Embracing Sustainability: Strategic Marketing for Environmental Consciousness in Property

Sustainability is close to our hearts at The Property Marketing Strategists, not only because it is the right thing to do for our planet, but also because we believe that more can be done in the sector to be sustainable. With research showing that 61% of consumers are more likely to switch to a brand that is environmentally friendly, it also makes good business sense. Communicating this effectively will become a vital part of a marketer’s role.

To build the sustainability message The Property Marketing Loungeinvited Benjamin Hall (LOFT), Michelle Carvill (Co-Author of Sustainable Marketing) and Ian Dodd (CSR Management) to our virtual sofa in July 2021. And what a wonderful and lively session we had. We learned so much, with so many good ideas to put into practice. 

You can catch the full recording of this session and all our sessions on our website.

We started the webinar by talking about how to be more sustainable and the importance of marketing in driving your strategy forward. It quickly emerged that a tick-box approach is definitely not enough and Michelle explained that companies and brands need to have a sustainability lens – building a whole business approach within an organisation, including; economically, socially, culturally, politically, environmentally, legally, etc. This includes effective metrics and reporting structures so that companies can manage and understand their impact on the planet.

The fascinating thing that we discussed here is that we should think of this as a blueprint that allows companies to tangibly understand how well they are doing and what can be done to further improve. This is based on thinking about the planet, not just profit. This can involve asking important questions such as; where exactly have our products/materials come from? Who can we get involved in our sustainability? Marketers are an essential part of building a Sustainability Lens across a business.

We then went on to discuss changing attitudes & culture in terms of reusing, refurbishing, recycling, upcycling and second-hand. Benjamin mentioned that sadly there is sometimes still a stigma attached, for example; students believing that refurbished furniture in student accommodation means unclean or the assumption that buying new is cheaper or easier than upcycling/second-hand. Benjamin, Michelle and Ian explained that this is where brands need to figure out what sustainability messages they want to get across, this may including social messaging to help shift customer attitudes towards more sustainable living. Businesses, and marketers in particular, have a role to play in changing attitudes and culture to make second-hand or reused items ‘cool’ and new items unnecessary and bad for the planet.

As a society, there are the beginnings of a shift towards choosing brands that are doing amazing things in terms of being sustainable. This is an example of consumers becoming more conscious of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG). To some, sustainability may not be so important now, but it is sure to be in the near future, and this will only increase, so companies should have models, strategies and plans in place now. Being sustainable is good business, and will become vital.

Next, we touched on the topic of greenwashing. Benjamin put forward the idea that maybe ‘green-washing’ has become the new ‘fake news’ – is it a term that is thrown around too loosely? This can devalue what conscious companies are trying to do, especially when small steps can create small impacts, which lead to bigger ones. A lot of companies are now reversing into sustainability rather than starting with sustainability in mind, but this doesn’t mean they are green-washing per se? Being realistic and transparent will encourage consumers & observers to be more on board and supportive with what you are aiming to do.

We spoke about how avoiding green-washing means communicating and affirming the proof rather than deceiving the customer. Michelle stated that sustainability in marketing isn’t just at-the-end communications, it should be present all the way through – this helps to prevent green-washing when everyone is on the same page and there is complete transparency and sustainability throughout supply chains too.

Finally, our discussion went on to discuss better practices. Ian said that there is currently a hiring splurge in environmentally-focused job roles, which is a great sign. Ian would encourage companies not to be discouraged from hiring younger people, as long as they are passionate about sustainability and environmental issues. In addition to this, we outlined the idea of social sustainability within an organisation in which companies can do more for their employees in terms of sustainability including having greener spaces for employees to enjoy. Sustainability can be pushed inwards and upwards in the organisation by employees, not just relying on policies coming from the top. 

Michelle advised businesses to bring the sustainability strategy to life as a part of a brand's story – when thinking of purpose and strategy, look at the 7Ps – pricing, placement, product, people, promotion, processes, physical evidence. Do these all match up to what you are trying to achieve in terms of sustainability?

“Efficiency improves sustainability” – Benjamin Hall, LOFT. It is inefficient to replace buildings before their lifespan is up which is why it’s so important to have these sustainability designs and strategies planned out at the very start before a building is even built.

If you want to discuss how to communicate and build your sustainability message, The Property Marketing Strategists can help. Get in touch….