainability with you.
With this, your mission goes beyond your own. You can influence others to make a difference as well.
The bigger mission will allow you to steer your business towards a long-term goal that’ll benefit everyone that your offer touches – from the creation to the distribution.
It Comes With a Broad Purpose
The purpose of your business is no longer about earning more or making your customers happen.
Companies should start concerning themselves with global issues that affect society like climate change and global warming.
That’s how sustainability shapes your purpose. You have to find the balance between what your customers want at the moment, what your business requires in terms of resources, and the welfare of society and future generations.
Pick societal issues that you can address. See how you can influence the supply chain to be more sustainable so you’re all leaving a positive impact on your environment.
5 Ways to Use Your Packaging to Promote Sustainability
Marketing is about influence. You can use it to create a positive influence in the life of your customers and society as a whole. How can you influence your customers with your sustainability agenda?
Your packaging.
When your packaging is created, it increases your carbon footprint. It also consumes resources or if it’s synthetic, the chemicals used to create that harm the environment. Once that packaging is thrown after the customer opens the product, it ends up in landfills.
Can you see how much effect your packaging has on the environment? If you want your business to start fighting climate change, you have to do something about your packaging.
By making it eco-friendly, you open doors to sustainability gains like the preservation of natural resources, reduction of waste, and lower carbon footprint. Your packaging can open the eyes of your customers to all that environmental impact.
To get you started, here are 5 ways you can use your packaging so it can promote sustainability.
Make It Recyclable
When you think about sustainability, the first thing that comes to mind is recyclability. So if you want to create recyclable packaging, make sure you use recyclable materials.
To ensure sustainability, you have to adhere to the rules of the recycling facilities. Some paper packaging isn’t accepted because they’re “contaminated” by non-recyclable materials.
For instance, cardboard packaging that uses toxic ink won’t be accepted. The same is true if you use tape or labels that use toxic adhesive.
Do your research so you’ll know the right materials to use. You should also educate your customers by adding instructions on the proper way to dispose of your packaging so it ends up in the recycling facility.
Encourage Reuse
If you want to reduce plastic waste, the best way to do that is to encourage the reuse of your packaging.
That means using durable materials like rigid boxes, cardboard, glass, and metal packaging. You can use plastic but make sure it’s made of recycled materials.
That’s one way to practice sustainability in your business.
Just make sure you give customers some hints about reusing your packaging. They might not realize the potential and end up throwing it.
Consider Refillable Containers
Sustainability is about conserving our limited natural reserves. So to practice sustainability, you might want to use containers that your customers can refill.
Now, this might require a bit of systemic change in your operations. After all, you need to arrange refilling stations for your customers.
Or you can set up a collection system where your customers can drop off empty containers and they’ll get reimbursed for it.
Think of the most convenient way to help your customers apply this refilling method.
Choose Organic and Biodegradable
When choosing the materials, opt for organic and biodegradable ones, because biodegradable packaging is meaningful. That means these are the ones that won’t need to be recycled. They can decompose more quickly than plastics.
Examples of these include plant-based packaging materials like cornstarch and mushroom. There’s even seaweed packaging that you can use.
Check with the companies that you source materials from. Which of them can help you drive sustainability by supplying you with biodegradable alternatives to your current packaging?
Get It From the Right Sources
Your efforts to recycle, reuse or refill your packaging will be for nothing if your materials are being sourced irresponsibly.
This is why you have to check your supply chains. Make sure everyone across your value chain is staying true to your sustainability advocacies.
Some of them may be using sustainability claims that they can’t back up. Be wary of these.
Work only with companies that hold certifications and other proof of their efforts to be more eco-friendly in their processes.
Are You Ready to Market for A More Sustainable World? Packoi Printing Can Help Put Your Marketing Plans in Motion.
All business leaders have to recognize their role in helping create a more sustainable future for everyone. Practicing sustainability in your company is a great way to contribute to the worldwide efforts to be more environmentally friendly.
But the key to being successful in implementing sustainability is to partner with the right company. Check if they have certifications that prove they’re practicing their claims of being eco-friendly.
If you’re looking for a worthy partner in your sustainability projects, Packoi Printing is here. We provide FSC-certified packaging and are ready to supply you with forest products that are responsibly sourced.
Give us a call and let’s get started on your journey toward sustainability.
