In this final chapter, we’ll examine the concept of sustainable marketing, meeting the needs of consumers, businesses, and society—now and in the ­future—through socially and environmentally responsible marketing actions. We’ll start by defining sustainable marketing and then look at some common criticisms of marketing as it affects individual consumers as well as public actions that promote sustainable marketing. Finally, we’ll see how companies themselves can benefit from proactively pursuing sustainable marketing practices that bring value to not only individual customers but also society as a whole. Sustainable marketing actions are more than just the right thing to do; they’re also good for business.

First, let’s look at an example of sustainable marketing in action at Unilever, the world’s third-largest consumer products company. For 17 years running, Unilever has been named sustainability leader in the food and beverage industry by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes. The company recently launched its Sustainable Living Plan, by which it intends to double its size by 2020 while at the same time reducing its impact on the planet and increasing the social benefits arising from its activities. That’s an ambitious goal.