Be able to ensure your comms are inclusive by using different tools to make sure they are complying with relevant guidelines

What is sustainability in marketing?

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If not, what did it fail on?

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Audio

Colours

Readability

https://colourcontrast.cc/

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b) 1 page listing how you have ensured any claims in those comms are not misleading, and also ensuring that your comms are accessible, e.g. the correct colours have been used etc.

Sustainability in marketing is one aspect of how you choose to position your brand, but used right, it can be very powerful, as the examples show below.

sustainability in marketing - showing real commitment to things like fair trade, recycling, or reducing carbon footprints

sustainability in marketing
• Patagonia’s “Don’t Buy This Jacket” Campaign: This campaign urged customers to buy less and think about the environmental impact of overconsumption. It highlighted Patagonia’s commitment to sustainability by offering long-lasting, repairable products.
• Unilever’s “Dove Real Beauty” Campaign: Dove promoted self-esteem and inclusivity while aligning with sustainability by using recyclable packaging and advocating for social and environmental causes.

1. Eco-Friendly Products

   • Uses recycled materials, organic cotton, and fair-trade certified factories.

   • Encourages customers to buy high-quality, long-lasting gear instead of fast fashion.

2. Example of Sustainability in Marketing: IKEA

   Sustainable Supply Chain & Operations

   • Aims to be climate-positive by 2030, reducing emissions and investing in renewable energy.

   • Uses 100% sustainable cotton and responsibly sourced wood.

1. Coca-Cola’s Digital-First Approach – Reducing print ads and shifting to digital marketing to cut paper waste.

2. Nike’s Sustainable Packaging – Using recycled materials for shoe boxes and promotional materials to lower environmental impact.

Examples of Sustainability in Marketing:

1. IKEA’s "Buy Back & Resell" Program – Promoting furniture recycling by encouraging customers to return used items for resale, reducing waste.

2. Lush’s Naked Products Campaign – Marketing package

Patagonia, have pledged 15 of sales to the preservation and restoration of the natural environment since 1985

Sourcing sustainable materials and/or packaging

Treedom, a member of the B Corp Certification, verified by B Lab to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.Treedom enables individuals and businesses to gift/sponsor trees

water scarcity
food waste

Biodiversity Loss – Habitat destruction

Water Scarcity – Overuse, pollution, and climate change are making clean

Plastic Pollution – The overproduction and improper disposal of plastic waste are contaminating oceans

Food Security & Agriculture – Unsustainable farming practices

Greenwashing refers to the deceptive practice where a company or organization presents itself as more environmentally friendly than it actually is. This can involve misleading claims or false advertising about a product, service, or company’s environmental impact, often to capitalize on the growing consumer demand for sustainable and eco-conscious products.

Example of Greenwashing:

H&M and its "Conscious Collection"

Accusation:
H&M, the fast-fashion giant, has been accused of greenwashing, especially with its "Conscious Collection." The brand marketed this line as an eco-friendly alternative, claiming that the clothing was made from sustainable materials like organic cotton and recycled polyester. However, investigations and reports highlighted that the overall environmental impact of H&M's operations remained high, and the collection itself did not substantially reduce waste or pollution.

Why They Were Accused:

• Limited Impact: While some garments in the "Conscious Collection" contained sustainable materials, the vast majority of H&M's clothing still relied on unsustainable production processes.

• Fast-Fashion Model: H&M's business model of producing large quantities of low-cost, trendy clothing is inherently unsustainable and promotes overconsumption, undermining claims of sustainability.

• Misleading Claims: Critics argued that the "Conscious" branding led consumers to believe they were buying products that were significantly more eco-friendly than they actually were, when in reality, H&M’s practices still had a major negative environmental impact.

In this case, H&M was accused of greenwashing because the environmental benefits of the collection were exaggerated, and the company's overall sustainability efforts were seen as insufficient given its scale and business model.

Example: Volkswagen “Dieselgate” (2015)
Volkswagen was accused of greenwashing after it was discovered that they installed software to cheat emissions tests. They marketed their diesel cars as eco-friendly, but the vehicles actually emitted far more pollution than claimed. This deception misled consumers into thinking they were buying environmentally responsible cars.

Why was H&M accused?

• Misleading Sustainability Claims: The brand promoted the Conscious Collection as "sustainable," but reports found that many items contained synthetic materials like polyester, which are not biodegradable.

• Lack of Transparency: Critics argued that H&M provided little evidence of significant sustainability improvements in its supply chain.

