The focus on sustainability is not just an awesome opportunity but also an enormous responsibility. The Sustainability Opportunity is not just about being eco-friendly or offering biodegradable packaging or chemical-free tomatoes. Rather it is an opportunity to responsibly respond to.
It does not mean marketing that confuses and confounds consumers for quick profits with no view of what it is doing to consumers and to society over the long term.
Unfortunately, some marketers view every development as an opportunity for trend exploitation. As marketers, we must commit to not only producing the right results but producing the right results in the right way.
Some marketers, however, see an opportunity to exploit the language of sustainability. And that’s reprehensible. Some marketers are overhyping their communications, exaggerating consumer benefits and building misconceptions with communications designed to confuse rather than clarify consumer derision making.
For example, the language some marketers use in the food business is being concocted and corrupted. We know that people want fresh foods. Fresh is fabulous. But what does fresh really mean? Does it mean freshly made? Freshly made in front of me? Made from ingredients that were once fresh? Prepared fresh every day? What does “packaged for freshness” mean? Some restaurants use highly processed foods but say their food is fresh. Is freshly assembled food fresh?
And what about “natural”? Unlike organic, natural has no legal definition. So “natural” is used everywhere, on everything from food to drinks to dishwashing soap to cosmetics. In fact, one retailer markets fresh, natural cosmetics. There are pretzels that are labeled “naturally baked.” Can pretzels be “unnaturally” baked?
Then there’s “organic.” At least it has a set of legal rules. Consumers think they are doing the right thing by buying organic. Rightly or wrongly, consumers continue to equate “organic” with “healthful.” Research from the Organic Trade Association indicates organic-food sales grew 22% in 2006 to nearly $17 billion. And it isn’t just about food and beverages. You want healthier hair? How about organic shampoo and conditioner?
Yet even organic can be misleading. Organic doesn’t necessarily mean sustainable. One dairy company sells organic milk that meets the legal definition, but the cows the milk comes from are confined to concrete floors their entire lives. They don’t graze on pastures, and they don’t see the light of day(Larry Light, Advertising Age (Midwest region edition) Chicago: Nov 12, 2007. Vol. 78, Iss. 45; pg. 34, 1 pgs).