Competitive Dynamics and Socially Responsible Marketing

1. Sustainable Marketing

Definition:

• Marketing approach that balances consumer needs with environmental/social responsibility to ensure future sustainability.

Evolution of Marketing Concepts:

Era	Focus	Example
Traditional	Profit-driven	Fast fashion brands like Zara
Societal	Consumer + Society benefits	Patagonia’s eco-friendly products
Sustainable	Future generations	Tesla’s renewable energy solutions

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2. Social Criticisms of Marketing

Consumer Impacts:

1. High Prices

   • Issue: Marketing costs inflate prices
   • Counter: Value-added services justify costs (e.g., Amazon Prime)

2. Deceptive Practices

   • Example: Inflated “original” prices for fake discounts
   • Solution: FTC truth-in-advertising regulations

3. High-Pressure Selling

   • Unethical: Timeshare scams
   • Ethical: Consultative selling (Apple)

4. Product Safety

   • Case: Volkswagen emissions scandal
   • Prevention: Rigorous quality control

Societal Impacts:

1. Materialism

   • Black Friday overconsumption

2. Cultural Pollution

   • Ad clutter in digital spaces

3. Unfair Competition

   • Amazon’s predatory pricing

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3. Consumer & Environmental Activism

Consumer Actions:

• Boycotts: #DeleteUber campaign
• Ethical Purchasing: Supporting brands like Patagonia
• Digital Advocacy: #WhoMadeMyClothes movement

Environmental Actions:

• Waste Reduction: Reusable products movement
• Circular Economy: Apple’s device recycling program
• Clean Tech: Beyond Meat’s plant-based alternatives

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4. Sustainable Marketing Principles

1. Consumer-Oriented

   • Co-creation (Starbucks Idea platform)

2. Innovative

   • Lush’s package-free products

3. Societal Focus

   • Matrix:
     • Desirable (healthy/eco)
     • Salutary (vaccines)

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5. Ethical Marketing Practices

Area	Best Practice	Example
Advertising	Truthful claims	FDA drug ad regulations
Pricing	Avoid collusion	EU vs. Google antitrust case
Safety	Recall systems	J&J Tylenol crisis response

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6. Business Sustainability Strategies

Marketing Principles:

1. Customer-Value Focus

   • Tesla’s free charging network

2. Mission-Driven

   • Dove’s Real Beauty campaign

3. Societal Balance

   • Unilever’s Sustainable Living brands

Environmental Strategies:

Strategy	Implementation	Example
Pollution Prevention	Zero-waste manufacturing	Toyota factories
Product Stewardship	Full lifecycle responsibility	HP ink recycling
Clean Tech	Renewable energy	Google data centers

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7. Corporate Social Responsibility

Key Areas:

1. Transparency

   • Everlane’s Radical Transparency

2. Inclusivity

   • Fenty Beauty’s 40-shade range

3. Community Impact

   • Starbucks’ refugee hiring

Compliance:

• FTC advertising rules
• EPA environmental standards
• Labor regulations

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8. Societal Marketing Framework

Decision Matrix:

	Low Immediate Satisfaction	High Immediate Satisfaction
High Long-Term Benefit	Salutary (vaccines)	Desirable (eco-products)
Low Long-Term Benefit	Deficient	Pleasing (junk food)

Guides product development decisions balancing consumer wants and societal needs