Sustainable Marketing Has an Authenticity Issue

Not so long ago, sustainable products were fringe offerings and barely a blip on the radar of mainstream consumers. However, over the last several years as issues like climate change and renewable energy have come to the forefront of public and political discourse, the demand for green products has exploded.

Not only do consumers – and especially younger consumers – prefer sustainable brands, but they are willing to pay a premium for them.

A 2024 survey by PWC found that 80% of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable goods. Far from being an outlier, those findings mirrored a 2024 report by PDI Technologies that found “80% of consumers are very or somewhat concerned about the environmental impact of the products they buy.” That number represents a 12% increase from the previous year. 

Legacy brands have suddenly found themselves in the midst of aggressive sustainability initiatives. Every major retailer from Amazon to Target has invested heavily not only in carrying green products but in aligning their brand with the movement. 

Not surprisingly, the growing demand for green has companies seeing, well, green. It has also given rise to sustainable marketing, not to mention its lesser cousin greenwashing.

Understanding Sustainable Marketing

Sustainable marketing goes beyond merely promoting eco-friendly products (a common misconception). It’s a critical part of incorporating environmental and social responsibility into your business practices. Put another way, it aims to create, communicate and deliver value in ways that meet the needs of today’s consumers and plans for long-term value and consistent growth with:

• A purposeful balance of business goals and environmental impact
• Positive contributions to the marketplace
• Transparency around products, services and operations

Greenwashing

Marketers rightfully get a bad rap for a history of suspect behavior. We like to say salespeople are BS artists, but nobody loves a good story or overblown hyperbole more than a marketer. That makes sustainability a playground for what’s known as greenwashing, where companies exaggerate or completely fabricate their green credentials. 

Sometimes greenwashing is done with carefully crafted but ambiguous wording like “eco-friendly” and “natural.” These are the descendants of other glib advertising phrases from bygone days (looking at you, space-age technology, heart-healthy and scientifically proven). Other times greenwashing is done through design and images – lots of greens and blues, and trees and seas.

Purposely misleading or opaque, greenwashing causes mistrust among consumers and undermines genuine sustainability efforts. Because the number of brands engaged in greenwashing exceeds those doing right by the environment, true sustainable marketing requires a high level of authenticity. 

Is Sustainable Marketing in Your DNA?

Sustainable marketing isn’t a strategy to employ, like ABM or social media marketing. Nor is it a tactic to A/B test. It’s not a matter of want, it’s a matter of identity. For the companies that do sustainable marketing well, it’s truly a part of their DNA. It is written into their mission, it is a focal point of their core values and it guides most if not all of their business decisions.

Patagonia and Tom’s of Maine are two high-profile examples of companies where sustainable marketing is just an extension of their story. It would be impossible to talk about either brand without introducing its mission or its impact on the planet and its people.

If sustainability matters to you, make it a part of your company, not just your story. One of our clients, Crosby Hops, wanted to make sustainability a focal point of their business model. In doing so, they set out on the challenging journey to become B Corp. certified while also achieving GLOBALG.A.P. and Salmon-Safe certifications. 

They not only talk the talk but they also walk the walk, continually reducing their impact on the environment by working toward energy independence, diverting waste from landfills and offsetting emissions. 

Another client, Leigh Fibers, wanted to make sustainability a bigger part of their story, having produced recycled fibers for over 100 years. They were green before the term existed but never really talked about it. As they began a new chapter in their history, they brought their sustainability heritage to light not with words alone but also by highlighting their work with companies like Honda and Smartwool on circular solutions.

How To Make Sustainability a Part of Your Story

Not every business has the ability to fully embrace sustainability. It can be an incredible investment of time, money and resources. Fortunately, you don’t have to go all in. It can be incremental, and every little bit helps. There are lots of choices we can make as individuals and companies to advance our sustainability stories, including the products we buy and the companies we work with. 

Crosby Hops tells customers that the easiest way to be more sustainable is to work with sustainable partners. Their success becomes yours – and ours. If you can’t be energy independent, work with a vendor that is. Buy recycled uniforms. Choose products that use recycled packaging. There are easy ways to make an impact. The more sustainable choices you make, the more they can become part of your story.

We often talk about sustainability marketing as a strategy for selling products and services. However, the growing demand for sustainable businesses goes beyond that to include recruiting and retaining talent. Increasingly, workers – especially millennials and Gen Z – expect potential employers to be mission-driven and environmentally conscious. And they will choose workplaces that show a commitment to the future of the planet and its people.