The title may suggest otherwise, but this is not one of those posts about green and environmentally conscious communication.
The global crisis has made it necessary to rethink business and marketing strategies. However, few realize that the decline in consumption and the breakdown of the current system can strengthen new economic mechanisms in several segments of the market. With forward planning, thoughtful strategy, and ethical marketing, most dangers can be avoided. That’s why we’re writing about the connections between sustainability, sustainable marketing, and the crisis.
By now, CSR and employer branding communication have become the cornerstones of sustainability. However, the reduction in consumption and the severity of the climate crisis have not been helped by the flashy campaigns. As a result, alongside sustainable growth, more radical trends have strengthened in the economy: for example, you may have read about the theory of degrowth in several newspapers, which aims to reduce production and consumption as a guarantee of humanity’s long-term survival.
The combined force of the economic crisis and climate change became pressing this summer, and it’s clear: the current consumption trends are not sustainable in the long run, so the theory of degrowth, which is an emerging trend, could become a guiding principle in the coming decades. People need to save money, and they are also concerned about the climate, so they start consuming less and more consciously. The threads of crisis and sustainability can come together, giving birth to a new consumer trend.
Panic has never led anywhere. Instead, let’s think together: sustainability and consumer awareness do not exclude maintaining your sales and business. By responding to the consequences of the crisis with sustainable, conscious brand building and well-targeted, ethical marketing communication, you can preempt mass trends. An online marketing agency can help you navigate these changes.
Spoiler: sustainability is not just about “going green”.
The alpha of sustainable, ethical marketing: emphasis on product development
Even the most sustainable marketing won’t be able to sell a bad product. This is a basic rule that changing circumstances have further shaped: if your product does not adapt to the current “rules of the game”, you may find yourself in the lower segment of the market. The key to avoiding the declining consumer trend is a quality, sustainable product range and services. Analyze your product and ask yourself the questions:
- How sustainable is my product/service? Do I have alternatives to source materials from more ethical sources at a similar price point?
- Is my work sustainable – am I maximizing my time with maximum efficiency? How productive am I?
- What directions is the market showing? Where do I stand compared to the competition?
- How have my sales been before Covid, since Covid, and from July 2022, the beginning of the global economic downturn? Do I see stagnation or decline?
- Can I develop a new product/service? What do my customers need, what novelty can I offer them for the next period (even for years)?
Ethical marketing: commit your customers!
Engagement in marketing means something a little different than in a relationship, but the basis is the same: trust. Your customers will continue to focus their remaining cognitive capacities not on filtering through a wide range of options, but rather on survival. Why is this important? Because even before the crisis becomes permanent, you need to build trust with your customers so that your product remains a safe bet for them in the future.
That’s why it’s worth focusing on branding, building your brand. This is the next step in sustainable, ethical marketing. Think about it:
- What value do you offer to consumers? Are these value propositions still valid in a crisis situation, when everyone is saving?
- What are the pain points of your target audience? How can you help them more in the changed situation?
- Is your brand recognizable enough? Is your logo unique, and is your color usage distinguishable from the competition?
In addition, start communicating about yourself and your brand on your platforms. Update the “about us” section of your website, talk about your goals, mission, and values. A marketing agency in Budapest can guide you in effective brand communication.
Sustainable marketing = work with an ethical professional!
Outsourcing marketing processes has many advantages: saved experimentation and resources that you can ultimately invest in building your business. In recent weeks, I have written a lot about why it is important to make your marketing efficient and continuous instead of resetting it in the coming period. The next step is to choose an agency, work with an ethical marketer with whom sustainable marketing can be built. You can read more about the characteristics of ethical marketing here, but we will briefly summarize why this is important for you.
An ethical professional communicates with you transparently and honestly. They do not use jargon that you do not understand: you speak the same language because the goal is to create something great for your brand together. It is important that they indicate if your goals are unrealistic – they do not promise huge numbers, but rather a relationship of trust and sustainable growth. And they keep these promises. Last but not least, they price transparently, you clearly define what services you are paying for, and they send you reports and statements about them. It is important that your marketing is not money down the drain, which your company can jump into in the current situation. It is important that marketing and cooperation are sustainable. If you want to know more, you can read more about Chiro here.
There are no shortcuts: this period is not necessarily about making a big splash (although some will), but rather about staying afloat. To stay afloat, you need sustainability, which in your case means increasing brand awareness and product quality. If you know who you are and what you stand for: great. But you also need the last component, the key to survival: your target audience needs to know about it too.
If you need an ethical online marketing agency to help you effectively convey this message to your audience, feel free to contact us.
The post was written by: Csaba Nikolett és Matykó Noémi
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