Sustainability, a term hurled at our heads daily. Consumers are becoming more critical and expect companies to think about their impact on the climate. According to the book "The Sustainable Belgian", more than 80% of 18- to 75-year-olds choose a sustainable product if they have the choice between a sustainable and an unsustainable product. How you can take this into account as a company and what this specifically means for marketing was told in colours and scents at Omconference via case studies and experts.

Sustainable marketing strategy

Sustainability as professionals goes far beyond sorting waste and promoting cycling. Developing a sustainable marketing strategy can therefore be very useful. Consider, for instance, building a community to give sustainability an extra push. The more people you can reach, the bigger the difference you can make.

Organise sustainable events where you commit to the environment as much as possible. For example, choose a venue close to public transport, stop printing program booklets, use artificial plants instead of flowers, work with a local caterer offering (mainly) vegetarian food and so on...

Establishing a lasting relationship with your customer is also an absolute must these days. Giving wrong information just to get your product sold has become an absolute no go. On the contrary, because more and more people are asking how, as a company, you can provide sustainable product information to improve the customer experience and create customer loyalty. Therefore, work from an optichannel approach where you start from the customer and not from your medium. Brand experience is central so ask yourself the following question: "What is the most appropriate product information in the phase of my marketing plan?"

Not only the message of your communication, but also the way you communicate can be done in a sustainable way. How do you convince your customer to choose the sustainable way? For instance, make sure the sustainable solution in your communication is different from the rest. Make this stand out more! Another possibility is to use social pressure . For instance, as a hotel, do you want to encourage reusing towels? Then don't say that it is better for the environment, but say that 98% of hotel visitors do this.

Green Friday

The concept of 'Black Friday' is also facing increasing criticism from the sustainability standpoint. Consumers buy to buy on that day and many purchased products remain unused in the cupboard. The new concept of 'Green Friday' is gaining momentum. Instead of offering high discounts, second-hand products are promoted or companies highlight their repair and recycling services. Some companies even go a step further and close their doors on that day to volunteer in nature as a business.  

Using the above techniques and tips, you can also convince your community to participate in this and you can bind your customers to your brand in a sustainable way.

A sustainable future

We at Pitch Perfect also hold sustainability in high esteem:

• Our fleet includes more and more electric cars and we hope to make the switch to electric only soon.
• When organising Fam Trips, a green option is also suggested where the participant can opt for public transport instead of flying.
• Everyone at Pitch Perfect is given the option to work from home as much as possible to reduce unnecessary travel. Coming to the office is possible, but not compulsory.
• Paper waste is avoided as much as possible. Everything is therefore kept in the cloud.
• Pitch Perfect likes to collaborate with partners who share the same values and standards, especially when it comes to sustainability.

There is definitely room for improvement! For example, when organising events, we can take sustainable options more into account and in our network, more efforts can be made through social pressure and sustainable information.

What things can be applied in your business?