Margarita Duque

Jessica’s blog post really got me thinking about the impact of teaching sustainability in primary schools.The benefits are not just in terms of raising more educated and critical thinkers who feel responsible for their personal impact on the planet. Teaching sustainabilty is a  better way to educate a more self-aware and  united generation.

Teaching this subject should  focus  on fostering a  relationships among kids and nature. Taking a very positive and interactive approach  would be far more effective than creating classes that teach children the effect of global warming and damaging human practices to the environment.

Unfortunately,  the next generation-Gen Z is being born into a place where using  an ipad is more familiar than a gardening fork.Advancements in technology and our on-the go lifestyle  are increasingly making us more apatheitc and disconnected from the world around us.  Therefore, fostering a relationship with nature is SO vital !

Nature brings us back to basics. It reminds us that we are all one; We are all part of an ecosystem that is closely interconnnected. By providing more kids  with  plenty of  nature related activities during school , we raise a  future  generation who can more easily understand the key role of sustainability in  their everyday decisions. Indirectly this shift in learning can take care of many  social issues  we are currently face such a child obesity and depression.As one can see,  getting kids to step outside the classrom can have a very profound effect on our society.

“Teaching” this positive connection with nature to kids can be  done in so many ways !  For instance, children can gain a greater appreciation towards nature  trhough  classroom fieldtrips , gardening initiatives, outdoor sports  and classroom pets. FreshAir learning is a local NGO already doing this on the north shore .

When you think about it,  ” tree huggers ” feel strongly about environmental issues because they appreciate the connections they’ve created with nature. If our school curricula  are able to get the kids of today ( the CEOs of corporate America of tomorrow) to also share some degree of appreaciaiton towards nature,  I think we are setting ourselves up for success- the  future debates will not be so much about whether to take sustainability into consideration BUT rather  HOW to implement it?

On my previous blog post A”Greener Consumerism (Part 1), I left you hanging- You were probably wondering how the service industry presents itself  an opportunity for Sustainability Marketing.I don’t know about you, but the thought of shifting our society towards renting products is exciting! I am so excited about this new concept that I wanted to highlight the answers in a separate blog post.

Yes, consumers might be hesitant by this idea at the beginning but I do think that shifting towards service-oriented business model is the waty to go. Here are some of my reasoning:

1. The service industry provides a solution for our society to enjoy “new” products and experiences without depleting our natural resources.  We all share this planet earth, why shouldn’t we share our heel collections?
2.  Yes, this idea is more applicable and easier to implement in categories of products that are not frequently used (such as special occasion shoes). However, sustainability is about redefining the rules. If the idea of sharing cars is working (Zip cars), I can see the rental of culinary devices (such as ice-cream machines, juicers) working as well
3. The service industry makes people treat objects with care. When consumers are penalized for misusing and mistreating goods, this teaches them lesson- your actions have consequences.
4. Sustainability Marketing is about collaboration. The service industry aligns with this value. By taking part of a  rental service, you become part of a community of consumers who have similar interest on filling a particular need. You become part of a team that shares and takes care of a pool of products that are available to you when you need them.
5. Technology has been a major factor in the triumph of the service industry. Being able to book products online in advanced, check their availability, reviews, etc. is making renting easy and fun. I am excited to see new technologies that will enable more people to adopt this new way of consumerism.

I truly believe that this is the authentic way of doing green business.

The reason is simple:Buying a product gives us a false sense of entitlement-we may own the product, but Earth’s resources do not soley  belong to us.

What do you think ?

Our brains have learned to associate consumption with happiness. There is something about buying a new pair of funky heels that puts a smile on women’s face. We know that our black pumps would do the job, but NO we tell ourselves that the new pair will perfectly match our cocktail dress for some important occasion. Our happiness from purchasing these heels is not so much derived from the ownership of these heels. Rather, I would say that the visualization of the wonderful night we are about to enjoy as a result of being  “perfectly” dressed from head to toe is what is making us smile.

The point that I am trying to make is that consumers don’t necessarily care about owning a product. This concept is increasingly being adopted by new business such as Zip car and eBooks. This revolutionary (AND sustainable) business model is redefining consumerism. The success of these businesses that are using a service -focused strategy to meet consumer’s needs is proving to our consumerist society that the utility of a product is what matters the most. (This idea is also highlighted in Rule#12 of the book The New Rules of Green Marketing)

There are many new businesses that  are adopting this service-focused model to make profit. Even, if sustainability was  no part of the equation, they are indirectly generating a smaller carbon footprint.

