NU:NE_PH_SUM Sustainable Marketing

NE_PH_SUM Sustainable Marketing

NEWTON University
winter 2025

Extent and Intensity

0/2. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: graded credit.

Teacher(s)

Graeme Murray, BA (Hons), MSc (seminar tutor)

Guaranteed by

Graeme Murray, BA (Hons), MSc
Centre for International Programmes – International programmes – NEWTON University

Timetable of Seminar Groups

NE_PH_SUM/01: Fri 9:40–11:10 PH Učebna 09, G. Murray

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is offered to students of any study field.

Course objectives

This course critically examines the role of marketing in the era of sustainability. Students will learn about the principles of sustainable marketing, gain a deeper understanding on the rise of sustainable-conscious citizens, and comprehend the key factors at play influencing corporate sustainable practices. Students will explore how companies navigate these trade-offs while facing existential strategic dilemmas around climate change, consumption, decarbonisation, supply chains, employee activism, and shifting social expectations.

The course emphasises the roles of governance, influence, and coalition-building as central skills for future marketers. Students will learn to address and manage difficult conversations about ethics, capitalism, consumption, aspiration, growth, purpose, and marketing, while applying critical thinking from real-world cases.

By the end, students will not only understand sustainable marketing strategies but also be equipped to develop credible, practical marketing approaches that can promote positive change in the business world.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

Understand the evolution of the marketing discipline.

Understand the development and context of sustainable marketing.

Understand the terminology associated with sustainability.

Understand the effects of our current consumption-driven materialistic lifestyles.

Demonstrate knowledge of concepts and definitions of sustainable marketing.

Understand the commercial, societal and environmental perspectives of sustainable marketing.

Make a compelling case for companies to look beyond the business-as-usual marketing approach.

See that current linear value chains are clearly unsustainable and destructive.

Understand concepts like the circular economy, purpose-driven business, Sustainable Development Goals, Doughnut Economics, the sharing and kindness economies, net zero, emissions, marketing footprint, marketing brainprint and others.

Understand why sustainability initiatives often fail and how to overcome them.

Debate ethical tensions around capitalism, consumerism, values, purpose, and the future role of marketing.

Apply theory to practice by interrogating real company case studies facing dilemmas in decarbonisation, supply chains, consumer trust, or employee activism.

Propose credible, sustainable marketing strategies that balance stakeholder needs while resisting greenwashing and superficial approaches.

Syllabus

Week 1 - Introduction – what is it and why does it matter?

Week 2 - The case for sustainable marketing

Week 3 - The Anthropocene, marketing’s uneasy relationship with sustainability and the case for going green

Week 4 - Business as usual marketing, production, consumption, the story of stuff and learnings from the telecoms industry regarding sustainability

Week 5 - Purpose-driven business, the rise of purpose marketing, greenwashing and do consumers care about purpose

Week 6 - The rise of greenwashing and its different forms, greenwashing in action, the effects of greenwashing, some

sustainability fails and reasons why

Week 7 - The demand for change, consumers v citizens, living a lower carbon lifestyle, consumers & sustainability, encouraging sustainable behaviour

Week 8 - Net Zero, Emissions, Brands reimagining their footprint, frameworks to improve human wellbeing

Week 9 - Marketing footprint, Marketing brainprint and examples, optimizing the marketing mix

Week 10 - Looking at demand differently; the sustainable marketing compass; and the effectiveness 2.0 model

Week 11 - The future of sustainable production & consumption, creating value, changing mindset, delivering value and transforming marketing

Teaching methods