As the sustainability and marketing consulting space grows it is important to understand what all these new fandangled job titles mean, and how they can help you up your game.
Our InHouse Marketing blog aims to make it simple!
So, what is a Sustainability and Marketing Consultant?
A Sustainability and Marketing Consultant is a professional with expertise in both fields who can help businesses create sustainable plans for their operations. We provide advice on how to operate and market a successful business that supports the needs of our people and planet.
With our sustainability hat on we can evaluate how things are currently done, identify potential areas for improvement, and listen to you about the values and outcomes that are important and relevant to you. We then help you develop strategies and roadmaps for achieving those goals, help implement them, and help you talk about them.
Hold up, what do you mean by sustainability?
It’s a word that gets thrown around a lot, and has multiple nuanced meanings. How long can anything really be “sustained”? Do we want to live forever?
When we talk about it at InHouse Marketing, we are meaning it in the sense of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The ones that most countries in the world have signed up to, and agreed targets to help solve all of the major problems facing humanity and our planet.
This covers everything from global heating, biodiversity and water health to poverty, diversity and social justice.
To us, sustainability means knowing that humans and planet are not separate, and that humans must exist in service of the bigger picture. In looking after the well-being of all communities, we create the space to support the planet, and vice versa.
In business, sustainability means being on a path of living within our planetary boundaries, giving more than we take, and contributing to the health of the people around us. It also means financial sustainability, because money still makes things happen.
By its own nature it helps your business to sustain itself, because it is contributing positively to our economy, community and natural ecosystems. It is what people want, and it can give your business huge advantage.
How does marketing consulting fit in with sustainability? Aren’t marketers just like car salesmen (no offence, car sales people!) 😉
The concept of a marketer is quickly modernising, adding new depth to what we do. It’s an exciting time to be a marketer actually, bringing more meaning into our work for those of us who choose to take up the challenge.
When it comes to marketing, a Sustainability and Marketing Consultant can help your business with everything from developing new products that are sustainable by design to analysing markets and trends so that you can better serve customers and communities.
We work closely with owners and management teams to ensure that campaigns are successful by evaluating customer data, identifying target audiences, and building your sustainability story. We help you navigate the minefield of greenwashing, treewashing, sportswashing… all of the laundry! To help you ensure your business is represented authentically, and you are able to talk about the good you are doing with confidence.
As marketers we have a unique view of the world – able to tap into what markets want and strategies for connecting with them. If we operate with authenticity and honesty and use this power for good, we can help your business be a profitable and positive contributor.
Having an eye for sustainability adds an element of cultural wisdom to the traditional marketing consultant role
A Sustainability and Marketing Consultant holds knowledge about various aspects of corporate social responsibility (CSR), environmental issues such as waste management systems, carbon emissions or energy use reduction efforts. We also have analytical skills which enable us to assess costs and risks associated with “going green” or not, and capitalise on opportunities presented by the new marketing landscape.
Globally and here in NZ, sustainability and marketing consultants have become increasingly important as businesses strive to remain competitive in an ever-changing market. We feel the need is rising here in Hawke’s Bay too.
Whether it is a marketing plan or a sustainability roadmap, we are able to apply our skills to strengthen your business.
Are you curious about how a sustainability and marketing consultant could help you?
As consultants we feel empowered to provide SMEs like yours with valuable resources, skills, and expertise that are necessary for success. Engaging a Sustainability and Marketing Consultant can be a smart option for any business looking to reduce their environmental and social impact while also boosting marketing efforts.
You can access your own Sustainability and Marketing Manager, short or long term, without needing to bring them onto the payroll.
With the help of a professional consultant, organisations large and small can benefit from increased efficiency, improved sustainability practices, reduced costs & greater profits.
If you are interested in taking your business to the next level with the help of a Sustainability and Marketing Consultant, let us know. We’d love to have a chat and answer any questions you may have.
Learn more about InHouse Marketing’s sustainability consulting services here and get in touch.
Call, text or email Jodi today.
