Today's Marketers in Responsible Marketing

Today’s marketers should concern about possible impacts of business and marketing on all stakeholders, not only customers but also employees, community, partners and the planet for particular as living entity. Based on these considerations, marketers should search for possible solutions that can help create more positive values and/or reduce negative values on these stakeholders.

There are many approaches for marketers to adopt the concept of responsibility and sustainability in their marketing strategies and tactics.

The case of TerraCycle and our project for OMEGA Global Initiative offers an approach of partnership with branded recycling solution or branded sustainable practice that can help create more values to customers and the planet for companies.

The case of Tissue Culture Beef is quite unique in teaching us about the sustainable idea coming from the product itself which is made in a sustainable process. That also leads to the idea of making products from more responsible and sustainable materials, that can be developed into various approaches. It can be Cradle to Cradle. It can be working with partners to have similar “Reimagine” projects of Patagonia to regenerate sources for materials.

A company can also work with third party to supervise how they reduce impacts on the environment through carbon footprint chronicle (Patagonia) or something like that such as Environment Profit and Loss (StellaMcCartney).

Some cases such as Patagonia, TerraCycle also teach us about orientating consumption among customers. Consumption needs the intention of companies because as Szarky of TerraCycle said about his business model “We can’t recycle our way out of waste” and finally, “big business was designed to "mirror" consumer habits and if consumers don't demand durable goods, businesses won't provide them”. Look at what Patagonia did in Worn Wear campaign in Black Friday and how they are encouraging their customers to “buy less but buy well”.

One more thing, as we usually think about marketers as those who tell lie. It is time to keep mind on greenwashing in all of marketing tactics. Business should be consistent between what they say and what they do, or else it may trigger business disaster such as the case of Fiji Water.

However, we can not say all business should follow similar approach following responsibility or sustainability. For each business in their context, there will be different approaches along with limited opportunities to adopt responsible and sustainable practices in their own business. Most of all, it is necessary to keep in mind that it is time for "responsible economy" and business along with marketers should be those to lead this period of time.