For instance, take the example of Rent the Runway. They  offer fashonistas a chance to wear their dream dress at the fraction of the cost  .Whether intended or not, this  business  is helping the environment  as they  are exponentially  increasing the lifecycle of fancy dresses (that for the most part, live for one or two wears and then die collecting dust at the back of our closets)

This business  makes a lot of sense to consumer’s pockets and to Mother Earth.

Check out Part 2 of my blog to find out how this concept of focusing on providing services rather than selling products opens the door to Sustainability Marketing.

I think we have all been through this situation. We lay in bed thinking why I did eat ALL that food for dinner or why did I end up spending $200 in Ikea when in fact I only needed to purchase a pillow? In retrospect, we blamed ourselves for our lack of willpower. Looking back, the “right” choice seems so straightforward. However, in the moment of eating or shopping our consciousness is dumbfounded by the pleasant environmental stimuli (such as the sight and smell of a decadent pie or the trendy bed covers)

Yes, sometimes we can manage to stay alert in such situations. This is because we evaluate and reflect on our behavior and thoughts before the damage is done. However, Research shows that much of human behavior is automatic, cued by environmental stimuli, resulting in actions that are largely unaccompanied by conscious reflection (Theresa M. Marteau et al, 2012).  This is not to undermine the power of our brain to evaluate, but it goes to show that as sustainability marketers we need to target these automatic bases of behaviors in order to sell our green products.

After reading this research article, some of the dots started to connect. All of the marketing tactics of giant corporations “made sense”. They’ve been capitalizing on our automatic processes to make us consume more junk. As sustainability marketers, we need to do the same; we must target consumer’s automatic responses. How?

1)    Altering environment to constraint “bad” behavior:  If we want consumers to buy a green product, we need to make it easier and more accessible than the brown option. Perhaps, we can create a hurdle for people to choose the “brown product” e.g. placing them on the top shelf, storing them in the warehouse and made available only upon request. Thus, the automatic decision is the green option.

2)    Altering and creating positive associations about sustainability:  People are predisposed to approach positive stimuli (those that we anticipate being rewarding). Therefore, we need to make consumers associate green products with positive attributes such as fun, youth, stress-free, stylish. This way, consumers would be automatically attracted to green products.

I hope that soon more of us lie in bed thinking why did I eat like a vegan today? Why did I just spend $200 in an Eco-friendly chair? After this moment of reflection, we smile and take credit for a good behavior.

Reference :http://211.144.68.84:9998/91keshi/Public/File/41/337-6101/pdf/1492.full.pdf

( Thank you Noah for providing such insightful articles 🙂 )

Human beings are so complex. We may think one way and act the complete opposite. According the Natural Market Institute (NMI), 83% of Americans are considered to have a certain degree of “green attitude”. Unfortunately, the unanimous growing concern for the environment is not directly replicated in our purchasing decision. This disconnection that exist between our “green” attitudes and daily behavior is really proving to be one of the greatest challenges in sustainability marketing. This concept known as “value to action” gap is inescapable.

  The Gap: Today, many social marketing campaigns are overestimating the power of “an awareness campaign”.  Yes, educating is critical to change the mindset of consumers.However, We need green minds, but above all we need green actions. We have reached a pivotal point in sustainability. We can agree that the public is familiar with the issues and causes relating to environment. Unfortunately, only a fraction of the population (LOHAS) feel compelled to make act “green” on a daily basis. The majority of the population does not feel capable or lacks the motivation to translate green attitude into green actions.

The Bridge: Sustainability Marketing: As sustainability marketers, we need build a bridge in consumer minds. We need to narrow the gap and enable “ green attitudes” to translate to “green behavior”. We need to show consumers step by step how they can personally contribute to a greater cause.  To ENABLE green behavior is the key. Sustainability Marketing should focus on guiding behavioral change and focusing on specific green targets. Incentives in the form of rewards, higher product value is essential.

