Jessica's Blog

So the term is coming to an end. I have to say, I sincerely enjoyed sustainability marketing. The content was rich with fascinating information that broadened my knowledge on important sustainability issues. I don’t think I’ll ever forget when Tamar first described sustainability marketing as an oxymoron, and I was completely taken off guard. In fact, that statement was probably my biggest takeaway from this course. As future business professionals, our main goal in our careers will be to sell stuff. But the more that is produced and sold, the…read more

We spoke a few classes back on American Apparel, and how it has been working to make its products and its business practices green since its inception. The team that presented this case mentioned that, initially, American Apparel tried to position itself as an environmentally-friendly clothing line, but the strategy failed. The brand only became successful when it advertised itself as an edgy, hip line for young adults. The question was asked whether American Apparel has any incentive to hold onto its environmental practices now that most people don’t even…read more

Lately, we have been discussing the topic of partnering for sustainability. Specifically, we mentioned how environmental groups are starting to move away from such harsh tactics like those used in the horrifying anti-KitKat campaign run by Greenpeace. Instead, activists are trying harder to work with companies to make their products and practices more sustainable, rather than fighting head-to-head with them. So which method is more effective: working together, or using extreme and visible activism? Greenpeace is one group that is still devoting some of its resources to more antagonistic measures….read more

I have always been fascinated by the commoditization of nature. I would argue that the reason for the downfall of our environment can largely be attributed to the fact that we have taken many natural resources and turned them into products that can be bought and sold. Humankind has done this for individualistic reasons: we saw the opportunity–because people need trees for wood and animals for food–and we realized we could claim these items for our own and sell them for a price. The only limit that has historically been…read more

One particular article by Derrick Jensen in Orion Magazine made such a huge impact on my perspective on environmentalism when I read it last year. It really opened my eyes to what defines a person that truly wants to change the state of the environment. What it demonstrates is that personal consumption and personal waste account for a very small proportion of total consumption and waste. The vast majority of pollution and resource use comes from industry and government. This means, that no matter how much we recycle, compost, and…read more

  When we watched the video this week on Ray Anderson and Interface, one of David Suzuki’s interview responses really stuck with me. He mentioned something along the lines of the fact that many companies (I believe Walmart was the example) have engaged in behaviours that put them in a negative light in the eyes of the public. So Suzuki posed the question: When they do actually try to do something positive, are we willing to give them credit for it? This is a thought I have wondered about for…read more

Last year, A&W announced its ‘Better Beef’ initiative, which informed the public that the restaurant chain would serve beef that is completely hormone and steroid free and grown on sustainable farms. But other farmers in the country took issue with the advertisements that came with it, claiming that “different” cattle-raising practices doesn’t necessarily mean “better.” They also feared that consumers would start to believe that the beef at other restaurants was not safe, and pointed fingers at A&W for importing beef from other countries to meet demand. It appears that, like…read more

While searching for a topic to discuss this week, I stumbled upon an article that presents some of the noteworthy eco-friendly advertising that has been conducted in the past. The article labels this tactic, “greenvertising,” and describes it as ads that help the planet, or at least, “reduce their impact upon it.” For example, this billboard by Tropicana used the product’s own ingredients to provide electricity to light up the ad. But do not fret, Tropicana and DDB Paris promised to recycle the 2,500 oranges by composting and through other interesting…read more