Sustainable Marketing: Strategies Playing in The Background

Abstract

Most marketing academics remain largely uninfonned about what is arguably one of the most persistent and important undercurrents facing the discipline today - the devastating impact consumption is having on Earth's ecosystems. Why? Environmental concerns appear to conflict with the dogma that unbridled economic growth and giving customers "what they want, no holds barred" is unquestionably good; customers are not screaming for "green" products; the literature on the subject is scattered; many do not see the link between marketing decisions, environmental impact, and sustainable consumption. Overall, the need to achieve sustainability is not clearly recognized nor understood. In contrast, the paper holds that the sustainability issue represents a clear opportunity for marketers to be key "movers and shakers" in the development of what we call "background strategies" that are necessary to preserve ecosystems, now and in the future.