SUSTAINABILITY SPECIAL
Suzanne Shelton, founder and CEO of the Shelton Group, clearly illustrates the key elements in the relationship between marketing and sustainability, to win over the more desirable clients
What is the best marketing tool on the market that your company can use? An answer to this question can be found in an article by Suzanne Shelton, founder and CEO of the Shelton Group (an agency specialised in communication and marketing in the energy and environmental sector), that appeared in Shelton Insight magazine.
What is the advantage of hinging marketing campaigns on the theme of sustainability?
«If you do your job well, you can win over the ‘green consumers’. And a green consumer is not only attentive to certain themes, they’re also more ‘desirable’ consumers, for various reasons: they represent 24% of the US population and their numbers are growing all over the world; they are opinion leaders and early adopters; they buy more frequently compared to the average population; they are very loyal to brands; they’re prepared to pay more for a brand they believe in, and they prefer sparkly, new products, rather than second-hand goods»
What’s the best weapon to use to win them over?
«It’s a group that are very interested in the story of a brand’s sustainability and responsibility, because they only invest their money in companies that embody their values. If they can’t find anything out about the brand’s story, they tend to think that they’re merely using green economy arguments to obtain immediate profit and they don’t feel emotionally driven to buy»
What characteristics must the story of a sustainable brand have?
«In order to be effective, they must be aligned with the principal characteristics of the brand, touch on the hottest market themes, and they must be easy for the company to embrace. For example, if someone buys a brand for its durability, the company’s story of sustainability must also focus on this aspect»
What’s the biggest mistake a company can make?
«Having a lot of stories about sustainability to tell, but not dedicating the economic and human resources to organise them and communicate them to the right audience»
How long does a good marketing strategy for a sustainability campaign take to create?
«Although the precautions to bear in mind are relatively few and simple, ‘packaging’ your story of sustainability isn’t easy. It requires time – even a whole year – to cook up a story that is perfectly in line with the brand’s voice, it’s cultural sphere and target market. Don’t rush and you’ll conquer the most desirable clients in the marketplace»