It has been studied that 77% of Americans would prefer to buy products and services from brands that prioritize efforts to fight global warming, and therefore the importance of these brands cannot be addressed enough. The popularity of sustainable and ethical brands is constantly increasing and more and more people are wanting to buy good impact products. For these brands, only selling sustainable products is not enough as they must also know how to build ethical marketing campaigns to promote the brand. Building an ethical marketing campaign requires lots of similar factors that regular campaigns do, however, there are also various factors that must be paid attention to more closely. In this post, we will be focusing on tips on how to build ethical marketing campaigns for sustainable brands, what you need to know and what to focus on.
Importance of ethical marketing campaigns
Having a brand selling ethically made products requires marketing campaigns that emphasize these ethical values. Ethical marketing is considered as a business philosophy that is carried out in all marketing actions. It refers to the tactics by which the company promotes the products and services by focusing not only on how the products benefit customers but also how they benefit socially responsible and environmental causes. By creating ethical marketing campaigns, brands elevate their position in the market and show consumers what they believe in and that they are truly willing to make a positive impact on society and the environment.
How to build ethical marketing campaigns
Setting goals
Setting clear goals is the first step to consider when creating an ethical marketing campaign. Ask yourself what is the purpose of your campaign? What do you want the end result of your campaign to be? What do you want to say through your campaign? Who do you want to target your campaign to? By focusing on these factors, you will be able to set the best goals for your brand.
Identify your ideal target audience
Target audience is an important part of any marketing campaigns but it is extremely important for ethical marketing campaigns. Understanding your target audience and what are their needs and wants, you will be able to direct your campaign to the right people. Conscious consumers who value ethically made products and services will be able to find your brand and connect with it.
Honesty & transparency
When creating ethical marketing campaigns being truly honest about your company’s actions and brand values is essential. By being honest about all the aspects regarding your business you will meet the consumer expectations and help them to know what you truly value as a business. However, you must be careful not to exaggerate. Make sure you don’t make any false claims about your products or services. Be truly transparent and honest with your consumers, this way you will ensure to be trustworthy and retain loyal customers.
Commit to your values
One of the most important things when building an ethical marketing campaign is to commit to your brand values. The whole campaign must be aligned with these. By committing to your brand values you will be able to highlight them and to carry them out throughout the campaign. Consumers are more likely to believe in your product and services if they feel you are being honest and presenting what you believe in.
Building an ethical marketing campaign is an essential part of an ethical business. If you want to promote your ethical brand successfully, you must be willing to work hard to convince your audience of your values. Ethical marketing campaigns require an even closer focus on company values than regular campaigns do as they are promoting good impact brands. The key factors here are honesty and transparency. Consumers buying from ethical brands are often truly interested in knowing whether the brand actually does good or if it is just words. Therefore, building a transparent, honest campaign that is built around your company’s values is essential. Below we have added two examples of brands that have created successful ethical marketing campaigns:
Our Blue Planet collection by People Tree
In 2019, BBC Earth and clothing store People Tree collaborated and created a marketing campaign around the People Tree’s Our Blue Planet collection. The purpose of this campaign was to highlight the importance of the oceans and marine conservation. Their second collaboration focused on vulnerable species, such as polar bears and cheetahs who are losing their natural habitats.
TOMS
The footwear brand TOMS is known for its “One for One” ethical marketing. When you buy a pair of TOMS, they will donate a pair for a child in a developing country. So far, TOMS has donated over 95 million pairs of shoes for children in need.
Does your sustainable brand need marketing or branding support? Read our latest post to help you get started: Should your ethical brand hire a marketing agency or a freelancer?
Author: Oona Yletyinen