Sustainability in marketing is more than just a trend—it has become essential for businesses striving to succeed in today’s socially conscious world.
The term often describes business programs, products, and practices centred around environmental and social considerations. However, green marketing campaigns are sometimes perceived as a luxury investment or a public relations tool.
This perspective is both cynical and increasingly unsustainable. A McKinsey study reveals that companies with high ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) ratings consistently outperform the market over the medium and long term.
This demonstrates that sustainability strategies may require an initial investment but can deliver significant long-term benefits.
In this blog post, we’ll explore the current definition of sustainability in marketing, share inspiring examples, and highlight how an experienced growth marketing agency can help you maximise the impact of your sustainability campaigns.
Sustainability in marketing is a value-driven approach that aligns businesses, brands, and society intending to create a more sustainable future.
It fosters awareness, inspires action, and promotes adopting responsible practices across economic and sociocultural systems while acknowledging and addressing its impacts and opportunities.
At its core, sustainability in marketing prioritises:
To truly embrace sustainability marketing campaigns, professionals must acknowledge how current practices contribute to negative outcomes and take responsibility for their impact and opportunities.
These can be categorised into four key areas: financial, physical, psychological (sociological and cultural), and ethical.
Marketing drives economic activity but often operates within systems that prioritise profit at the expense of environmental and social well-being.
A sustainable approach transforms this dynamic by adopting a purpose-first mindset, where profit serves as a means to achieve broader societal benefits rather than an end goal.
Sustainable practices in marketing can drive economic transformation by:
Marketing has a measurable real-world footprint, including emissions, waste, and resource depletion.
It also indirectly influences production and consumption patterns. A green marketing strategy must address these impacts by integrating accountability into strategies and operations. This involves:
Marketing shapes societal values, aspirations, and behaviours, often reinforcing unsustainable consumption patterns.
This influence, known as marketing’s “brainprint” can either promote sustainable lifestyles or perpetuate harmful ones. Sustainable practices in marketing leverage its cultural influence by:
Misinformation, greenwashing, and a lack of transparency erode trust and hinder progress.
Sustainable marketing must commit to honesty, transparency, and evidence-based communication to foster collective action and build trust. Key actions include:
By addressing these interconnected areas, sustainable marketing can redefine industry practices, influence societal values, and contribute to long-term environmental and social well-being.
While individual consumer choices play a role in addressing environmental challenges, they are not enough to solve the climate crisis on their own.
The participation of B2B companies is crucial in transforming the marketing landscape to drive meaningful contributions toward sustainability.
By aligning their business practices with the growing demand for environmental and social responsibility, B2B companies can build trust and credibility with partners, clients, and stakeholders.
As sustainability becomes a critical factor in supply chains and partnerships, demonstrating a commitment to sustainable practices not only enhances brand reputation but also attracts like-minded, ethical businesses.
Additionally, green marketing campaigns can fuel innovation, reduce operational costs, and help mitigate risks associated with regulatory non-compliance. Many B2B brands have successfully integrated sustainability into their marketing efforts.
Here are some inspiring examples:
Potatoes produce the least greenhouse gas emissions compared to other staple crops. However, McCain Foods acknowledges the challenges of intensive farming, such as water scarcity, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss.
As a global leader in frozen food, McCain Foods has placed sustainability at the forefront of its operations through the Farms of the Future initiative.
This campaign focuses on reducing emissions and revitalising ecosystems by working with farm partners to adopt regenerative agricultural practices. By 2025, McCain Foods aims to establish three Farms of the Future dedicated to sustainable potato farming.
Currently, two Farms of the Future are operational—one in Canada and another in Africa. Early results are promising, with improved water-use efficiency, reduced fertiliser application by 17%, and over 23,500 hours of farmer training.
These efforts align with the company’s commitment to sustainable agriculture, proving that regenerative practices can enhance soil health, water management, and biodiversity while being economically viable.
Schneider Electric is driving change through its Green Yodha campaign, which inspires governments, businesses, and individuals to embrace sustainability. Green Yodha bridges corporate and individual sustainability goals for a climate-positive future by promoting energy efficiency, automation, and digitalisation.
The campaign’s strategy involves segmenting B2B customers by industry and engaging them through targeted digital and on-ground initiatives. A highlight of the campaign was the 2023 climate change summit in partnership with CNBC-TV18, where industry leaders discussed sustainability solutions.
So far, the campaign has reached over 10 million individuals and businesses, with 31% of organisations accelerating sustainability efforts through automation and electrification.
