The numbers are in: A recent report showed that 55% of adults in the US believe that climate change is the top issue businesses should take a stance on. Customers care about environmental and social issues—but marketers are still learning how to catch up. In 2023, just 18% of senior-level marketers around the world considered sustainability to be a priority, according to the same report. With such a huge gap between companies’ and customers’ priorities, the sustainable marketing industry is ripe for innovations and opportunities.
Ecommerce companies and small businesses that use sustainable marketing can tap into consumer interests—not to mention cultivate a healthier environment. By spreading the word about your business’s eco-friendly efforts, you can build a passionate, loyal customer base that supports your goals. In fact, some consumers are even willing to pay a higher price for sustainable products, making for a win-win strategy all around.
What is sustainable marketing?
Sustainable marketing is when a business promotes its sustainable practices as part of its marketing efforts, appealing to customers concerned about social and environmental responsibility. A company might promote its sustainability efforts related to environmental issues like climate change or renewable energy. It’s not just about green marketing, either—it can also include societal efforts like maintaining ethical practices with business partners (like sourcing from Fair Trade producers) and social responsibility around issues such as working conditions for employees (like guaranteeing factory workers fair wages and a safe workplace).
A sustainable marketing strategy involves promoting these sustainable business practices—on your company’s social media, website, and product packaging—to demonstrate that your customers’ purchases will have a positive impact on society and the environment.
Sustainable marketing vs. greenwashing
Sustainable marketing and greenwashing might both aim to position a company as eco-friendly, but they could not be more different in terms of authenticity. Here’s why:
Sustainable marketing
Sustainable marketing lets businesses highlight the ways that their initiatives are working to reduce waste, conserve energy, and protect the planet. This strategy aims to inform consumers about what the company is actually doing so they can make educated decisions that align with their values. Truly sustainable brands provide documentation to back up their claims and offer specific details about how they’re working to improve the environment or society.
Greenwashing
Greenwashing, on the other hand, is when businesses portray themselves as sustainable without actually putting in the work. They may make vague and misleading claims or even false statements to entice customers to support what they think is an environmentally friendly product or brand. General claims (like “all-natural materials” or “ethically sourced”) without concrete proof or documentation are common examples of greenwashing.
In some cases, businesses use their visuals to mislead. They may use environment-forward designs—think green palettes and nature imagery—or even design products to appear sustainable without actually being so.
Regulations on sustainable marketing
With sustainability quickly becoming a core value for modern consumers, many governments have begun to develop or strengthen their regulations that oversee sustainability marketing:
- United States. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) prohibits “unfair or deceptive acts or practices,” and released a set of Green Guides to direct businesses in substantiating and qualifying environmental marketing claims.
- European Union. In the European Union, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation governs several sustainability initiatives in business, including information on product sustainability. A new EU law prohibits companies from using terms like “eco-friendly” or “recycled” unless they can provide proof to support the claims.
- Worldwide. Global nonprofits like B Lab are dedicated to analyzing and certifying companies’ environmental impact (under the familiar tag of “B Corp”) to help shoppers evaluate trustworthiness.
Examples of sustainable marketing
Sustainable marketing is a combination of meeting consumer demand and achieving an environmental or social initiative. It’s a tall order if you want to start your own eco-conscious company, but luckily many sustainable companies have paved the way. Look at some examples of companies that have created environmentally conscious products and missions that resonate with audiences around the globe:
Oceanfoam
Oceanfoam is a sustainable business that creates active-lifestyle products out of recycled materials and ocean algae. As part of its sustainable marketing strategy, it promote its initiative to help with environmental ocean restoration.
Zachary Quinn, CEO and founder of Oceanfoam, explains on an episode of Shopify Masters that the environment is at the core of the brand’s identity. “I wanted Oceanfoam to be a sustainable brand, I wanted it to be tied to the ocean and our planet and make the world better,” he says.
Oceanfoam’s website includes an in-depth breakdown of the production process and diagrams to show where its materials end up in the core product—presenting the math behind the brand’s efforts at waste reduction. On TikTok, it gives a complete tour of one of the algae harvesting facilities that supplies its raw materials. It lets the video do the talking, giving a peek into its “sustainable three-step algae harvesting process.”
