The objective of this paper is in the first instance to identify and discuss frameworks and prerequisites which might enable companies to successfully implement a sustainability marketing approach within the company and along the supply chain. Further, and more importantly, the aim is to put forward arguments that demonstrate the economic viability and attractiveness of the approach and as such establish a business case for sustainability: Sustainability Marketing as an integrated management approach that allows companies, by actively addressing and integrating ecological and social issues related to its core business activities (instead of ignoring them or threat them as externalities), to create long-term monetary as well as non-monetary competitive advantages.
Secondly, based on the identified frameworks and prerequisites defined as important for the successful implementation of the Sustainability Marketing concept, an assessment of two companies with respect to their sustainability approaches will be conducted, to examine if and to which extend these companies have already been implementing aspects of the Sustainability Marketing concept and to which degree they were able to convert their efforts into competitive advantages respectively any monetary or non-monetary gains. Subsequently, the two approaches will be compared and recommendations for possible improvements on the matter for each firm will be provided.
Sustainability is a megatrend of our times, providing substantial challenges and opportunities for society in general and businesses in particular. Yet, most companies today still seem to regard the subject of sustainability as a financial and organizational burden to be dealt with in order to comply with regulations and ease the pressure from stakeholder groups or, at most, as a way to generate positive PR, rather than as a lever for the creation of a business case, respectively for long-term competitive advantages and profitability.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Problem definition
1.2 Objectives of this paper
1.3 Personal motivation: The role of the marketer as a change agent
1.4 Structure of this paper
2 Theoretical part
2.1 The concept of Sustainability Marketing
2.2 Delineation of Sustainability Marketing from related concepts
2.3 The philosophy behind Sustainability Marketing
2.4 The business case for Sustainability Marketing: Sustainability Marketing as a source of competitive advantage
2.5 Prerequisites, frameworks of, and evaluation criteria for the successful implementation of the Sustainability Marketing concept
2.5.1 Sustainability Marketing management at a normative level
2.5.2 Sustainability Marketing management at a strategic level
2.5.3 Sustainability Marketing management at an operative level
3 Empirical part
3.1 Evaluation process: Framework and execution
3.2 Reasons for the selection of the companies discussed in this paper
3.2.1 Corporate profile Unilever
3.2.2 Corporate profile Hansgrohe
3.3 Evaluation of the Sustainability Marketing management approach on a normative level
3.4 Evaluation of the Sustainability Marketing management approach on a strategic level
3.5 Evaluation of the Sustainability Marketing management approach on an operative level
3.6 Overview of evaluation results and recommendations
3.6.1 Recommendations regarding the normative level:
3.6.2 Recommendations regarding the strategic level:
3.6.3 Recommendations regarding the operative level:
3.6.4 Concluding remarks on the evaluation and recommendations
4 Limitation of this thesis
5 Outlook
Objectives and Key Themes
The primary objective of this thesis is to identify and discuss frameworks and prerequisites that enable companies to successfully implement a Sustainability Marketing approach. Furthermore, the work aims to provide arguments demonstrating the economic viability of this approach to establish a solid business case for sustainability.
- Integration of social, ecological, and economic goals into core business activities.
- Evaluation of normative, strategic, and operative implementation levels within companies.
- Comparative analysis of Unilever and Hansgrohe regarding their sustainability approaches.
- Development of recommendations for enhancing sustainability-based competitive advantages.
- Addressing the attitude-behaviour gap in consumer decision-making.
Excerpt from the Book
1.1 Problem definition
Over the course of the last few decades, humankind has witnessed an unprecedented increase in economic growth, entailing an unparalleled increment in material wealth and consumption: For instance, car ownership, long-distance travel or the regular consumption of meat have become common place in everyday lives of most consumers in large parts of the developed world. Along with the emergence of a new and financially prosperous middle class in developing countries such as China or India for example, consumption of goods and services not only intensified on a personal level, but also increased significantly in total volume: Never before in history have companies extracted more natural resources such as oil and timber, for example, or breed more livestock to satisfy an ever-growing demand from the consumer side. Often, these activities were conducted with little or no consideration to the direct respectively long-term environmental or social side-effects of the action itself; which were assumed to be externalities. As a consequence of this behaviour, The Millennium Report, commissioned by the U.N., concluded in 2005 that this kind of unsustainable business conduct has not only put a considerable strain on natural resources and systems but also to an extend that as of today, more than half ecosystem services (e.g. the world climate, the supply of drinkable water, etc.), are severely affected; some of them to a degree, which includes the risk of non-linear changes.