• Fast Fashion Contradiction: Despite promoting sustainability, H&M continued its business model of mass-producing cheap clothing, which contributes to environmental damage and textile waste.

Greenwashing is when a company misleads consumers by falsely claiming to be environmentally friendly, while its actual practices are unsustainable or harmful to the environment.

Example of Greenwashing:

H&M in 2022 – Accused of Greenwashing

H&M launched a "Conscious Collection," claiming the clothing line was made from sustainable materials. However, an investigation found that the brand used misleading sustainability scores and that some "eco-friendly" fabrics had a higher environmental impact than standard materials. This led to accusations that H&M was misrepresenting its sustainability efforts to attract eco-conscious consumers.

• Clarification Needed: The company should define what "100% sustainable" means and provide evidence to back up this claim. This could include information on:

  • The sourcing of raw materials (are they renewable, responsibly sourced, or certified by environmental organizations?).

  • The entire lifecycle of the product (from production to disposal) and whether it minimizes environmental impact at each stage (e.g., carbon footprint, water use, waste).

  • Third-party certifications (e.g., Fair Trade, Cradle to Cradle, Global Organic Textile Standard) that verify sustainability.

  • The company should also clarify whether they consider the social and economic aspects of sustainability (such as fair wages and workers' rights).

2. "Our packaging is made from recycled materials"

• Clarification Needed: The company should provide:

  • The percentage of recycled materials used in the packaging (is it 100% recycled, or just a small percentage?).

  • The type of materials (e.g., post-consumer recycled plastic, paper, glass).

  • The source of the recycled materials (are they sourced from reputable recycling programs or local recycling systems?).

  • Whether the packaging is recyclable or biodegradable after use.

  • Information about the impact of packaging on the environment (e.g., reduction in plastic waste, carbon footprint of producing recycled materials).

3. "We are committed to becoming plastic-free by 2030"

• Clarification Needed: The company should:

  • Provide a clear action plan that outlines how they will achieve this goal, including timelines and milestones.

  • Specify the types of plastic they plan to eliminate (e.g., single-use plastics, packaging, microplastics in products).

  • Provide details about alternative materials they plan to use and how those alternatives compare in terms of sustainability.

  • Explain how they will ensure a transition without causing harm to their supply chain or communities involved in plastic production and recycling.

  • Be transparent about any ongoing use of plastics in their operations and what steps are being taken in the interim.

4. "Our factories are powered by renewable energy"

• Clarification Needed: The company should clarify:

  • The percentage of energy sourced from renewables and whether it’s enough to cover all their energy needs.

  • What types of renewable energy they are using (e.g., solar, wind, hydroelectric).

  • Whether the renewable energy is directly generated by the company (e.g., through onsite solar panels) or purchased through green energy programs or renewable energy certificates.

  • The geographical scope (are all factories globally powered by renewable energy, or only some?).

  • Any certifications or independent audits that verify the renewable energy claim (e.g., RECs - Renewable Energy Certificates).

2

Specify the percentage of recycled materials and provide third-party certification.

3

Define “plastic-free,” set interim goals, and publish progress updates.

4

State the percentage of renewable energy used and provide third-party verification.

• Define what "sustainable" means

• Provide evidence like a Life Cycle Assessment

2. "Our packaging is made from 100% recycled materials"

• Provide certification or proof

• Explain the packaging's recyclability

3. "We are committed to becoming plastic-free by 2030"

• Provide a clear action plan with specific milestones.

• Explain what will replace plastics and how it will be achieved.

• Offer progress updates and third-party verification.

4. "Our factories are powered by renewable energy"

• Specify the percentage of renewable energy used.

• Clarify the energy sources

• Provide certifications or evidence

1. "Our products are 100% sustainable"

✅ Clarification Needed:

• Define "sustainable"—does it refer to materials, production methods, or the entire lifecycle?

• Provide evidence (e.g., certifications like Cradle to Cradle, Fair Trade, or GOTS).

• Explain any limitations (e.g., "Our products are made from sustainably sourced materials, but we are working on reducing energy consumption in manufacturing.").

2. "Our packaging is made from recycled materials"

✅ Clarification Needed:

• Specify how much of the packaging is recycled (e.g., "Our packaging is made from 80% post-consumer recycled materials").

• Mention any certifications (e.g., FSC-certified recycled paper, Ocean Bound Plastic).

• Be clear about recyclability—can consumers recycle it again after use?

