What is sustainable marketing? Your comprehensive guide

“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it. Without environmental sustainability, economic stability and social cohesion cannot be achieved.” – Robert Swan, Explorer and public figure

While the Industrial Revolution brought a lot of technological and economic progress, it also set in motion a series of challenges we still face today, including resource depletion, pollution, and climate change.

The ethos of sustainable marketing originated in the 70s when people started to become more environmentally aware. In the 90s, companies began to adopt corporate social responsibility frameworks, and in current times, sustainable marketing has become a mainstream focus.

Sustainable marketing definition

Sustainable marketing refers to strategies aimed at helping the planet, people, and the economy. It's all about the products, services, and ethical practices that meet modern needs and are good for consumers, but also reduce the harm to the planet and safeguard the future at the same time. It focuses on long-term goals, not quick wins.

Importance of marketing sustainability

Deloitte research found that 45% of CMOs saw environmental sustainability as crucial to the long-term success of their company, 38% saw its importance but there are other ways to succeed as well, and 15% said it’s not important at all.

However, considering that a massive 82% of consumers have sustainability at the top of their minds, more so now than before the pandemic – with 78% also saying that businesses should help to fight climate change – not addressing this topic would be a disservice.

“People don’t expect brands to become perfect stewards overnight, but they want to learn about what you’re doing to improve sustainability now. That way, they can see more clearly how choosing your brand might make a difference.” – Kim McNamee and Jenny Fernadez, Think with Google

By investing in sustainable practices, you’ll also be able to:

Grow brand loyalty: As more and more consumers want businesses to prioritize sustainability, you’re more likely to build trust if you do this, as well as increase loyalty and retention.
Gain a competitive edge: If you invest in sustainability and your competitors don’t, consumers who are mindful of this topic (and, as we’ve seen, that number is quite high) will probably choose you instead.
Save money: Not only can you help the environment but also reduce costs at the same time. For example, cutting down waste or using renewable energy can lead to a lot of money saved in the long run.
Comply with regulations: With climate change a huge priority for governments worldwide (e.g., the European Union aims to become carbon neutral by 2050), there’ll be stricter regulations in the future – by being sustainable, you’re future-proofing your org since you’ll be better positioned to comply with both existing and new rules.

How CMOs can lead on sustainability

A crucial element of sustainable marketing is to educate customers about the environmental and social impacts of their purchases. CMOs can also encourage more mindful/sustainable buying by promoting the value of sustainability instead of just the materialistic side.

The focus should be internal too, not just external. For example, a Deloitte survey of over 1,000 CMOs showed that brands were “concentrating their efforts on shoring up their own internal sustainability practices as opposed to focusing externally on influencing customer behavior”.

Their top three priorities were to:

Improve sustainability of internal practices,
Promote more sustainable products, and
Establish long-term sustainability commitments.

Some elements of sustainable marketing you’ll want to consider to lead on this front include:

Green products and services

It goes without saying that eco-friendly products, like biodegradable packaging and use of renewable or recycled materials, are a crucial part of sustainable marketing – and so is trying to reduce the use of plastic as much as possible.

Transparent communication

It’s important that you’re clear and honest about your environmental efforts; this means avoiding greenwashing (a.k.a., not making false or exaggerated claims about your green practices).

“While often unintentional, the consequence of misinformation, greenwashing and purpose-washing can scale from being marginally to critically devastating depending on the associated footprint and brainprint.” – Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership

There are many examples of companies greenwashing to sound more environmentally-friendly than they are which, when found out, can harm their reputation.

For example, Keurig said their single-use plastic coffee pods could be easily and widely recycled, which simply wasn’t true, resulting in tons of plastic in landfills. The company was fined US$3 million for the false claim.

This is all about addressing social causes like equity, diversity, and community development, as well as supporting fair wages, labor rights, and local communities.

Lifecycle marketing

This means taking into account the whole lifecycle of the product, from production to disposal. Does it take a lot of resources to create? Is it single-use plastic? By considering this, you're helping to keep every stage of the marketing journey as environmentally friendly and sustainable as possible.

Ethical sourcing/production

Make sure your products are not just made with ethically sourced materials but that they’re also created with fair labor practices. And, of course, to be a leader in sustainable marketing, it’s vital you reduce waste and emissions during the production process.

Long-term vision

Short-term gains, such as sales and profits, shouldn’t be the only focus. By focusing on creating value in the long-term, including social and environmental benefits, you’re making your marketing more sustainable.

For example, by 2032, LEGO wants their products to be made “from materials that are renewable and recycled” and, in 2025, they aim to double “their annual spend [on environmental initiatives] compared to 2023”. The CEO of LEGO also said that, by 2026, more than half their resin will be sustainably sourced.

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Partnerships

When you collaborate or partner with other organizations, make sure they share the same values and focus on sustainability.

Monitor and improve

Part of a more sustainable marketing practice is to continuously measure and improve your green efforts, as well as track metrics like carbon footprint, waste reduction, and supply chain impact.

