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A Forecast on The Future of Sustainability Marketing

In the contemporary business environment, consumers are expecting organizations to offer products which are been produced through green processes and thus sustainable. According to Rosemeier (2015), a focus has shifted from the traditional ecological, green, and sustainable marketing to sustainability marketing. Organizations have started incorporating environmentally friendly policies and decisions into the advertisement campaigns about their products. Notably, organizations have been for long criticized for not only high wastes and price markups, but also misleading advertisements (Seretny & Seretny, 2012). As such, the aim of sustainability marketing is to ensure that organizations promote, sell, and distribute products or services in such a manner that educates the consumers about the benefits of valuing economic, human, and natural capital (Rosemeier, 2015). To ensure that organizations resonate with the increasingly conscious customers about the environment, sustainable marketing practices have been deployed. Although sustainability marketing is a new field, in the future, it is likely to be positive for the consumers and negative for the companies/business organizations. In specific, through sustainability marketing, customers will have a high awareness of the importance of purchasing products made from green processes (Trivedi, Trivedi, & Goswami, 2018). However, business companies will find it hard to continue to keep up with the high costs of marketing sustainability. This paper aims at providing a forecast on the future of sustainability marketing establishing in terms of whether it will be positive or negative. This forecast will be on companies and consumers as well as the environment, and will be pegged on the principles of innovative marketing, societal marketing, and consumer-oriented marketing. Finally, this paper will provide practical and constructive changes which can be made to the field of sustainability marketing.

Sustainability Marketing Defined

Sustainability marketing is a phrase containing two words which are fundamentally meant to collide. In specific, whereas marketing seeks to increase sales and ensure constant growth of organizations, sustainability aims at decreasing the consumption and transforming society from one that focuses on not only on its future, but also the future of subsequent generations (Rosemeier, 2015). As such, sustainability marketing seeks to bridge the differences between conventional marketing and sustainability. Sustainability has been defined as the act of meeting the needs of the present without compromising on the ability of future generations to also meet their own needs (Kumar et al., 2012).  Marketing has transformed from the traditional aspect to ecological marketing, green marketing, greener marketing, sustainable marketing, and finally to sustainability marketing. According to Seretny and Seretny (2012), sustainability marketing is that process used in the creation, communication, and delivery of value to the customers in such a way that both the natural and human capital are not only preserved but also enhanced. However, Rakic and Rakic (2015) state that sustainability marketing is the act of planning and organizing as well as implementing and controlling the marketing resources and programs so that the wants and needs of consumers can be satisfied while also making special consideration to the social and environmental criteria and also meeting the objectives of the business organization. The aim of sustainability marketing is to communicate and motivate customers to adopt sustainable products and also acknowledge the purchase and consumption of such products as the standard purchasing behavior (Thomas, 2017).

The practice of sustainability marketing recognizes three major dynamics involved in the business environment; economic viability, environmental protection, and social equity (Trivedi, Trivedi, & Goswami, 2018). Notably, business organizations will need to ensure that they make profits even when they adopt sustainable means of production and distribution. However, they have to ensure that the products that they offer to society do not threaten the existence of future generations. Moreover, it is vital for both organizations and customers to respectively adopt business and consumptive practices which ensure the protection of the environment. It is vital to note the difference from the traditional marketing practices and sustainability marketing. In specific, according to Rosemeier (2015), whereas traditional green marketing seeks to address environmental issues and promote pollution reductions, sustainability marketing balances the traditional economic theory with the making of maximum profits. Sustainability marketing is adopted by organizations to educate and advise customers about the importance of having a long-term change to their behaviors. Just as other areas of sustainability, the marketing of sustainability is pegged on the sustainable development principle. Additionally, Seretny and Seretny (2012) posit that the dynamic of social equity which underlies sustainability marketing focuses on ensuring business practices which address the issues which occasion social inequalities. In this case, business organizations have to adopt practices which are favorable to the communities as well as in tandem with their social responsibilities. Some examples of contemporary sustainability marketing practices include the labelling of foods, campaigns against excessive alcohol intake, and the effects of smoking on peoples’ health (Villarino & Font, 2015). The fact that sustainability marketing is a new field makes sit vital to forecast how the future will be and thus prepare different segments of society.