As humans, we crave short-term benefits. Saving the environment is a long-term goal that is intangible and hard to measure. Sustainabilty Marketing can change the perspective of this abstract goal that is SO hard for our brain to process. By buidling a bridge from “green values” to “action”, green behaviour will soon follow.

Resources: Eco-promising article, The New Rules of Green Marketing by Jacquelyn A.Ottman

         We know that the field of psychology provides helpful insight and knowledge to marketers about consumer behavior. Understanding consumer’s cognition is key, since a marketer’s job is to strategically position a given product/service/social cause in the mind of the consumers. This all sounds plain and simple in theory but it is extremely challenging to accomplish in practice. In particular, sustainable marketers face more hurdles in influencing consumer behavior .It is not longer about positioning a product- It is about positioning a new belief system, a new set of habits, a new sense of environmental consciousness.

                 To date, most of the environmental efforts place emphasis on information rather than behavior. Yes, educating consumers about their WHAT (impact consumers have on the environment) is important to driving change. However the core of the marketing strategy should address the WHY  (the reasons, motives, barriers, beliefs, habits driving consumer’s current actions) and should generate a compelling plan to modify such consumer’s behaviors. For this reason, psychological expertise can enrich the understanding of consumers and   thus foster compelling green initiatives. Doug McKenzie does a great job at emphasizing this idea in the article “Promoting Sustainable Behavior: An Introduction to Community-Based Social Marketing.  In this piece, he substantiates how consumer’s environmental attitudes and knowledge are poorly associated with environmental behavior. I found this detail discouraging—In other words, informed consumers do not necessarily make “smart” green decisions. This has made me realized that communication and awareness are just ONE piece of the puzzle.

Sustainable Marketing is complex. How can we harmonize the needs of multiple stakeholders and fundamentally change consumers’ perspective on the environment? We cannot rely on our conventional marketing strategies to arrive at the solution.As starters, we need psychology expertise to guide and best formulate our environmental campaigns. Business knowledge is powerful but it cannot assemble the pieces of the Sustainability puzzle on its own.

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/78388333[/vimeo]

This is where the inspiration for my blog post came from.In this talk, Nick Cooney does an awesome at explaing the science behind animal advocacy–How the scientic method and psychology can inspire social change ! Enjoy.

As an “educated” consumer who is passionate about sustainability, I have to admit that sometimes I feel hypocritical for failing to consistently choose “green” products. I do tend to wonder around the supermarket more than the average consumer. In my consumption process, I evaluate alternatives with green criteria in mind. I play close attention to third party recommendations, compare products and read labels carefully and critically. Finally, I make a purchase on the product that provides me with the best value.

I used to justify “brown” purchases by reassuring myself that I would definitely buy the green alternative, if I could afford it. Was I lying to myself?

Thanks to this course, I have gained much insight on the reasoning behind my green and not-so green purchases. I am now more aware I’m more driven to make green purchases that concern my personal health and wellness. I would considered myself a naturalist and conventional hybrid- Yes, I do care about the environment but I do it because it makes sense and provide me with health and safety benefits. I’ve learned that I do not like to compromise. If the green alternative is inaccessible and inconsistent, I will not bother to try it out. This definitely explains a lot of my purchases habits.

I now understand why I buy organic and local food. Why I buy fair-trade coffee and why I do not buy environmentally friendly school supplies online (Yes, I know a friend who orders her whiteout online). I always thought that  high prices were the barrier  but I  am beginning to understand that my green purchases are not primarily driven by environmental reasons.

I commend my friend for being a LOHA. It takes planning, money and unfortunately compromise in some product categories. I hope that we can soon generate innovative ideas to move as many product categories out of the “Why bother? Purchases quadrant… because really, Do you purchase green just to save the planet?

Our class discussion regarding McDonald’s plan to purchase “Sustainable Beef” made me realized the complexity of defining sustainable red meat. We learned that McDonald’s is collaborating with major non-profit organization and experts in the field to come to an agreement about what  “Sustainable Beef” means for the agricultural sector. This multi-stakeholder initiative is known as the Global Round Table for Sustainable Beef (GRSB). I was very skeptical about this “Going green” strategy, but I could not ignore the fact that as multinational, McDonald’s has immense power and resources to make a positive impact on the environment.

