There’s no mistaking that the future is green. Customers and employees alike are demanding a more sustainable, socially accountable product and working environment. This is spurring an incredible scramble amongst businesses to meet the demand whilst still making a profit. 

But how exactly can a sustainably-minded business make a difference with their marketing strategy? What does it take to make a sustainable future a business reality? Where can marketers innovate to make it all happen? Smart marketers can answer these questions by taking the lead in sustainability and reflecting the change in their marketing strategies. 

A Growing Trend

Customers are willing to shop exclusively at stores making real efforts to create a more sustainable future. Likewise, some studies indicate that there are a growing number of customers who are willing to spend more to know that the products they’re purchasing have a greener background. Data such as this points to numerous rewards for making the financial investment of a more sustainable company. 

A technological trend promoting sustainability is predictive analytics through the use of big data. Predictive analytics collects data about customers through their purchases and uses that information to predict marketing trends. This data can help marketers advertise products that are likely to be of interest to specific people, while avoiding marketing waste caused by targeting the wrong people.

Increasing Transparency

One of the biggest things that marketing professionals can do for their companies is to draw greater attention to the sustainable efforts being made. This, of course, necessitates a greater degree of transparency in order to build trust with skeptical customers. Putting the nitty-gritty information about where products are sourced and how they are manufactured can be intimidating, but it is valuable to sustainably-minded customers. 

For example, many customers are deeply invested in knowing exactly where their food is coming from. They read labels and look into the practices of farms and plants where food is grown and processed. Doing so allows them to take a more active role in monitoring their health as well as improving the health of the environment. 

In some instances, customers are also demanding better communication with companies. Gone are the days where customers send an email or make a phone call with questions or concerns about products — now they post on social media where other customers can see. With this increased public interaction, it’s important to prioritize their opinions and make public-supported changes.

Making the Change

Choosing to make a change is the first step in capitalizing on sustainable marketing. Even small businesses are making an effort to attract customers through sustainable efforts. Fortunately, no matter the size of the business, there are things that can be done to make a company green — things that marketers can then incorporate into their advertising campaigns. 

Marketing professionals can draw attention to any number of eco-friendly changes their company is making, including:

• Installing renewable energy sources such as solar panels. 
• Switching to more energy-efficient products in the office.
• Introducing employee programs that offer sustainable transportation to and from work.
• Eliminating disposable plastics in both the office and packaging.
• Investing in more sustainable supply chain strategies. 

These sustainable initiatives show customers that the business is serious about limiting its carbon footprint. Customers are interested in businesses that are making sustainable choices and have the data to back it up. 

From a marketing perspective, building customer trust in the sustainability of the company through greater transparency and highlighting clean initiatives is a great place to start. This type of radical marketing can benefit society and even create a unique brand voice for a company.