Opinion: The Marketing Society Forum - Should a company's carbon footprint influence its marketing?

Marketing 08-Nov-06

Media coverage of the issue of environmental sustainability has been on the rise recently. But are companies right to play the 'green' card in their marketing activity?

CHRIS SATTERTHWAITE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, CHIME COMMUNICATIONS

A company's marketing plan should always connect to the attitudes of its
customers, and customers are growing more concerned about climate

change. So it's a good thing to reduce and offset your carbon footprint,

as Sky has done recently. It will save money and contribute to reversing
climate change, but it will also connect your brand positively to the
mood of the day.

Carbon footprints are becoming common currency. Brands that reduce
emissions should communicate this. Seeing Sky going carbon neutral made
us think that we could too. Like The Marketing Society, Chime Group is
committed to doing so, and we will be carbon neutral by the end of the
year.

ASHLEY GOODALL, MANAGING DIRECTOR, SAATCHI & SAATCHI DESIGN

Consumers have rapidly changed their attitudes to smoking, obesity, fair
trade and the environment, and they are now responding to current press
attention on carbon footprints. Sentiment is shifting in favour of lower
emissions and the implications of this for brands are considerable.

If carbon labelling becomes standard, firms unprepared for the
'low-emission consumer' will appear vulnerable, which no amount of
marketing will fix in the short term. Conversely, brands making efforts
to reduce their footprint can use this to their competitive
advantage.

Whether viewed as a threat or an opportunity, carbon emissions are set
to be the next big issue in marketing.

MARTINE AINSWORTH-WELLS, MARKETING DIRECTOR, VISIT LONDON

Today's consumer treats environmental sustainability seriously. We are
all polluters to some degree and companies need to address the issue
throughout their business and their brand.

Some areas may be inherently contradictory - sustainable tourism, for
example, can appear to be a paradox due to the level of aviation the
industry encourages - but it would be worse not to be engaged in the
issue at all. Consumers realise there are no easy answers, but they are
less sympathetic to those ignoring the issue.

We should also be careful about how we display our green credentials.
Few companies can claim to be perfect, and sustainability is now an
expected part of consumerism.

NICK SMITH, GLOBAL MANAGING DIRECTOR, ACCENTURE, AND CHAIRMAN, THE
MARKETING SOCIETY

Consumer concern over green issues is rising, but it is still a minority
interest. Nonetheless, brands that can credibly boast about lower
emissions because of the nature of their product and their targeted
consumer should absolutely do so.

But carbon neutrality should not just be used as a marketing tool. If it
is not going to have a significant impact on consumer choice, then it is
a matter of corporate conscience. If a firm has genuine green
credentials and wants to use them as a point of differentiation, it
shouldn't just do so through its ads and communication. It is as much an
internal issue as external, and should be reinforced by the way the
company behaves.