Sustainability as a source for competitive advantages

Résumé ou Introduction

The objective of this paper is in the first instance to identify and discuss frameworks and prerequisites which might enable companies to successfully implement a sustainability marketing approach within the company and along the supply chain. Further, and more importantly, the aim is to put forward arguments that demonstrate the economic viability and attractiveness of the approach and as such establish a business case for sustainability: Sustainability Marketing as an integrated management approach that allows companies, by actively addressing and integrating ecological and social issues related to its core business activities (instead of ignoring them or threat them as externalities), to create long-term monetary as well as non-monetary competitive advantages.

Secondly, based on the identified frameworks and prerequisites defined as important for the successful implementation of the Sustainability Marketing concept, an assessment of two companies with respect to their sustainability approaches will be conducted, to examine if and to which extend these companies have already been implementing aspects of the Sustainability Marketing concept and to which degree they were able to convert their efforts into competitive advantages respectively any monetary or non-monetary gains. Subsequently, the two approaches will be compared and recommendations for possible improvements on the matter for each firm will be provided.

Sustainability is a megatrend of our times, providing substantial challenges and opportunities for society in general and businesses in particular. Yet, most companies today still seem to regard the subject of sustainability as a financial and organizational burden to be dealt with in order to comply with regulations and ease the pressure from stakeholder groups or, at most, as a way to generate positive PR, rather than as a lever for the creation of a business case, respectively for long-term competitive advantages and profitability.