3. "We are committed to becoming plastic-free by 2030"

✅ Clarification Needed:

• Outline a clear roadmap with specific steps (e.g., "By 2025, we will eliminate single-use plastics in packaging; by 2030, all products will be plastic-free or use biodegradable alternatives.").

• Provide progress updates to show real action is being taken.

• Define "plastic-free"—does this include bioplastics or just traditional plastics?

4. "Our factories are powered by renewable energy"

✅ Clarification Needed:

• Specify percentage of renewable energy used (e.g., "80% of our energy comes from wind and solar, with a goal of 100% by 2026.").

• Explain whether all factories are included or just a portion.

• Provide third-party verification (e.g., RE100 membership, renewable energy certificates).

billboard

events

ads

event marketing

video and streaming

hosting and maintaining websites

print advertising

digital advertising (especially video ads)- serving video ads across platforms requires substantial data center energy, contributing to a high carbon footprint.

web hosting and development - maintaining energy-intensive websites, especially those with heavy media content, requires significant server power.

event marketing (virtual and in-person) -physical events involve travel and logistics, while virtual events demand energy for streaming and broadcasting.

Captions & Subtitles

Provide accurate closed captions for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.

2. Audio Accessibility
Multiple Formats

Provide audio in different formats (e.g., MP3, streaming, and downloadable).

3. Colour Accessibility

High Contrast

Use strong colour contrast between text and background

4. Readability Accessibility
Readable Fonts

Arial, Verdana, or sans-serif fonts.

Audio:
• Provide transcripts.
• Use clear, simple language.
• Allow audio adjustments (speed, volume).

Colors:
• Ensure good contrast between text and background.
• Use labels or icons with colors.
• Test color schemes for accessibility.

Readability:
• Use simple language.
• Ensure larger fonts and enough spacing.
• Allow adjustable text size.

• Add captions/subtitles for hearing-impaired viewers.

• Provide transcripts of the video content.

  
  

2. Audio

• Provide transcripts for all audio content.

• Use clear and slow speech for better comprehension.

• Ensure volume and clarity of speech, avoiding background noise.

3. Colours

• Ensure high contrast between text and background for readability.

• Provide options to adjust colour settings for users with specific needs.

4. Readability

• Choose legible fonts with proper spacing (e.g., sans-serif fonts).

• Ensure proper text size and allow for resizing without losing content.

  
  

• Subtitles/Closed Captions: Provide subtitles or captions for people with hearing impairments or those who prefer to read.

• Transcripts: Offer a full transcript of the video content for those who cannot watch the video.

• Sign Language Interpretation: Include a sign language interpreter for key video content to cater to people with hearing loss.

• Audio Descriptions: For visually impaired users, include audio descriptions that narrate what's happening in the video.

• Multiple Formats: Provide the video in different formats (e.g., MP4, WebM) so it can be easily accessed on various devices.

2. Audio

• Transcripts: Provide written transcripts of the audio content for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.

• Subtitles/Closed Captions: Use subtitles or captions when the audio is being played in a video format.

• Adjustable Playback Speed: Allow users to adjust the playback speed to suit their preferences.

• Clear Audio Quality: Ensure the audio is clear and free of background noise, and offer options for adjusting volume and pitch.

• Alternative Formats: Provide content in various audio formats (e.g., MP3, AAC) to ensure compatibility with different devices.

3. Colours

• High Contrast: Use high contrast between text and background for readability by individuals with visual impairments.

• Colour Blind-Friendly Palette: Avoid relying solely on colour to convey information. Use color-blind friendly palettes (e.g., red/green and blue/orange) and ensure critical information is accessible via text labels or patterns.

• Customizable Themes: Allow users to customize the website or app's theme (e.g., dark mode, light mode) to suit their preferences and needs.

• Text and Background Adjustments: Ensure that text is legible against the background, particularly for those with low vision or sensitivity to light.

4. Readability

• Simple Language: Use plain and clear language, avoiding jargon and complex vocabulary to ensure the content is easily understood.

• Font Size and Type: Use large, legible fonts with adequate spacing between letters and lines. Avoid overly decorative fonts that may be hard to read.

• Headings and Structure: Break content into clear sections with headings and subheadings. Use bullet points or numbered lists for easy scanning.

• Text-to-Speech: Provide options for text-to-speech, so visually impaired users can have the text read aloud.

• Avoid Text Blocks: Avoid large blocks of text. Instead, use shorter paragraphs and more digestible content to improve readability.

audit score of 65

lacks accessibility on screen readers

60/100

15 issues

score of 77