CSR Europe Launches New Guide to Sustainable Marketing

CSR Europe, the leading European business network for corporate social responsibility, today launched a new guide to Sustainable Marketing. Written by practitioners for practitioners, the guide is designed to help marketers take the first steps towards minimising the environmental impacts of their campaigns.

Previewed at the CSR Europe General Assembly in Brussels on 19 June, the guide and accompanying online game were the outputs of a sustainable marketing working group set up by CSR Europe. Led by BT, the group’s members include Sony, Unilever, Danone Group, Dassault Systemes, Johnson & Johnson, Bouygues and Epson Europe.

The guide is divided into two sections, the first focuses on the business case for sustainable marketing, while the second contains a toolkit of resources including checklists, guidance on green claims and an audit tool – all designed to help marketers evaluate the impacts of their campaigns.

Ann Vandenhende, senior director at CSR Europe, who set up the group in 2006 said: “Sustainability is the most critical business issue since industrialisation. As the world struggles with the effects of climate change, pollution, peak oil and now food shortages, this isn’t an agenda that will be going away anytime soon.” 

Chair of the working group and author of the guide, Emma Williams from BT said:  “Sustainable Marketing presents a tremendous opportunity for business. However, the rise in consumer scepticism resulting from dubious ‘green claims’ is not only damaging brands, it’s jeopardising the sustainability agenda while damaging the reputation of our marketing profession. One of the aims of the guide is to help illustrate that when done properly, a genuine commitment to sustainable business practice can really help to rebuild trust and foster long-term customer relationships. The guide was written as a practical introduction to the topic and I really hope that it inspires marketers to start embedding sustainability into their own strategies.”

The interactive 3D onlin game, which accompanies the guide, was developed by French software developer, Dassault Systemes. Set in a shopping mall, the game provides a virtual shopping experience which illustrates the complexities facing the ethical shopper. 

The guide and game are available for free from www.csreurope.org/sustainablemarketing