Each year seems to set a new record as the hottest on Earth, a clear signal of the growing climate crisis. Consumerism and the practices of many brands are key contributors to these challenges, making it essential for businesses to prioritise sustainability at every level.
Marketing, at its technical heart, revolves around shaping consumer behaviour, driving consumption and managing production. This makes marketers key players in rewriting the rules of engagement –shifting the focus from unbridled consumption to promoting conscious and responsible use of resources. Embracing this shift means taking marketing beyond creating more demand to transforming brands into genuine advocates for a sustainable future.
Predictions for 2025 and beyond
At the nexus of technology, AI and creativity, groundbreaking solutions are emerging to tackle environmental challenges and, with these, marketers can help shape a new breed of conscious consumers. Here are some examples:
- Bio-engineered materials
In 2025, products will no longer rely solely on finite natural resources. Materials grown in labs will increasingly replace traditional options, reducing environmental strain while opening new possibilities for design and durability. Think lab-grown diamonds which proved to be as precious as natural ones.
- Carbon-positive product design
Moving beyond neutrality, companies are slowly but surely adopting processes that give back to the planet more than they take. Every product becomes an opportunity to restore balance, turning sustainability into a competitive edge. We see this trend rising in building materials, interior design and packaging.
- Circular subscription models
Subscription models are becoming more prevalent, allowing consumers to use and return products, enabling businesses to recycle, refurbish and redistribute efficiently. Ikea and Lego are among the pioneering brands that adopted these models.
- Energy-independent operations
Companies are intensifying their commitment to use renewable sources in order to power facilities, using alternative energy. In the year ahead, we will see more and more self-sufficient energy systems redefining operations. Google has committed to running entirely on carbon-free energy by 2030, integrating on-site renewable energy solutions across all its global data centres. This trend will be on the rise not only in tech, but in telecoms, media and banking.
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Challenges
Progress seldom follows a straight path. In 2025, marketers find themselves navigating a landscape of growing complexity.
- Conscious use of AI
AI is seen as a magic wand for marketers, enabling speed and efficiency, but it raises questions about energy consumption. One ChatGPT prompt consumes 10 times more energy than a Google search. Marketers must weigh the environmental impact of deploying such technologies against their benefits, exploring energy-efficient alternatives or investing in carbon-offset initiatives.
- Greenwashing and consumer scepticism
Audiences, particularly the younger ones, are growing warier of greenwashing. In the year ahead, empty promises will no longer be tolerated, and scrutiny over sustainability claims will intensify. Marketers will therefore face the task of regaining and maintaining trust.
- Balancing profit motives with genuine sustainable initiatives
Balancing bottom-line expectations with genuine commitment to sustainability is a true challenge for a marketer. One must prove the long-term success of embracing sustainability into core strategies.
Steps towards authentic integration
To drive meaningful change, marketers must embrace sustainability from within.
- Conducting sustainability audits
Zooming in on practices across the entire customer journey from beginning to end will be crucial for marketers to identify opportunities to go green. Equally important is aligning brand values with measurable environmental, social and governance (ESG) objectives to give a brand a moral compass.
- Investing in training for marketing teams
Future-focused companies will prioritise equipping their marketing teams with a clear understanding of sustainable business practices. Such investment will transform marketers into genuine advocates, ensuring sustainability evolves beyond a campaign buzzword.
- Prioritising data
Forward-thinking brands will place a premium on data-driven sustainability strategies. Leveraging analytics to measure environmental impact will influence product design and distribution. This will help brands learn how best to offset their carbon footprint and other environmental burdens they create, such as waste. Unilever uses a climate data platform to measure and report its emissions impact across its product’s lifecycle.
A call to action
Marketers hold the keys to a sustainable future. The profession’s ability to influence perceptions, production, design and consumer behaviour can help remedy our planet’s dire need for action.
The battle starts on the inside with tough discussions on the profitability index of the company and later moves to the outside world. Every campaign, reel and initiative can be seen as an opportunity to turn the world into a better one.
By Marwa Kaabour, Group Head of Marketing & Corporate Communication, Al Masaood
