Is Green Marketing over? My conclusions

I had written already 3 posts (Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3)on this subject, following not only Joel Makower article on Greenbiz.com "Green Marketing is over. Let's move on.", which raised a huge buzz around this theme. Agreeing or not with Joel's remarks, in my opinion, one thing I have been thinking is that one can even agree that Green Marketing is not dead, but surely it has to evolve.
Some prefer to say that is a subject still in the early, some other pledge that is a mature theme with full development, but others are saying, like Mark Lee,  that we're «trending away from the deep green consumer». He goes a little further saying «it feels the last thing needed now is more brands committing to pursue that same (still small) segment». My opinion goes towards Lee's statement. Beyond the question of the Green Marketing status, I strongly believe that Green Marketing needs to go further, needs to be up-to-date, needs to be be needed, and to make a difference. Letting greenwashing prevail in some aspects, letting to be wrongly used in some situations, gets us to think that it needs to develop ways to have a wider role in society.
Can it be done? Of course! Is it essential? It is for Green Marketing and for professionals in the area. If Green Marketing doesn't step forward, then it will disappear.

Is Green Marketing over... Part 3

Another great way to treat this subject is the approach from Koann Vikoren Skrzyniarz, President of Sustainable Life Media, on her article "Green Marketing Dead? Substance or Semantics?", in SB2011 blog.

It has been creating a great buzz, especially after Joel Makower article, and in my opinion it is very good. Again with great respect for everyone that works in this area, but I still think that the subject is too restrictive. I can agree that in substance it could go far, but it is not the way it has been worked. 

Green Marketing, as have been worked it enhances and gives opportunities to greenwashing. It has to have a broader horizon and objectives, and in that way we already have Sustainable Marketing. 

The Obvious Revolution

Is Green Marketing over... Part 2

Reading an article about the book from Devinney, Auger and Eckhardt, “The Myth of the Ethical Consumer” (Cambridge University Press, 2010), I saw some more arguments confirming the “Is Green Marketing over” point of view. These arguments are not against professionals and specialist in this area, but against a too restrictive definition of marketing.

The book addresses the issue of ethical consumption, largely equivalent to that advocated by green consumption, where the authors demonstrate, through research, that a gap exists between what consumers say and what they do, dismantling the myth of the ethical consumer.

One of the most important conclusions of the research, in my opinion, is that most people would not sacrifice the function of a product by ethics. Under normal circumstances the moral merits never exceed the costs, ie costs are more interesting. Even a factor as the color of a pair of shoes is more important to most of the conditions under which it was manufactured. There is already a social conscience and ethics in terms of consumption, but most people do not care enough to pay more for it. Yet it appears that this type of consumption has the potential to become a mass phenomenon.

It follows that to ethical consumption be effective, it’s necessary for the consumer to become a conscious participant and not just a label reader. It is also necessary for companies to help their customers (present and future) to become more socially conscious in their purchases. And that requires that more tangible and reliable information be provided on the benefits of their products and services in a context of multiple choices in the market.

These findings are in line with several current trends, within the theme of sustainability, sustainability reporting or even integrated reporting, taking us further from a green marketing and getting closer to a more sustainable marketing, or better said closer to sustainable marketing.

The Obvious Revolution

Is Green Marketing over, or never was a real issue?

Reading some more, following the last two posts, I came across another interesting article with an even more interesting statement. Joel Makower on GreenBiz.com, in his article "Green Marketing Is Over. Let's Move On", gives 5 reasons why should Green Marketing be put to rest: 

1. It's not working

2. It remains a niche activity

3. It's not moving the needle

4. It's deluding people into thinking they're helping

5. It's missing the bigger story

You should read the whole article for a more profound insight, but it very hard to disagree with most of Makower's arguments. Even if you have a more greener tendency, what are really the developments of green marketing, beside trying to market green products or services? Maybe Green Marketing never was more than a good idea.

Mark Lee on "On Brand, Transformation and Sustainability" article, says «Inside SustainAbility, our conversation is trending away from the deep green consumer – as much as we admire those people and the brands that serve them, it feels the last thing needed now is more brands committing to pursue that same (still small) segment.»

Going back to Makower, one of the questions is that we have to stop thinking that products and services environmental friendly, greener, will help to create a more sustainable economy or society. It's a too smaller part of the whole picture, and only with real broader, comprehensive, progressive and advanced objectives and initiatives, will get us to a better future. He says: «There’s plenty of hard work to do on the journey from here to sustainability.»

And in my opinion, with an integrated TBL perspective, working on sustainability path, we can achieve every goal. Within this perspective, aren't we talking about Sustainable Marketing? Aren't we wasting time with smaller insights, thinking about green marketing, because it's a less broader subject that we thought?

The Obvious Revolution