The Future of Sustainability Marketing

To forecast on the future of sustainability marketing, it is vital to establish the various parties who will be affected by the concept. In specific, sustainability marketing will have massive impacts on the environment, business organizations, and consumers (Kumar et al., 2012). For both the environment and the consumers, sustainability marketing will positive in the future; however, it will be negative for business organizations. In specific, the future of sustainability marketing for both the social and natural environment will be positive. The societal marketing principles assert that in making their decisions, companies should be guided by the needs and the long-term interests of their consumers and those of the society. Sustainability marketing ensures a cleaner natural environment. Additionally, Rosemeier (2015) asserts that it makes sure that the social environment benefits considering that only products which do not have detrimental effects on the health and well-being of individuals are produced and purchased. Through sustainability marketing, it is likely that in the future there will be reduced pollution and environmental degradation. Only green products will be manufactured and marketed and thus high benefits to consumers. Thomas (2017) posits that since the aim of sustainability marketing is to promote sustainable production and consumption patterns. Consumers will thus be equipped with more information about products and thus make informed decisions. Although sustainability marketing seems new at the moment, in the future, it will be popular and lead to the adoption of various business practices which will seek to align with the needs and demands of the environmentally conscious customers for a clean natural environment and a healthy social environment (Seretny & Seretny, 2012). The positivity of sustainability marketing for the environment in the future is evidenced by the manner in which sustainable practices will be adopted by both the consumers and business organizations.

Sustainability marketing, in the future, will be positive for the consumers who will be better informed and thus make better purchase and consumption decisions. Notably, in the views of Trivedi, Trivedi, and Goswami (2018), consumer advocates have sought to ensure that consumers are well informed about the products that they purchase including their benefits and limitations and thus be protected from any questionable and unhealthy products. Additionally, through the decisions that they make, consumers will influence the products which are produced as well as the marketing practices adopted and thus result in improved product quality. Consumers will benefit from sustainability marketing as they will be provided with products which are of high quality and ones which meet the standards of sustainability. Notably, Villarino, and Font (2015) assert that consumers will force organizations to follow the principle of environmentalism which provides that sustainability should be adopted to prevent pollution, production stewardship, and the elimination of any adverse effects in the entirety of the product lifecycle. The application of innovative technologies and the deployment of various sustainability visions in the future will make sustainability marketing beneficial and thus positive for the consumers (Kumar et al., 2012). Although organizations might be forced to increase the costs of products so that they can cover the costs associated with the alignment of their production processes to sustainability, they will eventually have to absorb the costs to become competitive in the market (Rosemeier, 2015). While consumers will be deprived of the cheap unsustainable products, they will find the health benefits of sustainability marketing more important. Consumers, just as the environment, will be one of the greatest beneficiaries of sustainability marketing in the future.

Profit and non-profit organizations are the only parties which will find sustainability marketing to be negative in the future. Notably, the organizations will have an increased burden in terms of costs to create and increase awareness of the consumers about the importance of purchasing environmentally friendly products (Thomas, 2017). Sustainability marketing will present both positive and negative impacts on business organizations in the future. Although it will be instrumental in marketing the products of some organizations who have adopted green technologies in production and distribution, it will be detrimental to organizations which are yet to adopt sustainable practices in their manufacturing of products. Additionally, the costs of sustainability marketing in the future will be huge for organizations. In specific, Rosemeier (2015) opines that with the likely passage of various legal frameworks to make it imperative for organizations to engage in sustainability marketing, the costs of advertising will be huge as well as the associated costs of using green technologies in the production and distribution of products. Although the traditional aim of businesses is to make profits by ensuring that the means of production are cheap, the use of sustainable means of production will increase the costs of production and distribution (Efthymios et al., 2016). To avoid losing customers of the organizations will have to absorb the increased costs which will eat into their profits. Kumar et al. (2012) assert that the imperative nature of sustainability marketing in the future will be a burden to business organizations as it will increase their advertisement costs and decrease their profit margins. As a result, sustainability marketing will be an encumbrance to organizations and thus negative in the future.

Recommended Changes to The Field of Sustainability Marketing

After the analysis of whether the future of sustainability marketing will be positive or negative, it has been established that various factors exist in the field which will make the area pose some negative impacts in the future. Some of the negatives will be realized by the customers in terms of increased costs of products as well as the business organizations which will have to cushion the costs of increased customer awareness and product labeling (Trivedi, Trivedi, & Goswami, 2018). To ensure that sustainability marketing is a success in the future, the following changes should be made:

• Balancing of the Need of Sustainability with The Business Goal of Profitability

Marketing sustainability in the future faces the threat to the high costs required in enforcement and implementation. Such costs will be incurred in sustainability marketing initiatives by businesses such as those in the creation of customer awareness through advertisements and product labeling (Kumar, Rahman, Z., & Kazmi, 2013). A need arises, therefore, for the key stakeholders of the sustainability marketing concept to devise ways in which they can strike a tradeoff between the costs of marketing sustainability and the need for the businesses to have practical profit margins. Business organizations will not dissert their primary goal which is to make profits and focus only on ensuring sustainable products and practices (Thomas, 2017). As such, the establishment of a balance between the sustainability marketing and the profit margins of organizations will ensure the success of sustainability marketing in the future. However, Villarino and Font (2015) warn that if sustainability and profitability continue to advance in contrasting directions, then the future will be negative for the concept. Business organizations need to be sure that although they will incur extra costs in adopting sustainability marketing as a key trend, they will eventually make profits out of the practice.

