Sustainable and conscious marketing campaigns function in tandem with a company’s elemental objectives, which is mostly rooted in the basic principles of environmental conservation. With these campaigns, it is not only important to remain true to one’s ethos, but also to present them in a manner that would encourage the consumers to participate in the company’s sustainability-driven growth models. Collaborative participation is the cornerstone required to create an impactful change in the consumption patterns of society.
In recent years, sustainability has become an increasingly important consideration for both consumers and brands. Therefore, it is now imperative for business enterprises to rise above the archetype of an established construct.
To gain recognition, advise inspiration & provide motivation.
7 Inspirational Sustainability Based Business Campaigns
Here are seven sustainability-based business campaigns that might serve as an inspiration for your future endeavors.
Carlsberg’s renewable liquor bottles
In their recent campaign, the company has introduced beer bottles made from wooden fiber. This step is reflective of the brand’s adherence to a plastic-free transition which is thereby in conjunction with their CSR guidelines. The reduction in environmental footprint due to this shift, to be undertaken by one of the largest beer companies in the market, would be substantial. This further helps in establishing the credibility of the brand for the consumers.
IKEA charges 5 cents for plastic bags
The advertisement, ‘Bring Your Own Bag’ by IKEA, major furniture and home accessories brand, is in tune with the company’s larger sustainable objectives. Money raised from the sale of IKEA plastic bags is then donated to ‘Tree Canada’, a non-profit organization aimed at planting and nurturing trees in rural and urban environments across the country. This is an innovative and smart way of raising awareness, while also contributing to environmental conservation.
Lacoste’s ‘Save Our Species’ campaign
As a part of this initiative, Lacoste replaced their signature crocodile print with that of the endangered species in its shirts. They had manufactured limited polos of each species to signify the number of these animals remaining in the wild. The message of conservation that they had put out through this campaign was compelling. On the company’s website, it was stated,“ There are not many shirts available, but there are not many sea turtles left either.” In addition to this, the profit earned from the sale of these shirts was shared with a non-profit organization called IUCN(International Union for Conservation of Nature).
Levis’ ‘Buy Better, Wear Longer’ campaign
Through this advertisement strategy, the company was able to draw the attention of consumers to the adverse environmental effects of overconsumption and thereby encourage them into purchasing durable fashion-wear products. The campaign featured six influencers advocating for sustainability, while also highlighting the brand’s eco-friendly water technology that, as per the data available on their website, has resulted in saving up to 10 billion liters of water since its introduction.
Lush introduces ‘Naked Products’ to minimize product packaging
This skincare company came up with a unique way of selling its products without the use of wrappers. The purchased items are sold in black tubs that are made from recycled materials in order to minimize the use of plastic effectively. Customers are then suggested to reuse their black tubs for future purchases or return them to the company, which further contributes to their in-house recycling practices. With such a distinct and environmentally conscious marketing strategy, they are able to develop the trust of their consumers, while also positioning themselves in a perceptibly different frame of reference.
The Body Shop and its campaign against animal testing
Their cruelty-free products are a testament to the manner in which they have remained true to this initiative for a long time now. The company has been advocating for the termination of animal testing since 1989. ‘Forever Against Animal Testing’ has been a guiding principle of their brand identity and an incessant insistence on it has earned them the position of being a trusted and reliable brand.
Lego’s determination to make all its core products sustainable by 2030
The international toy company, Lego has just announced that it wants to make all its core products from sustainable materials by 2030. Further on, it has been stated that by 2025, they would be packaging all their products from renewable and recyclable materials. This initiative by a leading business enterprise is quite impactful in changing the discourse around sustainability and conscious consumption.
In conclusion, all these campaigns are just a reminder for all environmentally conscious brands to remain constantly invested in their growth and betterment, enable continuous learning, and build collaborative relationships with the consumers that are further based on the tenets of trust and mutual respect.