module specification

As marketing & Marketing communications students, you need to be at the forefront of sustainability transformation. Sustainable marketing is a purpose-driven practice that works to orientate businesses, brands and society towards a sustainable future, It involves both influencing & addressing opportunities, across economic and sociocultural systems. Successfully integrating sustainability into marketing planning requires more than just a surface-level approach. In this module you will be equipped with a clear understanding of the changing business, marketing landscape & societal, environmental challenges related to sustainability & societal impacts. Using insights and data you will be able put forward key metrics which take into consideration and deliver against both business and societal / environmental goals sustainability marketing objectives. Taking into consideration ED&I, ethics, human welfare and sustainability you will be equipped to develop a sustainability marketing plan addressing how consumers & stakeholders can be integrated and part of the sustainability journey through appropriate awareness, aspiration, adoption and marketing action.
This module aims to:

• Develop an advanced understanding of the role the impacts
of a range of societal challenges, shifts in stakeholder value chain – values, consumer attitudes and behaviour on organisation and operational dynamics of an organisation

• Develop critical theoretical understanding and practical application including key models, frameworks, and best practices used to build sustainability in marketing planning

• Enable students understanding of designing and implementing effective sustainability marketing planning & barriers to implementation including ethical challenges and reputational risks.

The module also aims to assist students in the acquisition of the following skills:
1. Researching & analysing
2. Application of knowledge and presenting data
3. Critical thinking 
4. Problem solving

Level 4 & Level 5 Marketing modules

Marketing Planning Frameworks- SOSTAC, APIC, PRACE (LO3)

Insights from audits to inform Marketing planning – Analysis of macro microenvironment incorporating key factors driving ethical sustainability agender (LO1)(LO3)
Organisations alongside governments & societies as key drivers for change- UN Social Development Goals, Paris Climate Agreement, Ethical supply chains and partnerships., Inclusive and ethical societies, Decarbonisation targets, Sustainability reporting,, ED&I reporting, Regulations and guidelines re Green Claims Code, EU Green Deal / Green Claims Directive, Edelman Trust Barometer, B-Corp Certification, Social Impact.

Analytical models & frame works to generate insights (LO1) (LO3)
PESTLE, Ansoff matrix, Multifactor matrix, Porters 5 forces, Mednelows power /interest matrix, & competitor analysis, digital marketing audit.

Customer awareness, attitudes and behaviours relating to the social, environmental, and ethical landscape (LO1)(LO3)
Changing customer behaviour- Diversity and equality, Inclusion and ethics, Accessibility, Circular Economy, Sharing Economy. Net Zero Economy.
Shifts in stakeholder value chain – values, attitudes and behaviours, customer journey mapping & experiences. The Consumer/Citizen matrix

Organisations priorities, purpose & impact on marketing & sustainability (LO2)
Mission, values, purpose statements
Goals priorities and objectives aligned Ethical & societal factors –Triple Bottom Line, 5 Pillars of Sustainability, CSR, ESG ratings & materiality reporting. Organisational culture & leadership. Marketing audit & Marketing carbon footprint. Stakeholder partnerships aligned to organisational values Capability, Reputation & Delivery. Resource availability. Organizational

SWOT analysis /TOWS Matrix (LO3)

Determine Short to medium term objectives & SMART objectives and goals which align to the organisational need’s customers, society and the environment. (LO3)
Synergy between offline & online synergy. Relationship marketing/ transactional

Strategic marketing options driving the sustainability agender (LO3)
Evaluation of matrices
ED&I, Societal, Environmental & Ethical
Segmentation Targeting based on attitudes and behaviours, level of understanding and acceptance of sustainability within target groups - Economically, Generationally, Geographically and Societal
Consumer understanding and commitment, cause marketing & Social marketing
Positioning purpose & rationale beyond products and services.
ROI & resources

Campaign Tactics required to underpin and take forward a responsible sustainability/societal & customer experience marketing plan (LO3)
Internal & external communications
7Ps through a responsible lens online & offline.
E.g. Communication Nudge theory, Green Claims/ Green washing

Implementation of sustainability plan to support organisational social and environmental targets (LO3)
Resources – Skills -In house & outsourced
Financial Resources
Technology Martech
Data compliance impact & processes

Determine appropriate metrics to track societal and environmental performance  LO4
Evaluation of performance – KPIs
Marketing dashboards, social behaviours/sentiment, Digital analytics
Links to objectives set, Community impact, Environmental impact, Attitudinal change, internal and external• Stakeholder engagement, • Ethical marketing practice metrics, Social impact. Employee engagement and well-being.