McDonald’s power is a double edge-sword. I researched the  GRSB because I wanted to find out  the legitimacy of this organization. It is great that the food industry is coming together to set some standards and regulations on beef production. However, the fact that McDonald’s founded this initiative led me to believe that power imbalances would be an issue and that at the end of the day McDonald’s would be “setting the rules to the own game”

To my surprise, I found that the GRSB has a good representation of civil societies, national and regional organizations whose main mission is sustainable food production. After reading the news releases, I have a little more faith in this project because I sensed transparency and acknowledgement of the problem among the committee. After further reevaluating the situation, I am starting to believe that McDonald’s is on its way to creating shared value.

Share value invites collaboration among businesses, government and NGO’s because “From society’s perspective it does not matter what types of organizations created the value, what matters is that benefits are delivered by those organizations–or combination of organizations–that are best positioned to achieve the most impact for the least cost”  

This new approach of sustainability explained in “How to reinvent Capitalism-and unleash a wave of Innovation” by Michael Porter and Mark Kramer is more clear in theory than in practice. However, I can see McDonald’s trying to adopt this new concept. McDonald’s is reaching out. They are joining forces with the non-business sector to come to well found guidelines that drive change but that are achievable. Because the GRSB has a wider array of stakeholders seeking their particular economic and social goals, the value created will take into account profitability, environmental and social benefits relative to the total costs.But only time will tell if the most powerful fast-food chain is really sharing the value of their  “Sustainable Beef” campaign.

Reading Ryan’s post on Tim Horton’s coffee promotion got me thinking about the evident battle happening between the coffee companies to maximize market share. As if having Starbucks, as competition is not daunting enough, there is ONE BIG new kid on the block.

Say Hello to McDonald’s .I have never been a fan of this fast food chain, but I must admit they are doing everything right when it comes to the promotions of their new beverage products. Since hearing about McDonald’s stellar repositioning strategy from one of lecture, I have kept my eyes open to see how this company is evolving and flourishing despite the recession. McDonald’s has not let the health trend revolution shattered the hopes of a “fast-food restaurant” making profits. Instead it has modified its marketing mix to offer more than the BigMacs, Fries and the Dollar menus.

Today, it offers more value to customer. The renovation of its chains has created a positive ambiance in which customers feel welcomed to hang out and enjoy free Wi-Fi. The idea to make the restaurants feel cozier ties in with their plan to be the next big beverage sellers.

McDonald’s has magnificently managed to position its coffee products into an already monopolized industry. Its aggressive sales promotion consisting of giving away free coffee for a whole month really worked. It takes 21 repetitions to turn an action into a habit. By allowing people to develop a new habit to visit McDonald’s on a daily basis, the adoption process of the new product is shortened. In addition, McDonalds’ received very positive PR from the launch of their coffee beverages, which helped in the repositioning of their brand.

And they are not stopping there. Recently, McDonald’s has launched its “Real Fruit smoothies drinks”. Go to their website, and you could witness great direct marketing through the offerings of nutritional facts and the popular “Fruit Ninja” game.After watching Super Size me, I promised myself to never buy McDonald’s.….But who can say NO to a good and cheap cup of coffee?

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s-jYrYO1Ts[/youtube]

For many years, the giant North American companies have move along without taking notice of the multicultural make-up of their target market.  But look around; we live in a mosaic population and as a result there is a variety of “needs and “wants”. It is no wonder why companies today are starting to capitalize on this idea.

The rapid and steady growth of immigration combined with the effect of globalization has shaken things up making big corporations spice up their marketing offerings with more diversity.Companies such as Pepsi for example, are introducing The Manzanita”, an extremely popular soft drink in South America, to the U.S.A market. Definitely a smart move. Why?  

•  Developing a brand (whether line/brand extension) in response to multicultural trends allows a company captures more value from their consumers as the product developed is more closely aligned with the tastes of a particular subset of their market.
• Innovation is a key success factor. Gaining inspiration from other cultures can be very valuable as it t is becoming increasingly  hard to find points of differentiation and stand out.

• These particular brand extensions can provide higher profit margin since their value to consumers is higher. Ethnic markets reap the benefits of  premiumly pricing products based on its exclusivity. If big national brands make cultural inspired products more accesible to the public, it is a win-win situation for the national brands and the consumers.

Want to know who else is shaking things up? Check this article out