P²: Proactive Marketing moves toward Sustainability

According to MarketingProfs.com proactive marketing involves marketing activities which anticipate competitive action and attempt to forestall it as a means of staying viable in an ever evolving environment.[1] From a business perspective pollution prevention, at its heart, aim to reduce inefficiencies while improving customer satisfaction and/or profits. This idea is adequately summarized by Donald Fuller who states, not only that, the approach of pollution prevention is to eliminate waste and wasting at the point of origin, but their mere presence is an “indicator of inefficiencies in conversion processes or activities.”[2] Fuller takes this a step, insisting that if pollution prevention strategies are not taken seriously as part of the holistic outlook of any marketing strategy then, not only is the outcome inefficient, it’s also not progressive. Even the most doubting skeptic of sustainable and holistic business approaches acknowledge the importance of confronting and eliminating inefficiencies. Pollution creation is the ultimate inefficiency, especially when alternatives are readily available. For those that still believe the old slogan that dilution is the solution to pollution, bear this in mind, an article published by a Chinese scholar in the only English language newspaper in China, China daily, reported that the cost of China’s environmental degradation as a byproduct of its economic boon could be equal or higher than GDP.[3]

A counter example that illustrates pollution prevention as a progressive marketing strategy is the ‘green rate’ offered by two Washington DC hotels. These hotels offered discounted rates on rooms for patrons willing to use the same sheets and towels over a three day period.[4] This mutually beneficial deal allows for one third of the electricity, water and detergent to be used. To see an even more progressive example in DC check out Topaz hotel in DuPont Circle.[5]

*Both Photos taken by me in Shanghai China

Photos by Daniel Suchenski

[1] http://www.marketingprofs.com/marketing/library, http://en.mimi.hu/marketingweb/proactive_marketing_strategies.html

[2] Sustainable Marketing: Managerial-Ecological Issues p. 90 [3] http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-06/06/content_609350.htm [4] Sustainable Marketing: Managerial-Ecological Issues p. 91 [5] http://www.topazhotel.com/html/green-hotel-dc.asp