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.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Problem definition
- Objectives of this paper
- Personal motivation: The role of the marketer as a change agent
- Structure of this paper
- Theoretical part
- The concept of Sustainability Marketing
- Delineation of Sustainability Marketing from related concepts
- The philosophy behind Sustainability Marketing
- The business case for Sustainability Marketing: Sustainability Marketing as a source of competitive advantage
- Prerequisites, frameworks of, and evaluation criteria for the successful implementation of the Sustainability Marketing concept
- Sustainability Marketing management at a normative level
- Sustainability Marketing management at a strategic level
- Sustainability Marketing management at an operative level
- Empirical part
- Evaluation process: Framework and execution
- Reasons for the selection of the companies discussed in this paper
- Corporate profile Unilever
- Corporate profile Hansgrohe
- Evaluation of the Sustainability Marketing management approach on a normative level
- Evaluation of the Sustainability Marketing management approach on a strategic level
- Evaluation of the Sustainability Marketing management approach on an operative level
- Overview of evaluation results and recommendations
- Recommendations regarding the normative level:
- Recommendations regarding the strategic level:
- Recommendations regarding the operative level:
- Concluding remarks on the evaluation and recommendations
- Limitation of this thesis
- Outlook
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper examines the concept of Sustainability Marketing and its potential for generating a business case and long-term competitive advantages for companies. The paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of frameworks and prerequisites for successful implementation of Sustainability Marketing within a company and along its supply chain. It proposes that an integrated managerial approach to sustainability, through Sustainability Marketing, allows a company to secure future competitiveness in a way that is both economically profitable and ecologically and socially sustainable.
- The concept of Sustainability Marketing and its definition
- The business case for Sustainability Marketing as a source of competitive advantage
- Frameworks and prerequisites for the successful implementation of Sustainability Marketing
- Evaluation of the Sustainability Marketing approach in two case studies: Unilever and Hansgrohe
- Recommendations for improvements and future development of Sustainability Marketing strategies
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter introduces the topic of Sustainability Marketing, outlining the problem definition, objectives of the paper, personal motivation, and the paper's structure. It highlights the importance of sustainability as a megatrend and the challenge for businesses to leverage it as a source of competitive advantage.
- Theoretical part: This chapter provides a comprehensive understanding of the concept of Sustainability Marketing, including its definition, delineation from related concepts, underlying philosophy, and the business case for its implementation. It discusses frameworks and evaluation criteria for successful integration of Sustainability Marketing at normative, strategic, and operative levels.
- Empirical part: This chapter presents an evaluation process for assessing the Sustainability Marketing approach of two companies, Unilever and Hansgrohe. The chapter details the selection criteria for the companies, their corporate profiles, and an evaluation of their Sustainability Marketing management approach on normative, strategic, and operative levels. It provides an overview of evaluation results and presents recommendations for improvement in each area.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Sustainability Marketing, competitive advantage, business case, corporate social responsibility (CSR), stakeholder engagement, integrated management approach, normative level, strategic level, operative level, framework, evaluation criteria, case studies, Unilever, Hansgrohe, recommendations, future development.
- Citation du texte
- Anonym (Auteur), 2017, Sustainability as a source for competitive advantages, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/516644
