Green Marketing is Dead ... but Brands could still Save the Day !

"People are being persuaded to spend money we don't have on things we don't need to create impressions that won't last on people we don't care about" - Tim Jackson

Lily Allen's lyrics sum up both the love we have of consuming and how it is engrained as a social norm

It is right that in developed nations, we live in an unprecendented world of super-consumption. According to recent studies, an individual is subjected to 500 to 2000 ads per day and these marketing campaigns whisper "buy-me, buy-me". In fact, we love to consume and it is almost a social norm.Here are somy lyrics from Lily Allen about this subject:

I am a weapon of massive consumption / It's not my fault / It's how I'm programmed to function.

However, it is obvious that we can not continue on this way because of a lot of social inequalities and it is sure that our planet can not stand this way of life !

According to the article on this blog: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-business/blog/green-branding-marketing-consumer-behaviour, businesses and brands can help make this transition. 

The process contains 6 steps:

• Step 1 - Accept the reality

Most of consumers don't have enough information, opportunity or motivation to make sustainable choices. Furthermore, even if they want to buy such products, they don't really know how to recognize and use them. Of course, there is some consumers who care abotu sustainability but they didn't do a lot (in terms of behaviour) in the last few years. So, this segment is still a "niche".

• Step 2 - Start to experiment with new businesses models

Today, the success of firms is only measured in terms of financial results and there is nothing about environmental impact. But the resources or our planet are not unlimited and sooner or later governments will put a realistic price on dwindling environmental assets. So, follow the advice of starting to experiement this new business model which integrates this enviromental side.

• Step 3 - Mainstream sustainability into everyday products

Innovation is the best way to get the right products to the market !

So, companies need to innovate and products need to be given real sustainability makeovers !

• Step 4 - Get the price signals working properly

Why sustainable products are often more expensive ? Made the sustainable products cheaper and create a real benefit for the consumer.

• Step 5 - Get the communication right

Brands need to put themselves into the head of someone who is not hardwired to be green. Yet, the duality of benefice is important for consumer: good price and green / looks good and green / good for health and green and so on. Try to build sustainability into mainstream brands as much as possible because people already recognise and trust them.

• Step 6 - Don't wait for the consumer to demand sustainability

In the coming years, the sustainable trend will drive the market. So, seize this opportunity to make money by accelerating the transition to a more sustainable world.

To conclude, we can say that brands and businesses need to prepare for a sustainable future: a world where they provide goods and services that have some social and environmental benefits. By acting as networked and connected agents of transformative changen brands have the power to make this world a reality ....