Many marketers believe they need to be more bold and specific in their sustainability communications to avoid greenwashing. but more than a third don't believe they have the ability or knowledge to do so.
A new global survey of the marketing industry shows the profession lags behind other business sectors when it comes to understanding and implementing the broad sustainability agenda.
The World Federation of Advertisers' Sustainable Marketing 2030 , in collaboration with Kantar's Sustainable Transformation Practices , argues that marketing needs to reach other departments; the majority of marketers surveyed (39%) were just getting started. sustainable development path.
Some issues seem to have gotten more prominent in recent years, so much so that marketers are starting to realize the scale and scope of the changes as they learn more; the capability gap was recorded at 35% versus 20% in 2021.
Sustainable Marketing 2030 is based on quantitative and qualitative research conducted between October 2022 and March 2023, based on 18 in-depth interviews with global CMOs and 10 interviews with sustainability experts, plus 938 high-profile clients from 48 countries across the globe. world. . . – including different regions, company sizes and categories. Research sheds light on grand transformational ambitions; 90% of marketers agree the sustainability agenda needs to be more ambitious and 94% believe marketers need to be bold and experiment to drive transformative change. This is reflected in more brands now using sustainability as a KPI in their marketing dashboard, rising from 26% in 2021 to 43% in 2023.
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Also, despite fears of being accused of greenwashing, 82% say companies need to be bolder in communicating their sustainability efforts; 41% of brands now say they have a sustainability story and are proud to share it, up from 25% in 2021.
54% agree on the need to inform people about their choices and actions, reflecting the idea that marketing should seek to promote and normalize new and sustainable behaviors both inside and outside the company.
The main problem identified is an organizational problem. Lack of internal resources (35%), Lack of knowledge and skills (35%), Organizational thinking (32% believe that sustainable solutions are considered expensive), Lack of cost and compensation policies. protection of the planet (35 percent) and lack of transparency in measurements (30 percent).
Progress will require marketers to use innovation and creativity to improve business; innovation was cited as the top opportunity to drive the transition (57%), followed by new business models (55%) and large-scale consumer education (54%). .
“Marketers are finally starting to understand the scale of the sustainability challenge, especially the climate crisis. We have reached a point where the status quo is no longer an option, a radical transformation is needed,” said Stefan Lerke , CEO of WFA, “We believe in this with passion. that marketers are in a unique position to bring about the change we need, given their unique creativity, innovation and communication skills. The Sustainable Marketing 2030 Initiative focuses on how marketers can drive growth by embracing the sustainability agenda."
Rethinking the role of marketing
Sustainable Marketing 2030 includes a circular marketing framework that redefines the role of marketing in business and its ability to drive growth consistent with a sustainable future. Shifting to a circular understanding of values enables leaders to embrace new ways of thinking and acting, with 44% agreeing that there are opportunities in an organization's value chain that marketing can take advantage of. Partnerships can play a critical role in the speed and scale of change needed. 46% of respondents agree that marketing can have a greater impact if responsibility is shared.
Other key findings from the Sustainable Marketing 2030 study include:
It works for everyone. Sustainability does not fall within a single function and is increasingly seen as a job for all departments and all roles within an organisation. The lack of standardized metrics to ensure a common language and monitor progress is a recurring problem, as is a persistent knowledge gap (35% in 2023 versus 20% in 2021).
Market opportunity. the marketing function still lags behind other companies in terms of continuous transformation. Marketing has the budget and authority to put sustainability further on the strategic agenda together with the sustainability department and other functions.
call scale. As people become more aware of the steps needed to address the climate crisis, they realize that what their organizations are currently doing is not enough, despite significant progress. As a result, business confidence is declining as fewer companies see themselves as leaders (from 29% in 2021 to 15% in 2022).
“ Sustainable Marketing 2030 focuses on the gap between the value and performance of marketing organizations. Surprisingly, while 94% of marketers are ready for a bold, transformative change, organizations are still doing the same,” said Özlem Senturk , Kantar Senior Partner Sustainable Transformation Exercise. “Our tests are designed to empower marketing organizations a compass to assess where they are and help them take their first steps in the right direction".
