Sustainability is one of the biggest conversations in business today alongside AI, and embedding the right mindset and practices into marketing requires rethinking through a sustainable lens. Like digital transformation, the shift will entail bringing the right or new skills and a new way of thinking and working.

The operating environment is changing, global developments are happening in relation to corporate reporting standards for sustainability and climate risk. Greenwashing laws and guidelines are being tightened and external pressures continue to increase from the stakeholder chain as consumers, employees and investors look to businesses to be more responsible and tackle societal issues.

Led by Gemma Butler, co-founder of Can Marketing Save the Planet Ltd, host of the podcast series by the same name, and co-author of the book ‘Sustainable Marketing, How to Drive Profits with Purpose’, the Certificate in Sustainable Marketing is a 3 module masterclass series aimed at making marketers part of the solution in building sustainable markets and re-shaping much needed societal behaviors. This is the first program of its kind offered in the United States. The next series starts September 29, 2023.  The Certificate in Sustainable Marketing has received positive feedback with those attending commenting, “This workshop was very insightful on the strategic role marketing plays in Sustainability for the organization.” And, “This class is exactly what I need to help launch a Sustainable Marketing strategy and future company policy.”

With a specific focus on what marketers need to be aware of and greenwashing, the masterclass series explores what sustainable marketing looks like and how to do it, rethinking all guises of marketing through a responsible lens. Providing the right knowledge and skills is a key learning outcome to ensure marketers are well placed to protect their brand’s reputation, build trust, and feel confident that their communications strategies and plans support their organization’s sustainable agendas and contribute to driving positive change.

Points covered, as well as skills taught:

• An understanding of the operating environment at a Macro level.
• What all the above means for business and marketing, and its role as a catalyst for change.
• The challenges but more importantly the opportunities for business and marketers.
• How marketers have a big role to play in transitioning to a more sustainable future.
• Greenwashing, what it is, how it shows up, and an awareness of the increasing regulations and guidelines around consumer protection.
• What to know and what to consider when it comes to making green claims.
• Sustainable marketing and what it means for marketing strategies and plans.
• How to shape new mindsets and behaviors, the channels and tactics involved, and how to use them efficiently and aligned to sustainable agendas.

Having spent the last 3 years immersed in the subject of sustainable marketing, the instructor Gemma Butler says “Marketers need to recognize that they are inherently part of the problem but can also be a significant part of the solution, using their skillsets to influence, change behaviors, drive innovation and build communities which lead to collective action. Marketers have one of the biggest and most exciting roles ahead of them, but they need to increase their awareness and upskill.”

Green jobs and skillsets are increasing at scale, the World Economic Forum’s Future of Job Report 2023 highlights, “Companies face pressure to accelerate their green transition as just over 1 in 4 adults say sustainability is one of their top non-negotiables for a new job.” Through data collaboration with LinkedIn, the report reveals that, “The fastest-growing roles relative to their size today are driven by technology, digitalization and sustainability.” Sustainable transformation is more than a trend and is becoming an imperative for organizations and marketers to understand.

You can find out more information on the Certificate in Sustainable Marketing here.

About The Direct Marketing Association of Northern California

The Direct Marketing Association of Northern California was formed to educate, inform, and provide networking opportunities for direct and online marketing professionals in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.

The organization offers local events, free webinars, and best-in-class live online education worldwide through our masterclasses and certification programs, taught by world-renowned instructors. Masterclass topics include AI, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Google Analytics, AI for Digital Marketing, YouTube Marketing, Google Advertising, Email Marketing, Copywriting, Video Production, Podcasting, Account-Based Marketing (ABM), organic and paid Social Media, B2B Marketing Strategy, and more. More than 3,000 professionals take advantage of over 150 masterclasses dates and times offered per year.

Learn more about the DMAnc.org’s masterclasses here.