industryopinion
Marketing needs to get serious about sustainability
Alison Dodd, Chief Strategy Officer at Revere Agency F
or a while, the global impact of climate change felt fast moving, yet far away. Now, sustainability is speeding up the boardroom agenda as companies join the race to net zero. Organisations are
expected to actively contribute to driving significant global change through their policies, practices, products and partners. Sustainability is a serious business. Key to this is the need to take sustainability out of the CSR folder
it once lived in. Businesses must be seen to act responsibly, across the IT channel, with technology services and solutions that reduce environmental impact – and help their customers to do the same. This call to act now is being driven by business regulators, investors,
stakeholders and customers who are pushing for transparency and change. Vendors and partners must respond with shared sustainability ambitions, and each must live up to their promises with genuine intentions. That’s not as easy as it sounds. While faced with the pressing need to
reduce and reverse the devastating effects of climate change, businesses are also dealing with the small matter of survival during an economic crisis. This could realistically knock sustainability back down the list of priorities – or relegate it to a token PR or branding exercise that quickly (and openly) leads to mistrust.
Marketing takes the lead As customer perspectives and behaviours change, sustainability is becoming critical to decision-making. Buyers are more aware of the potential effects of climate change and the environmental accountability of their investments. With partner marketers best placed to understand and engage these end customers, they’re in the strongest position to lead the mission on sustainability. Right now, it doesn’t sit naturally with any existing function or
team. Yet, for sustainability to remain a core pillar of the business, with purpose-driven decisions that fly (and land), it must be owned and carefully managed. Who better than marketing to address what matters most to customers by pushing for sustainable change – and communicating the upsides back to the business?
Easier does it From the fear of backlash through to a lack of official ownership, resource or clear purpose, it’s no surprise that many marketers have yet to step up to the sustainability plate. Yet, with climate change leaders stressing that we’re running out of time
18 | October 2022
to effect major change, we must make it easier to address the green elephant in the boardroom. These are my 5 tips to help you and your mission marketers get seriously stuck into addressing sustainability on your side of the channel:
1. Define your plan It’s critical to be clear on your sustainable business strategy – articulate where you stand on climate issues, your priorities, and how you can drive positive change. Understand the theory and then apply the practical with marketing actions and metrics. It’s also worth remembering that, while sustainability may become a competitive advantage, it shouldn’t drive your initiative.
2. Keep sustainability front of mind The role of marketing is increasingly to bring functions together, so look to increase visibility, advocacy, and guidance with leadership and the wider business. Start by gathering evidence of customer concerns and achievable improvements, plus the sustainable mindset and behaviours you must adopt.
3.Think longer-term Sustainability isn’t a tick-box exercise and it shouldn’t be treated as a separate marketing campaign. Approach it as an ongoing purpose- driven programme that underpins all other channel marketing activity. However, you should take action early on and start sharing the added benefits of making good choices.
4. Act first and communicate later It’s critical to be open and transparent about your sustainable operations and partner ecosystem. If you’re able to show how your actions are helping people change the world, tell that story. If there’s not much to say right now, then don’t put a green spin on it for the sake of your sustainability credentials.
5. Address the disconnect How do you support a sustainability agenda while delivering growth? Serve the needs of your business and drive customer demand by linking product and purpose; sustainable choices that solve everyday challenges. Remember to keep it real with clear sales enablement, so teams can easily articulate your authentic story to deepen relationships.
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