Monthly Archives: January 2014

Sustainable marketing and sustainable initiatives are starting to become more and more popular and more and more common. However there is a great amount of uncovered territory, new ideas and possibilities. With new ways of thinking also comes criticism. One of the examples we discussed in class was Patagonia’s marketing initiative which states “Don’t buy this jacket” however this initiative put in place to develop conversation around the idea of consumerism has taken a lot of heat which in part has been due to the increase of sales experienced by the brand thanks to this particular initiative. But lets take a step back for a moment.

Every long journey begins with one small step. Think about the first steps you took as a child. They were quite awkward wobbly all over the place and you had your share of falls but as your journey continued each step you took was better than your last. Thus, should we criticize an organization for trying to make the world a better place and communicating to the world population responsibilities they have undertaken to preserve some of the resources of the world? Now yes, many initiatives have their faults and can be improve. Did you sink your first bucket or roof your first shot on net or were you able to perfect your first parallel park?

Now, we may think that by criticizing we are keeping the big corporations on their toes and letting them know that we aren’t easily fooled, but this can be counterproductive. It can lead to creating an environment where advancing and trying to become more sustainable may be deemed too risky, and thus corporations will all default to more traditional campaigns featuring celebrities and athletes.

Brands that are prepared to advertise/communicate their initiatives and sustainable practices should be congratulated, not criticize, for doing so. Individuals and large corporations are more likely to do the right thing and get better at doing so if they are encouraged, congratulated and receive greater positive attention from the world’s population for the steps and effort they have taken to better not only their organization but also the world we all live in. We can not fully expect things to be perfect, fail proof or flawless right from the get go. The more businesses  are convinced that their brands and sales are stronger after they uncover such sustainable initiatives the more they are likely to continue to pursue such initiatives and become better at doing so. So next time think twice before you say something and perhaps a nice friendly pat on the back may be more appropriate.   

Coca-Cola is one of the most recognized brands worldwide.

Market share driven, global food and soft drink companies have been expanding their market to third world countries and exploiting their poor and uneducated population living often on $2 a day as affluent western markets have become saturated. In these countries, a kilo of fresh vegetables often costs more than a 2 litter bottle of coke. Like other multinational companies, Coca-Cola has been criticized for its negative impact on the young market in those countries. It is often associated with affecting eating habits and leading to a loss of local cultures. It is imposing its own culture: the American dream! It sells the idea of a land of opportunity where everyone is equal and everything is possible, through slogan like: America’s Real Choice, Life Tastes Good…

But as we know these large corporations are able to make a positive impact in the world. We all know Coca-Cola’s engagement in saving the polar bears from global warming. Well, the Coca-Cola Company has also partnered in 2012 with Deka R&D to address clean water issues in developing nations. The goal is to offset 100 percent of the water it uses in the production of its beverages in those countries by 2020. Impressive and ambitious, you would say! How is it going to achieve its goal? Dean Kamen, the inventor of the Segway scooter, has invented a vapor –compression distillation system, Slingshot. It boils and evaporates any dirty water such as river water, ocean water or sewage water. With one kilowatt of electricity the Slingshot can creates 10 gallons of water. It can also run on renewable energy. In 2011, the system has already been tested in 5 schools in Ghana, providing clean drinking water to 1,500 school children!

A nice gesture or another marketing strategy? It is still a step in the right direction for many developing or third world countries where fresh clean water is already a luxury!

In class we discussed wether there should only be sustainable products available to consumers. Well, what if instead of having only a regulation on the products that are available on the market what about restricting the amount that consumers can consume? Is it necessary for a new product to be created every 3 minutes somewhere in the world? It is a fact that we live beyond our means, and it is also a fact that this world is made up of finite resources. The world’s population is also growing. This is what I call a horrible equation because it can only be equal to infinity. Is there anything in this world that is infinite? Thus, it is a fact that we will run out of these resources if we continue to live and consume as we currently are. Now imagine a world with these resources available only to a few. Who should be able to access these resources? The highest bidder?

The point I’m trying to get across is yes perhaps companies should do their best to be sustainable but companies aren’t the source of the problem. The source of the problem are the consumers that are consuming, in other words the human psyche. As every year goes by, new inventions are created to make our lives easier or render us more efficient. Things we never thought we would need. Objects we actually could live without. I won’t lie, I wish I was a billionaire, with five personal cellphones, a massive yacht, have new clothes for every day of my life and have more cars than relatives. I am what’s wrong with the world. I have too much greed and I want more than I actually need, luckily however I’m pretty sure I’ll be dead before the results of my actions will directly affect any of my descendants. This is why sustainable marketing really should only involve changing consumer behaviour to live within his means because anything else would actually be unsustainable. At least until we are able to create infinite resources. Companies should have adopted cradle to cradle a hundred years ago. Will we ever be able to reach a sustainable planet? We certainly don’t currently live on a sustainable planet…

“Earth provides enough to satisfy everyone’s need, but not everyone’s greed.” (Mahatma Ghandi)