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The answer is sustainable marketing, when the question is: What can we do?

Article  in  Recherche et Applications en Marketing (English Edition) · August 2014

DOI: 10.1177/2051570714540497

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Diane M. Martin
Aalto University School of Business, Finland

John W. Schouten
Aalto University School of Business, Finland

Abstract
Criticizing marketing is easy, and its detractors are doing a good job of it. But going beyond and proposing
an approach, tools and a vision for change is another matter altogether. Diane Martin and John Schouten
have embraced the task. They explore the path of sustainable marketing with a view to transforming
consumption practices and, more broadly, to achieving a new material culture supporting sustainable
development principles.

Keywords
backcasting, competitive advantage, corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainable marketing,
sustainability

Humanity is on a collision course with planetary
boundaries that ultimately determine the habitabil-
ity of the Earth (Rockström et al. 2009). Marketing
has been rightfully implicated as a culprit in the
over-consumption of resources among residents of
the Earth’s wealthiest countries, and in the spread of
western-style insatiability for goods among the
world’s developing and emerging nations. The dev-
astating planetary and social consequences of status
quo marketing practices with their underpinnings in
neoclassical economics are undisputable. The
global economic system operates on a throughput
take-make-waste model, and its viability depends
on maximal consumption, encouraged by expert use
of marketing tools. We contend that marketing, to
the extent that it is part of the problem of unsustain-
able production and consumption, can and must be
a major part of the solution. This article addresses
the Why, What and How of sustainable marketing.
The road to sustainability is rough and long.
Political efforts toward global agreements on issues
such as global warming are hamstrung by close
relationships between political actors and global
companies. Uneven power relations among geo-
political players also stymy negotiations. Corporate
social responsibility (CSR) efforts don’t work
(Weijo, et al. forthcoming). Expecting consumers to
take on the responsibility for sustainability through

Corresponding author:
John W. Schouten, Aalto University School of Business, 00076 Aalto, Helsinki, Finland, Helsinki, Finland.
Email: john.schouten@aalto.fi
2 Recherche et Applications en Marketing (English Edition) 
shopping and use habits offers little help (DeVinney,
et al. 2011). So where does marketing come in? It is
the interface between manufacturing and consump-
tion. It is the primary conduit between organiza-
tions and their stakeholders for both materials and
information. Marketing is a powerful influencer of
both material and non-material culture. Marketing,
through lobbying, influences government policy. It
occupies, in short, a unique position from which to
make a positive changes to both production and
consumption practices.
If marketing, as a business function, has the
power to shape a more sustainable society, what is
stopping it? One barrier is the mistaken impression
common in business that sustainable practices are
too expensive and, therefore, compromise a firm’s
competitive position in the marketplace. In fact, the
opposite is true. Both reason and research indicate
that sustainable practices actually strengthen com-
petitive advantage over time (Martin and Schouten
2012). Relative to conventional practices a strategic
push toward sustainability reduces waste, material
and energy costs, secures resource supplies, drives
innovation, reduces risks, strengthens brands, and
attracts and retains talented workers (Martin and
Schouten 2012).
Having addressed the Why, we turn now to the
What. Sustainable marketing is the process of creat-
ing, communicating and delivering value to cus-
tomers in such a way that both natural and human
capital are preserved or enhanced throughout. As
the interface between business and society, sustain-
able marketing has two imperatives: (1) marketing
sustainably, i.e. designing and supporting organiza-
tional cultures and processes such that all marketing
processes are environmentally and socially benign;
and (2) marketing sustainability, i.e. advancing and
supporting a global culture of sustainable consump-
tion as a concept, a cultural value and a set of con-
sumption practices. Sustainable marketing means
doing things differently to help bring about a soci-
ety in which striving for environmental sustainabil-
ity and social justice is the norm (Martin and
Schouten, 2012).
Clearly marketing needs to be re-conceptualized
for sustainability, and the basis for that new concep-
tualization needs to be an understanding of the natu-
ral systems upon which all life, including economic
life, is predicated. Beginning with a system-level
understanding of sustainability, the How of sustain-
able marketing must be realized at both strategic and
tactical levels. One robust method for establishing
sustainable marketing strategy and tactics uses a
process of backcasting from fundamental scientific
principles (Robèrt, 2009). Backcasting in the
Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development
(Robèrt, 2009) is an iterative, multiple-stakeholder
process that not only allows an organization to make
constant progress toward sustainability, but ensures
that the progress will be optimized, avoid unfore-
seen negative consequences and return reasonable
profitability. The key to profitability and competi-
tive advantage lies in beginning with the easiest,
most cost-effective and greatest impact projects.
Cost savings and insights gained from the simplest
changes get reinvested in more complex, innovative
and costly projects with the ultimate goal of discov-
ering game-changing innovations (Martin and
Schouten, 2012). To make the most of change efforts
Holt (2012) recommends industry-level action and
collaboration on changes that advance the sustaina-
bility positions of participating firms across the
board. Existing concepts such as cradle-to-cradle
design and manufacturing (McDonough and
Braungart, 2002) hold some of the promise for the
sustainable development of markets that could pro-
vide higher standards living for the millions of peo-
ple currently living in poverty.
Moving a firm towards sustainable marketing
often takes the will and power of an internal organi-
zational leader. Strong and visionary leadership cre-
ates a safe haven for innovation among people
throughout the organization. A firm that takes the
lead in whole-system thinking and backcasting in
an industry can result in first-mover advantage in
important areas throughout the marketing mix and
system. Through innovation and modification, con-
ventional marketing tools, processes and strategies
can be made to move toward sustainability goals
and outcomes.
Marketing is at the heart of business. Sustainable
marketing is at the heart of the new business para-
digm. The outcome must be a more sustainable,
science-based economic system that ensures a
high quality of life for all people in the coming
generations.
 Schouten and Martin 3
References
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Holt DB (2012) Constructing sustainable consump-
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Martin DM and Schouten JW (2012) Sustainable market-
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McDonough W and Braungart M (2002) Cradle to cra-
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Robèrt K-H (2009) Real change through backcasting
from sustainability principles: Presentation of an
View publication stats
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