Circular economy

Perhaps one of the most popular examples of sustainability, as it focuses on designing products for durability, repairability, and recyclability. The old Reduce, Recycle, Reuse initiative.

Consumer trends in sustainable marketing

More and more people are increasingly environmentally-conscious, demanding sustainable products and ethically sourced materials. An example is Gen Z and Millennials – a Deloitte survey found that 60% of people from these generations are more inclined to spend extra on eco-friendly products and services.

40% of people from both generations have also left or plan to leave their jobs if their employers don’t take sustainability seriously. This really showcases the importance people place on environmental responsibility.

Many consumers are also more minimalist than ever, as a result of mindful purchasing. Trends like “underconsumption core” on TikTok, for example, encourage people to only buy what they need, and some people are even doing a “no buy 2025” challenge, where they avoid non-essential purchases.

@simplyshellaby NO BUY 2025!!! #nobuyyear #nobuychallenge #nobuy2025 #underconsumptioncore #underconsumption #nobuyyearrules ♬ original sound - simplyshellaby

So, CMOs who can embrace simplicity may also stand out from the crowd and increase engagement with their audience.

We talked about transparency in this article already, and we’ve mentioned it again for good reason: customers are valuing it more and more. According to Forbes, “94% of consumers are more likely to be loyal to a brand that’s completely transparent”, which is also beneficial to your org.

Challenges in sustainable marketing

While many CMOs and orgs may want to head in a more sustainable direction, they may face some challenges on the way.

Balancing profit with sustainability: You may find it difficult to implement green practices if they clash with your budget, such as a higher cost of eco-friendly materials or changing to a greener, but more expensive, supply chain.
Consumer skepticism: Many consumers don’t believe the claims companies make about sustainability, mainly due to greenwashing. So, CMOs must work hard to not only gain but also maintain trust with their audience.
Measuring impact: Another challenge is quantifying the impact of your green practices, which makes it harder for CMOs to prove their effectiveness to consumers.

Patagonia as a shining example of sustainable marketing

If you want an example of a company doing everything they can to ensure sustainability, look no further than Patagonia, a provider of outdoor clothing and gear.

First of all, they create environmentally-friendly products, from using recycled materials to pioneering eco-friendly tech. Patagonia highlights this focus in their marketing without overhyping or exaggerating claims (meaning they avoid greenwashing).

It’s worth mentioning their mission as well. Patagonia believes that “We’re in business to save our home planet.” This is reflected in their marketing strategy, from openly sharing the challenges they face in sustainability and the progress they’re making to not shying away from activism.

In fact, Patagonia has previously sued the U.S. government over public land protections. Not only this, but the company is also responsible for creating the infamous, “Don’t buy this jacket” campaign, which challenged people to rethink their consumption habits.

They also contribute money to sustainable causes, as you can find on their website:

“Since 1985, Patagonia has pledged 1% of sales to the preservation and restoration of the natural environment. We've awarded over $140 million in cash and in-kind donations to domestic and international grassroots environmental groups making a difference in their local communities. In 2002, founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, and Craig Mathews, owner of Blue Ribbon Flies, created a non-profit corporation to encourage other businesses to do the same.”

Their Worn Wear initiative encourages people to repair and reuse their clothes instead of buying new – the marketing tactics for this program are focused on extending the life of the products and reducing waste.

We mentioned above how educating customers was important, and this is something that Patagonia takes seriously as well. They’ve produced documentaries, blogs, and social content to keep people informed on crucial environmental issues; for instance, their film Artifishal, which aims to raise awareness about the impact of fish farming.

Patagonia partners with like-minded people and orgs as well, which helps them to amplify their message and reach.

Something that takes Patagonia to another level of sustainability is the decision they made in 2022, where Yvon Chouinard, the founder, announced that the company had been donated to a trust that oversees their environmental mission and values.

“Here’s how it works: 100% of the company’s voting stock transfers to the Patagonia Purpose Trust, created to protect the company’s values; and 100% of the nonvoting stock had been given to the Holdfast Collective, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting the environmental crisis and defending nature. The funding will come from Patagonia: Each year, the money we make after reinvesting in the business will be distributed as a dividend to help fight the crisis.”

In essence, the Patagonia Purpose Trust holds 2% of their stock and all voting rights, and the Holdfast Collecting owns the other 98% and receives the annual profits to fund environmental initiatives and advocacy.

This makes Patagonia the first major corporation to take such a huge action with the planet in mind.

Of course, all of this helps Patagonia's marketing:

It differentiates them from other orgs and sets them as pioneers in ethical business.
Creates a compelling narrative for storytelling across campaigns, blogs, social media, etc.
Ensures customer loyalty by aligning with the values of eco-conscious consumers.

In short

As consumers increasingly prioritize eco-friendly brands and social responsibility, CMOs must align their marketing strategies to match these expectations.

And by implementing sustainability into every facet of your company – from product design and messaging to partnerships and materials – you can more easily create a lasting impact on both your bottom line and also the planet.

For conversations with CMOs about many topics, including sustainability, tune in to our CMO Convo podcast, where we interview leaders from top global companies, and get their insights, opinions, and tips.