E-waste is the fastest-growing solid waste stream globally, increasing from 20 million to 50 million tonnes annually since 2000.
Recognising this challenge, Lenovo launched the Lenovo Precious Metals campaign to raise awareness about its Asset Recovery Services (ARS), which help businesses manage end-of-life hardware while minimising e-waste.
The campaign creatively highlighted the hidden value of discarded technology by showcasing how precious metals like gold can be recovered and reused. Partnering with sustainable jeweller Holly Ryan, Lenovo transformed recovered materials into a bespoke jewellery collection, emphasising the potential of a circular economy.
Through blogs, videos, and events like jewellery-making workshops, the campaign reached 13 million people, increased sales opportunities by 42%, and enhanced Lenovo’s brand reputation.
With a 4% rise in awareness and carbon offset efforts, Lenovo demonstrated its commitment to sustainable innovation while inspiring businesses to rethink e-waste.
Buildings account for nearly 40% of global CO2 emissions, with the majority coming from operational energy use.
To address this, Siemens Building Technologies launched the Creating Perfect Places campaign, which showcases how smart infrastructure solutions enhance efficiency and sustainability in buildings.
Rather than focusing on technical specifications, the campaign uses storytelling to demonstrate how Siemens technology creates spaces where people can live, work, and thrive. By connecting emotionally with audiences, the campaign effectively communicates the value of smart buildings.
The campaign achieved over 14 million social media impressions, attracted 18,000 new followers, and won prestigious awards like the Golden Dolphin at the Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards. With Creating Perfect Places, Siemens continues to lead the way in smart, sustainable infrastructure.
Creating and executing effective green marketing campaigns that deliver measurable results requires more than good intentions—it demands expertise, strategy, and innovation.
This is where growth marketing plays a transformative role. By leveraging the expertise of a growth marketing consultancy, B2B companies can align their business goals with sustainability objectives, drive impactful campaigns, and enhance their brand reputation.
Here’s how top growth marketing agencies support B2B companies in crafting and implementing successful sustainability campaigns:
A growth marketing agency specialises in helping businesses develop purpose-driven strategies that align sustainability with business objectives.
This involves identifying key focus areas, setting measurable goals, and creating a roadmap to position the company as a sustainability leader. By integrating sustainability into core messaging, businesses can build authentic connections with stakeholders and differentiate themselves in competitive markets.
B2B sustainability campaigns require targeted outreach to engage the right audience. Top growth marketing agencies utilise a mix of digital marketing strategies, including SEO, social media, and paid advertising, to amplify your message and enhance visibility.
Moreover, they help businesses build credibility by promoting transparency and showcasing measurable sustainability results through detailed reports, case studies, and success stories.
Growth marketing thrives on data, and this expertise is invaluable in green marketing campaigns.
A growth marketing consultancy continuously monitors campaign performance, providing insights to refine strategies for better outcomes. This data-driven approach ensures B2B companies can adapt their campaigns based on what resonates most with their audience, driving higher engagement and ROI.
Sustainability in marketing is more than metrics—it’s about the stories behind the impact. Growth marketing agencies help B2B companies craft compelling narratives that emotionally connect with their audience.
By showcasing authentic sustainability efforts through engaging content like videos, blogs, and case studies, businesses can foster trust and loyalty while inspiring action.
For startups and growing businesses, scalability is a priority. A growth agency for startups provides innovative tools and strategies to scale sustainability campaigns effectively.
From implementing automation for operational efficiency to exploring new digital platforms, these agencies enable companies to reach a broader audience while maintaining their commitment to sustainability.
Sustainability or the green movement in marketing is highly related to adhering to industry regulations and avoiding pitfalls like greenwashing.
Best growth agencies guide businesses in aligning with certifications, adopting ethical practices, and communicating their sustainability efforts transparently. This builds trust among stakeholders and strengthens long-term relationships.
At NBT, we’re dedicated to driving sustainable business growth through a full-funnel, results-driven approach.
We leverage strategic insights, extensive market research, and data-driven methodologies to craft personalised, long-term campaigns for B2B companies.
By conducting a thorough industry analysis and aligning your brand’s narrative with key sustainability goals, we ensure your business not only stands out but thrives in a competitive landscape.
From increasing brand awareness to optimising lead nurturing and sales conversion, our growth marketing consultancy tailors every step to meet your specific needs.
Let us help you achieve meaningful, lasting growth with a customer-oriented green marketing strategy that moves beyond short-term hacks.
Trust NBT to guide your brand through a journey of continuous success!
