This is the fourth post in a series on improving the environmental sustainability of marketing communications. Previously: Measurement, Part 1 and Part 2; and outline of a model. Today: Preliminary thoughts on rethinking marketing.
***
The model for maximizing the environmental sustainability of your marketing communications expands the common Reduce – Reuse – Recycle triad on both front and back ends. The three Rs assume that it suffices to reduce what you’re doing in terms of materials and energy consumed, reuse what you can, and recycle the rest. Reduce – Reuse – Recycle is limited to the quantitative aspects of your marketing program, and offers correspondingly limited impact. Only rethinking marketing altogether – quantitatively, qualitatively, and systemically – will yield the maximum possible environmental benefits.
What do I mean by rethinking marketing? Over the past 1.5+ years, I’ve attempted to sketch here on the Sustainable Marketing Blog some ways this can be done. Two larger issues stand out, out of several (future posts in the series will expand on these points).
Beyond quantity
As outlined in my post contrasting eyeballs and hearts-and-minds marketing, sustainable marketing means reaching the right people, at the right place and the right time, and with the right stuff (methods, content). In other words, focus on strategies and tactics that cultivate relationships on a permission basis, rather than playing the numbers game of trying to reach as many people as possible in hopes that some of them will buy what you’re selling. Forget quantity, go for quality.
In addition, more often than not efforts in environmental sustainability focus on improving eco efficiency, i.e. “reducing material and energy intensity of goods and services”. Eco efficiency thus takes existing products and attempts to squeeze as much out of them as possible in terms of their material and energy use.
Eco efficiency has two main drawbacks: 1) As with a tube of toothpaste, you can never reach zero; and 2) The purpose and existence of the original product remains unaffected. Thinking beyond quantity in marketing communications entails re-considering the entire structure of strategies and tools, not just material and energy intensity of the existing one. Think of the what and the how in addition to simply how much.
More importantly, thinking beyond quantity requires taking a long hard look at why you’re expending the marketing effort in the first place. What is the purpose of your marketing communications? Is it increasing sales, or is it delivering greater value to the community? Is it spending the budget or meeting the quotas, or is it satisfying the real needs of your customers? The principles of Joel Makower’s sustainable consumption conundrum extend to marcom as well.
Marketing as a system
As the graphic representation of the model for maximizing the environmental sustainability of marketing communications suggests, think of your marketing program as a closed loop, and not just from the environmental standpoint. Going through all the steps doesn’t mean your work is done. When you reach the end of the progression, it’s time to rethink again. The ultimate goal of applying the model should be net zero marketing communications.
Of course, the closed-loop model is a gross simplification. Each step contains a feedback loop of its own. And, rethinking should be a part of every stage:
- Evaluate against your purpose and goals
- Adapt to feedback and measurement
- Innovate to better fulfill the purpose and reach your goals/objectives
Systems thinking also requires viewing marketing as a triple bottom line, sustainable practice in its own right, both as a process and as a set of goals. If, in addition to the Planet bottom line, you focus on the People and Prosperity bottom lines as well as on balancing the three, you will, almost inevitably, improve your marcom’s environmental sustainability. As in any good system, the three pillars of sustainability are interconnected, interrelated, and interdependent, if not mutually reinforcing.
What’s your take? What have I missed? In what ways would you rethink marketing?
Next week: Reduce.
***
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
I think if marketing, customer service, and product/service is so awesome – then advertising isn’t even needed. Word of mouth and brand loyalty takes over, and many traditional promotional tactics aren’t needed.
That creates a lower footprint!