Inside Simbiosi | Week 4 - Sustainable Marketing
This week in the Green Marketing and Corporate Social Responsibility course, instructed by Professor Giulia Miniero, the students learned about the direct and indirect sustainable marketing processes and how this impacts consumers. In this week’s blog post the two processes will be discussed and exemplified via SIMBIOSI and another climate company by the name of Climate Trace.
What is the Direct Sustainable Marketing Process?
Direct marketing is an approach that involves fewer intermediaries when trying to convey a message directly to the public. It is often broken into three steps as shown in the graphic below. It begins with the presence of a problem within the environment. This problem is then recognized and addressed by companies who wish to create a measurable change. Within the direct sustainable marketing process, problems such as durability, eco-friendliness, climate impacts, and sustainable production are all pressing issues.
In some cases, the public has brought these issues to light with their use of social media postings, purchasing behaviors, and public displays. Companies can then use their positions to educate the market to make changes in their lifestyle or habits via the purchase or use of certain products. In both cases, the act of problem-solving and education is used to reset the standards the market ascribes to.
How is this conceptualized within SIMBIOSI?
Our class identified SIMBIOSI as a company that employs direct sustainability marketing. Their use of this approach is evident through their close consumer relations. SIMBIOSI interacts directly with its stakeholders, effectively bypassing the need for third parties and streamlining their communication process. They typically execute this through consultations and educational discussions with three main target groups: industries, landowners, and municipalities. Operating within its business network, the company can work individually with each of these consumer segments and market to their specific needs. Consequently, they can formulate personalized solutions which increase the desirability and accessibility of their sustainable innovations. By providing direct attention to their key audiences, SIMBIOSI can facilitate targeted and efficient change within the sustainability sector.
What is the Indirect Sustainable Marketing Process?
Indirect marketing is the process of promoting and marketing products or services while also highlighting their sustainability and environmental friendliness. It involves communicating the environmental and social benefits of a product or service to customers, without making sustainability the primary focus of the marketing campaign.
The process can be broken down into several key steps:
- Identify the sustainable features of the product or service: factors such as the use of recycled materials, reduction in energy consumption, or the use of environmentally friendly materials.
- Develop marketing messages that highlight sustainability: incorporating sustainable language and imagery into marketing material, highlighting the product or service’s environmental and social benefits.
- Choose appropriate marketing channels: social media, email marketing, content marketing, or advertising.
- Integrate sustainability into the overall brand message: this ensures that sustainability becomes an integral part of the brand identity.
- Monitor and measure results: this involves tracking sales, customer feedback, or engagement on social media.
How is this conceptualized within Climate Trace?
Climate Trace is a coalition of organizations aimed at spotting which emissions are being used to produce greenhouse gases that are caused by human economic activities. Using satellites, remote sensing technologies, direct measurements, and Artificial intelligence, Climate Trace builds models to estimate the emissions right at the source. Due to more information streaming in from space and other sensors, Climate Traces emissions are continuously improving. The indirect sustainable marketing strategy for Climate Trace involves using marketing tactics that focus on the environmental benefits of the product or service. This could include using social media campaigns to highlight the positive environmental impact of Climate Trace or creating content that educates consumers on the importance of sustainability and how Climate Trace can help them achieve their sustainability goals. Additionally, Climate Trace could partner with other organizations that are focused on sustainability to further spread their message and reach a wider audience.
For more information on SIMBIOSI or Climate Trace look here.