Sustainable Marketing – Part 1

Ajay Phatak
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will be able
to:
• Understand sustainability concepts and how these can be applied in
the context of marketing
• Understand greener tradeoffs
• Understand why sustainable marketing is need for this hour
• Describe sustainable marketing and how it differs from traditional
marketing.
• Discuss what is involved in creating a sustainable marketing strategy
for a business.
• Understand the need for holistic understanding of green business – not
just limited to sustainable marketing
Setting the expectation
• The classes will be interactive! More questions you pose, more
learning will happen
• After every concept that we understand, we will keep the Q&A part to
ensure that we are very clear.
• Feel free to express you perspectives and support them with reasons
• Feel free to ask clarifying questions, anytime during the session
• Sustainable marketing needs solid understanding of understanding of
sustainability concepts. I have distributed some listening material for
you and your listening and raising questions in the class is expected.
Introduction
• The changing world of Business
• Emerging constraints
• Do we need to change the way we market today to ensure that
products and services reach customers and cause minimum untoward
side effects?
• The ethical conundrum – More or better?
• Inclusive marketing – there must be something for all segments of the
market (society)
ENABLE TRANSITION
MINIMAL IMPRINT on RESOURCE & ENERGY USE

NATURE
ECONOMY
SOCIETY
SOCIETY

NATURE ECONOMY

Where we are today Where we want to be

What is sustainability?
Important parameters of sustainability
Sustainability: Key parameters
• Ecological sustainability
• Meeting basic human needs
• Intragenerational or spatial equity
• Intergenerational or temporal equity
How does each parameter relate to
marketing?
Identify contradictions if any
What is the relationship between climate
change and Sustainability?
Ecological sustainability
• Anthropocentric approach
• Nature as resource base
• How can that be used for a long-long time
• Biocentric approach
• Sustainability for all life forms
• Holistic approach
• Sustainability of the planet with all its biotic and abiotic components
Meeting human needs
• What is required for
human life?
• Roti, Kapada, Makaan
• Safety and security
• Being Part of a social
group
• Sense of pride
• Self actualization
Intragenerational or spatial equity
• Fairness in treating the current generation
• Non discrimination on all counts
• Equity in access to cultural and societal participation
• Observance of fundamental human rights
• Equal opportunities
Intergenerational equity
• Ability to pass on legacy of nature and resources to next generation
• As much as what this generation enjoys
• Rational exploitation of natural resources
Key challenges to sustainability
• Overuse of resources
• Non destructible products
• Heavy emphasis on selling physical products
• Exponential increase in energy use
• Continuous extraction of material
• Loss of habitats
• Loss of biodiversity
• Serious disturbance to the web of life
Key concepts
• Rational exploitation
• Carrying capacity
• Web of life
Key concepts

• Where do products come from

• Capital Vs. Income
• Ecosystem integrity
• Ecosystem services
• Hyperlocal and local economy
Key concepts
• Embodied energy
• Energy during product use
• Embodied water
Food delivery apps
• The china case study
• India case study
• https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1145813612247252
Discussion

• What according to you are issues in these campaigns from a

sustainability lens?
• What should the messaging address ?
• If you were to run these campaigns, how would you like to change
messaging?
• How would that impact on the existing business as also operations?