Sabai Design
Sabai Design is a furniture and home goods company that makes products with sustainable materials and provides replacement parts so products last longer. The brand also encourages customers to recycle their products with a robust buyback program, allowing the company to reuse materials and dispose of waste responsibly.
On an episode of Shopify Masters, Sabai Design founder Phantila Phataprasit says that the most important aspect of her sustainability-focused marketing strategy is transparency—keeping her target audience informed about the real ways her company is working to make a positive impact on the planet. On the topic of transparency, Phantila says, “If you’re communicating that to your customers, you’re all kind of on the same side.”
To promote the brand’s sustainability messages and back up the brand values they promote, Sabai Design publishes a yearly sustainability report cataloging its environmental and social responsibility efforts. For example, in 2023, it sent replacement parts and slipcovers to 2,000 customers, preventing thousands of products from entering landfills. This transparency can help customers feel confident in their purchasing decisions, confirming that they are a sustainable organization that focuses on more than just profit.
GiveMeTap
GiveMeTap is a sustainability and humanitarian social enterprise rolled up into one. It all started when founder Edwin Broni-Mensah wanted to get in shape. As he explains on Shopify Masters, when he started drinking more water, he found that it was difficult to find locations around his city that offered free water bottle refills. He invented his own water bottle and created a map of shops that would offer free refills, and each bottle purchase goes toward providing a person in Africa with clean water for five years.
GiveMeTap takes a narrative approach to its product promotion, explaining in the product description how its metal bottles reduce landfill waste. Its brand story is honest and relatable, creating trust in the principles it promotes. Its marketing activities on Instagram show that the brand promotes the importance of its mission first and its products second. This initiative-forward approach is a great way to build customer confidence in your company, especially if you are committed to social and environmental responsibility and working towards a sustainable future.
Fluff
Imagine a business model that encourages shoppers to stop and think for up to three months before making a purchase. That’s Fluff in a nutshell. Open just four times a year, the business sells refillable Cloud Compacts with lip oils and powder that are vegan, natural, and have never been tested on animals.
The “drop” system might sound unusual, but it’s exactly in line with founder Erika Geraerts’s vision. “We wanted to be a beauty brand that stood for the opposite of constant consumption,” she says on an episode of Shopify Masters. The limited-time system promotes thoughtful shopping, helps create more excitement around the shopping windows, and frees up the marketing team to work on positive messaging throughout the year without needing to constantly push sales.
But the brand isn’t dormant all year long. Between drops, Fluff raises awareness of issues with beauty standards in the industry through conversations on its podcast. And on its Instagram, they share important messages and thought-provoking questions to engage their target market. When customers can see that they are active all year round—even when they aren’t providing a product or service—they can trust that the company is truly invested in creating something that benefits customers and the planet.
Encircled
Encircled is a Canada-based company that came about from founder Kristi Soomer’s search for clothing that was sustainable, comfy, and stylish. The brand proudly advertises that it is a certified B corp, which means it maintains a score of at least 80 points for social and environmental performance (as assessed through nonprofit B Lab). Its commitment lies in “creating clothes that look, feel, and do good.”
Its marketing strategies across its website and social accounts focus on empowering customers with a wide array of benefits of shopping the brand—from being woman-owned to making products locally and ethically.
Another critical component of Encircled’s success is that its messaging—including sustainability messaging—is for targeted demographics, like this video talking directly to millennials about lower-waste fashion. This focused approach helps the brand narrow down a customer base that truly resonates with the benefits of the products and services.
Sustainable marketing FAQ
What is the sustainable marketing concept?
The concept of sustainable marketing is to promote products and services alongside environmental and social initiatives. Businesses use sustainable marketing strategies—like donating a portion of profits from a purchase or using recycled materials—to resonate with customers who are concerned about the future of our planet and society.
How can sustainable marketing be achieved?
Businesses can achieve a sustainable marketing strategy by investing in initiatives and efforts that contribute to environmental and social issues that their consumers care about. Even if a company’s product doesn’t have a built-in innovation or sustainable angle, a company can still participate in programs, donate, or provide services that help the planet and people in need.
Why is sustainable marketing important?
Sustainability in business is important because it is a way for companies to deliver value to customers and incentivizes companies to get involved in the betterment of our society and planet. Sustainable marketing is a great way for companies to create added value and elevate their product into a mission—improving the world and increasing sales along the way.
