Scope and functions of sustainability

Question 1

Sustainable marketing definition

Answer 1

The process of creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers in such a way that both natural and human capital are preserved or enhanced throughout.

Question 2

Definitions
Human sustainability
Eco system services

Answer 2

Human sustainability - The opportunity for all people to maintain fulfilling productive lives while preserving or reserving the natural and economic systems that make their wellbeing possible.

Ecosystem services - Collective activities of natural systems that renew resources and sustain life.

Question 3

Sustainability marketing has 2 key objectives with respect to environmental and social responsibility.

Answer 3

1) Sustainable marketing means marketing in a sustainable manner
2) sustainable marketing means marketing sustainability - as a concept, a cultural value and a set for practices.

Question 4

The natural step framework

4 essential characteristics of a sustainable society

Answer 4

A truly sustainable society, business, or other organisation is one that:

1) causes no systematic increases in environmental concentrations of substances from the Earths crust;
2) causes no systematic increases in environmental concentrations of synthetic substances;
3) causes no systematic increases in ecosystem degradation; AND
4) creates no systematic barriers to people meeting their own needs.

Question 5

The natural step framework

Definition

Answer 5

A science based set of guidelines for increasing sustainability.

Question 6

What are the 3 dimensions of sustainability?

Answer 6

Environmental: the ongoing preservation of essential ecosystems and their functions.
Economic: the ongoing ability of an economic system to provide for all human needs.
Social: the ongoing ability of communities to provide for the wellbeing of all their members.

Question 7

Naturally sustainable cycles (natural step framework)

Answer 7

• human activity interfere with the biosphere ability to function properly:
  1) extracting substances from the earths crust, faster than the earth can recapture and reabsorb them,
  2) introducing man made substances to the biosphere that the earth can’t break down or neutralise,
  3) by hindering the earths ability to provide essential ecosystem services
  4) undermining people’s ability to meet their own needs and thereby forcing them to sacrifice their environmental their health, or their well being for the survival of their families.

Question 8

Economic sustainability - 2

Answer 8

• the human population demands on economic systems for virtually all our material needs.
• the economy depends on human productivity.

Question 8

Social sustainability - 2

Answer 8

• people need to have access to goods such as food, medicines and clothing, and to services such as housing, transportation, health care, education and recreation.
• people need opportunities to participate in and contribute to community processes.

Question 10

Environmental sustainability (2)

Answer 10

• environmental degradation leads directly to humanitarian problems such as malnutrition and disease.
• all human activity should be conducted with the aim of environmental sustainability.

Question 11

The evaluation of a new paradigm sustainable marketing (3 definitions)

Answer 11

• green products: products that are less damaging to the environment or human health.
• natural capital: all the resources nature provides.
• human capital: all the resources that people provide.

Question 12

Competitive advantage and the business case for sustainability

Answer 12

• competitive advantage: creating an advantage over ones competitor.
• environmental regulation: laws designed to protect the natural environment.
• cost advantages: operating at lower costs than ones competitors.
• innovation: developments that can keep a business running ahead of its competitors.
• a better workforce: a company’s people can also be a source of competitive advantage.
• market position: perceptions of a product or a brand compared with its competitors

Question 13

Frameworks for sustainability (5)

Answer 13

1) Brundtland commission
2) sustainable development
3) ecological sustainable development (ESD)
4) the triple bottom line
5) stakeholders

Question 14

The triple bottom line (6)

Answer 14

• the environmental, economic and social impacts of an organisation.
• achieved in part by reaching out to it’s stakeholders.
• economic measures include sales, profits and jobs created.
• environmental measures include air and water quality, energy usage and waste pollution.
• social measures include labour practices, human rights and community impacts.
• a fourth pillar of sustainability: culture, emphasised by diversity.

Question 15

Developing a sustainable strategy (3 definitions)

Answer 15

1) backcasting - evaluating an organisations current position, and then working to identify possible steps to create the sustainable future.
2) strategic flexibility - having the resources required to take advantage of future strategic opportunities.
3) quick wins - actions that move a company closer to sustainability while creating short term cost savings and efficiencies.

Question 16

Creating an implementing a sustainable marketing strategy

- 2 main with subs

Answer 16

1) building a team
- cross functional teams: teams comprising three or more people from different functional areas of an organisation.
- strategic alliances: relationships with people and organisations from outside the company.

2) creating the strategy
- marketing opportunities: for creating or increasing value.
- target market: a market segment a firm chooses to serve.
- marketing mix: product, price, place and promotion AND people planet and progress.

Question 17

Service Economies (2)

Answer 17

• emphasises meeting customer needs with services and viewing goods as a means of service delivery.
• example: renting out DVDs, can viewed and rented by many people rather than producing a DVD for every person.