LITMIR.BIZ

      Introduction

       Sihem DEKHILI

       CNRS – BETA, University of Strasbourg, France

      For a number of years, sustainable development has been an omnipresent issue in both media discussions and in political, economic and academic debates. It is pushing a real challenge into the spotlight: the balance between the economic, environmental and social components, with the aim of satisfying the needs of the current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Brundtland 1987). Sustainable development, looking to the long-term, promotes altruistic values that are beneficial not only to the protection of the planet, but also to social justice and the well-being of others. Indeed, as stated by Gabriel (2003), the wealth created by companies can have an environmental and social cost, and those that benefit from this wealth are not necessarily those that bear the cost. Sustainable development also refers to the idea of controlled production and mindful consumption, with personal pleasure pushed to the background.

      Various efforts have been made to take these considerations into account. Most countries have implemented regulations supporting sustainability. Companies have become involved and some have even put sustainability at the heart of their business models. We have thereby seen the development of a new offer on the market, with products using fewer resources and polluting components, and generating less waste (Auger and Devinney 2007; Yannou-Le Bris et al. 2019).

At the same time, there has been an increase in environmental and social awareness among consumers. A large number of surveys support the idea that individuals, especially in Western societies, are concerned about ecological crises. This is the case in a survey conducted by Ifop in late 2019, which estimated that 86% of French people were aware of this issue. Groups of “consum’actors”, looking for meaning in life, have emerged and reveal a significant expectation of societal change. As a result, they are turning to an alternative mode of consumption and practices, such as donation and sharing that aim, in particular, to extend the lifespan of products.

      The efforts made and the prevailing discussions around sustainable development tend to suggest that we are experiencing a “green era” (Davies et al. 2012). However, the reality is quite different! The sustainable criterion is far from being a decisive factor in consumer purchasing decisions, even for the individuals with the greatest level of ecological awareness. Sustainable consumption, primarily the reserve of those with the highest levels of income and education, is for many merely a “surface engagement”, as the new consumption pattern that they embrace is being superimposed over entrenched consumerist habits (rather than replacing them) (Daumas 2020). Within this context, the gap between values and declarations, on the one hand, and behaviors, on the other, has been widely documented in the literature, often by using the term “green gap”. Despite the efforts made, sustainable development remains the preserve of a niche market. The strategies of companies in this field sometimes turn out to be insufficient. Indeed, their desire to make their image greener can result in opportunist behaviors and greenwashing. Consumers perceive environmental communications as ambiguous and overblown and express little trust in the brands that spread them. Some think that the ecolabeling procedure is based on an incomplete approach that only takes into account a limited number of criteria, and that the communication on ecolabels remains insufficient (Thøgersen et al. 2010; Dekhili and Achabou 2015). At the distribution level, super/hypermarkets suffer from a lack of legitimacy in selling ecological products and the price policies are not always considered fair for consumers (Dekhili et al. 2017). A cultural barrier can be added to this; responsible practices such as the example of the doggy bag can be slowed down by the social norms that dominate a country (Achabou et al. 2018).

      These obstacles to the spread of responsible behaviors and goods put the importance of the sustainable development movement into perspective. At the same time, they offer immense avenues for exploring solutions to reconsider consumption patterns and develop the green market. This leads us to the key question guiding this book: how can marketing contribute to strengthening sustainable consumption?

Marketing is undoubtedly the area most suited to market development. However, its objectives can be perceived as opposite to those of sustainable development (Kotler 2011). In any case, the compatibility between the two fields has been widely questioned. Marketing aims to sell in a profitable manner. It is seen as a field based on the short term and on the response to selfish motivations. Marketing is also accused of having encouraged overconsumption and waste in shifting the focus from the satisfaction of real consumer needs to a response to short-lived individual desires (Brownlie 2006).

      In this respect, the “power” of marketing and its key role in the evolution of modes of consumption should be recalled. Marketing choices can have an influence on individual health through the products promoted and the social groups targeted (as with advertisements for food products high in saturated fats during programs aimed at children). Moreover, marketing affects the representation of individuals and their lifestyles (for example, the demeaning image of women in advertising).

      Because marketing enjoys a certain “power” and in view of the significant effects it can have on individuals, particularly the most vulnerable, a number of business practices have been condemned following denunciations from NGOs, scientists and consumer groups. As a result, advertisements that are considered problematic have been withdrawn (as in case of exaggerated claims made by Nivea about its beauty creams) and brands have been boycotted because of sales practices that are considered irresponsible (such as Nestlé in view of its marketing practices for powdered milk for infants in Africa), giving rise to a stricter legislative regulation of marketing practices. In this regard, we can note the example of the obligation, in France since 2007, for the advertisers of some food products to introduce health information into their communications, such

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