Identify barriers to implementation of sustainability /societal impact plan

The module will be delivered over a 12-week period and consist of a 3 hour workshop 1 hour imparting knowledge concepts & frameworks to facilitate marketing planning and applied sustainability topics.  The 2-hour section of the workshop will consist of a focus on key issues, concepts of sustainably marketing and their application to real life sustainability marketing planning situations. This will assist on building knowledge on the key topic areas in sustainability & Marketing planning. A blended learning approach will be students through web learn will be given material in advance to prepare for the workshop & assessment. Students are expected to prepare material. Additionally, the workshops will serve to anchor knowledge through small group discussions, problem solving analysis and planning skill activities and interchange of questions answers and debate. The aim will be to on enabling students to apply knowledge into real life scenarios to prepare them for the individual assessments. A formative assessment will be set in week 6 to enable students to collate and analyse material for a sustainability marketing audit. Formative feedback will be given in workshops based on student’s ability to work through the given material. This has been designed to assist and build on research and analysis skills in developing a sustainability marketing plan and facilitate further problem-solving techniques in the development of objectives, strategies tactics in targeting appropriate target segments and assess & evaluate implementation & control of the plan. The use of WeLearn facilities is central to the delivery of module handbook, case studies, external web links and student feedback. Students will also be encouraged to use web learn blogs to share their views of contemporary sustainability marketing issues.  As part of their personal development, students will be encouraged to consider the development of digital skills

Th assessment strategy is for students to research & build a sustainability marketing plan for a given scenario & prepare their material for an open book exam where they will be assessed with the use of set questions the application of their sustainability marketing plan. 

 

On completing the module students will be able to:
1.  Research & critically review the changing societal and environmental landscape and its wider audit concepts, and what that means for business and society.

2. Develop & critically apprise how marketing can align objectives to support the business, societal and environmental agendas in a given scenario.

3.  Devise & construct a well justified marketing plan which evaluates appropriate analytical tools and techniques in targeting, tactics & processes to implement & support societal change in a given scenario.

4. Evaluate appropriate metrics to track societal and environmental performance & wider implementation tools & measurements to facilitate decision-making processes in the future

Library Reading List link
https://rl.talis.com/3/londonmet/lists/6E577D1C-FDFD-C535-3B7E-68FE358979D7.html?lang=en-GB&login=1

Core Textbooks

Richardson N. (2024) Sustainable Marketing Planning 2nd Edition Routledge Taylor Franceis
https://www.routledge.com/Sustainable-Marketing-Planning/Richardson/p/book/9781032561721

Randle P. Alexis Eyre A. (2023) Sustainable Marketing: The Industry’s Role in a Sustainable Future Kogan page
https://www.koganpage.com/marketing-communications/sustainable-marketing-9781398613133

Carvill  M .Butler  G. (2024) Can Marketing Save the Planet?: 101 Practical Ways to Use Sustainable Marketing as a Force for Good Bloomsbury
https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/can-marketing-save-the-planet-9781399411219/#

McDonald, M. Wilson H , Chaffey D. (2024) Marketing Plans: Profitable Strategies in the Digital Age, 9th Edition Wiley
https://www.wiley.com/en-gb/Marketing+Plans%3A+Profitable+Strategies+in+the+Digital+Age%2C+9th+Edition-p-9781394187300#tableofcontents-section

Hastings G. , Domegan  C. (2023) Social Marketing Principles and Practice for Delivering Global Change Routledge
https://www.routledge.com/Social-Marketing-Principles-and-Practice-for-Delivering-Global-Change/Hastings-Domegan/p/book/9781032059679

Hooley G.  Piercy N. Nicoulaud  B. (2024) Marketing Strategy and Competitive Positioning, 8th edition Pearson
https://www.pearson.com/en-gb/subject-catalog/p/marketing-strategy-and-competitive-positioning/P200000010811/9781292741925

Helpful sources
Roberson M. (2025) Sustainability Principles and Practice 4rd Edition  Routledge
https://www.routledge.com/Sustainability-Principles-and-Practice/Robertson/p/book

Journals
Journal of Sustainable Marketing
Sustainability
Marketing Intelligence & Planning
Journal of Marketing

Helpful websites
Chartered institute of Marketing CIM sustainability Marketing Hub https://www.cim.co.uk/sustainable-marketing-hub/

The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising
https://ipa.co.uk/knowledge/industry-sustainability-resources

Advertising Standards Authority
https://www.asa.org.uk/codes-and-rulings/rulings.html

The Market Research Society (MRS)
https://www.mrs.org.uk/resources/green-resources

Data Marketing Association  Awards
https://dma.org.uk/awards/filter/curate

https://dma.org.uk/awards/filter/curate/categories/thoughtful_marketing%2Bsustainability%2Binclusive_marketing
https://dma.org.uk/awards/filter/curate/categories/inclusive_marketing

https://dma.org.uk/awards/filter/curate/categories/sustainability%2Binclusive_marketing

Responsibility Reports https://www.responsibilityreports.com/Browse/Industry

msci .com
https://www.msci.com/data-and-analytics/sustainability-solutions/esg-ratings-climate-search-tool

https://www.msci.com/data-and-analytics/sustainability-solutions/esg-industry-materiality-map

Sustainabilityanalytics  https://www.sustainalytics.com/esg-ratings

ZeroTracker net.
https://zerotracker.net/

World Benchmarking alliance
https://www.worldbenchmarkingalliance.org/publication/chrb/companies/