Far from being constraint to ecological and social areas, the unsustainable production and consumption of products and services arguably also has long-term negative economic affects: The arguments put forward by Stern in his review ‘The Economics of Climate Change’, indicate, that the indirect consequences of the ongoing unsustainable behaviour on a corporate and individual level - such as the increase in droughts and floodings caused by the anthropogenic climate change- have already begun to affect the economy negatively and are likely to lead to steadily increasing costs, unless more and determined action towards improved sustainable practices is being taken by consumers and companies alike. On a microeconomic level and as a direct consequence, ongoing unsustainable business activities might, for instance, lead to a shortage of factors of production and consequently to an increase in price and as such potentially have a direct economic impact on individual businesses as well.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Introduces the global problem of unsustainable growth and the role of marketing in addressing these challenges to secure long-term competitiveness.
2 Theoretical part: Discusses the concept, historical development, and philosophical background of Sustainability Marketing, alongside a delineation from related concepts.
3 Empirical part: Analyzes the sustainability management approaches of Unilever and Hansgrohe based on normative, strategic, and operative criteria, including recommendations.
4 Limitation of this thesis: Discusses constraints regarding the scope of literature review and the qualitative nature of the applied assessment criteria.
5 Outlook: Provides a concluding perspective on sustainability as a strategic lever for business success and the future role of marketers.
Key Keywords
Sustainability Marketing, Business Case, Competitive Advantage, Triple-Bottom-Line, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Green Marketing, Unilever, Hansgrohe, Sustainability Balanced Scorecard, Stakeholder Analysis, Value Mapping, Attitude-Behaviour Gap, Sustainable Consumption.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this thesis?
The work explores how companies can transform sustainability from a mere burden into a strategic source of competitive advantage through an integrated Sustainability Marketing management approach.
Which theoretical concepts are contrasted with Sustainability Marketing?
The thesis delineates Sustainability Marketing from conventional marketing theory, Ecological Marketing (Eco-marketing), Green Marketing, Societal/Social Marketing, and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
What is the primary goal regarding corporate assessment?
The aim is to evaluate whether Unilever and Hansgrohe have successfully implemented sustainability principles at normative, strategic, and operative levels and to provide recommendations for improvement.
Which scientific methodology is applied in the empirical section?
The author developed specific assessment criteria for each management level (normative, strategic, operative), assigned points for performance, and calculated final grades for both companies.
What is the significance of the "attitude-behaviour gap"?
The thesis identifies this gap as a central challenge in marketing, explaining why consumers often express interest in sustainable products but fail to purchase them in practice.
How does the author characterize the role of the marketer?
Marketers are positioned as "change agents" who hold a unique multidisciplinary role, enabling them to coordinate sustainability efforts across various departments and external stakeholders.
What specific role does the "Sustainability Balanced Scorecard" play?
It acts as a framework to operationalize sustainability goals, allowing companies to measure non-financial impacts alongside economic performance and align these with the overall business strategy.
Why were Unilever and Hansgrohe selected for the empirical analysis?
They represent different corporate structures—a transnational FMCG group versus a multinational SME—demonstrating that Sustainability Marketing is applicable across different scales and industries.
How does the author suggest overcoming the price-value trade-off?
The thesis recommends emphasizing long-term cost savings, using transparent communication, and leveraging brand trust to justify price premiums for sustainable products.
- Citation du texte
- Anonym (Auteur), 2017, Sustainability as a source for competitive advantages, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/516644
