Almost half of marketers (49%) have said they are unsure about working on sustainability messaging, expressing wariness about working on eco-focused campaigns due to a fear of backlash for ‘greenwashing’.
Despite this, according to a new report from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), over three quarters of marketing professionals (76%) say they have engaged in some form of sustainability work over the last five years.
Two in every five (40%) of the 210 marketing experts who responded to the survey, which also explored the views of, 2,000 adults and some CIM professionals, also said they would like to attain a sustainability qualification, but currently do not have one.
In addition, nearly half feel pressure to communicate their company or client’s sustainability credentials, while more than half (55%) recognised that sustainability is increasingly a business priority. One in every two (51%) went as far as saying it could threaten their business.
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The research also revealed that – while two thirds (63%) of adult consumers believe that brands should increase communication around sustainability – less than half of the professionals surveyed (41%) said that their brand or company had a sustainability commitment.
“As marketers, we are all responsible for being proactive in implementing positive changes and embracing environmentally friendly working practices,” said CIM CEO Chris Daly.
“If the marketing profession is to deliver meaningful and tangible change at scale then, as an industry,” he said.
“We must do more to address the sustainability skills gap and ensure that marketers are equipped with the skills they need to work confidently on environmental campaigns which can encourage others and drive the positive responsible behavioural changes needed within society,” he continued.
He added that “ignoring the environmental crisis is not an option” and said that marketing professionals must “use their unique skill set to influence, change behaviours, drive innovation and build communities where collective action makes a real difference.”
