One of the main reasons marketing fascinates me is that it has the ability to shape and change the society. Although companies use marketers to improve sales figures and profits, messages conveyed in their advertisements and their marketing campaign can heavily influence consumers’ values.
In the past few years, the emergence on the idea of sustainability has surfaced not only in the consumers’ world, but it has also been a significant topic in the corporate world. Companies are now beginning to focus on creating sustainable products and on establishing marketing strategies. Staples Advantage Canada, a business to business division of Staples has recently partnered with Evergreen to help green schools and communities across the country. Their promise is with every sale Staples’ Sustainable Earth Brand remanufactured toners, $1 is donated to Evergreen in assistant to the environmental effort.
As mentioned in Jennifer Chin’s blog, consumers are values and views on ethics are changing towards the notion of sustainability. Staples of consumers have expressed desires to purchase eco-friendly and sustainable products. With growing demand, business have been responding well to this change. Many companies have incorporated corporate responsibility into their growth strategies and has focused on sustainable development. However, I think consumers should not blindly support any organization solely based on a specific sustainable campaign without researching in the cause. Because of the trend towards sustainability, some companies have manipulated the idea to improve their sales and profits. In my opinion, a company who is truly sustainable is one that is honest and true to their mission in providing fair products and services to their consumers.