• Adopt Cross-Functional Teams on Sustainability Marketing

The aspects of sustainability marketing should not be done by some business organizations in isolation of others. Trivedi, Trivedi, and Goswami (2018) caution that if sustainability marketing is to succeed in the future, it will have to involve al major stakeholders cross-functioning and inter-collaborating to achieve synergies which can make the exercise effective. The interaction of firms will create various advantages and synergies which can then be used in ensuring that the green practices are marketed to the consumers (Villarino & Font, 2015). Innovative methods will need to be devised and used by all organizations so that the primary goal of marketing sustainability which is to create consumer awareness can be attained. Notably, it has been established from the analysis of the future of sustainability marketing that one of the greatest impediments is the costs associated with realizing the aspect as well as adopting green marketing strategies (Kumar, Rahman, and Kazmi, 2013). However, the adoption of cross-functional teams can lead to cross-functional development and the easier implementation of sustainability marketing in the production, distribution, and marketing of products.

• Use Sustainability as A Marketing Strategy

            Some of the business organizations have deemed sustainability marketing to be a source of extra costs to their organizations and thus a reducer of their profit margins. However, Seretny and Seretny (2012) are certain that in the future, such a mentality will need to change. The organizations will need to embrace sustainability marketing and use it as one of their marketing strategies. In specific, according to Rajeev et al. (2012), they should ensure that; via the promotion of green practices and the provision of information about the sustainability to the consumers, they end up gaining various benefits to their products. Business organizations should find ways in which they can embed sustainability marketing to their core marketing strategies (Villarino & Font, 2015). They do not need to use the concept in isolation of the other strategies that they use to popularize their brands and increase customer awareness. They should, in the future, ensure that the sustainability marketing becomes a source of increased sales and profitability as opposed to an encumbrance to their smooth operations.

• Focus on Customer Demands

In the present, customers are gaining increased awareness of the products that they want and their purchasing behaviors are being determined by whether the production processes and distribution mechanisms are based on sustainable methods. In the future, it is expected that the business environment will be more customer oriented and the customers will even be more sensitive to the environmental and social responsibility aspects. As such, Seretny, and Seretny (2012) recommend that one of the changes in the field of sustainability marketing is that organizations need to start making proper analysis of the sustainability requirements and demands from the consumers (Kumar, Rahman, & Kazmi, 2013). The products that business organizations offer in the future should be pegged on the level of environmental friendliness and the ability of such products to be socially responsible to the consumer needs. One of the strategies which should be deployed by businesses to ensure proper adherence to the principles of sustainability marketing includes product lifecycle management (PLM). According to Trivedi, Trivedi, and Goswami (2018), deploying PLM will ensure that the operational benefits of organizations are huge whereas the costs of production will be reduced while also ensuring that the sustainability needs of the end consumers are met.

In conclusion, sustainability marketing is a process for promotion and green practices and the increment in customers awareness through advertisements and food labeling. In the contemporary market, customers are increasingly becoming aware of and sensitive to the need for the manufacture and use of environmentally friendly products. Sustainability marketing seeks to educate consumers and advise them to use sustainable products. In the future, sustainability marketing will be positive for the environment and the consumers. However, it will present various adverse effects on business organizations. Whereas the environment will be saved from pollution and degradation due to sustainability marketing, the consumers will enjoy products which do not adversely affect their health and wellbeing. However, business organizations will have to grapple with increased costs of sustainability marketing such as those involved in product labeling, advertisements, and other methods of increased customer awareness. Additionally, the costs of adopting green technologies in the manufacture and distribution of products will be negative on the part of business organizations. However, various changes can be made in the field of sustainability marketing to ensure that it becomes successful in the future. One of those is striking a balance between the need to practice sustainability marketing and also make profits. Additionally, cross-functional teams should be formed to ensure collaboration in the quest to realize the aspirations of sustainability marketing. Organizations should deploy various mechanisms to ensure that they use sustainability marketing as a marketing strategy as opposed to an impediment to their increased profit margins.