Do you think there is a contradiction between marketing principles and the sustainable approach?
Marketing's target is to sell products on focus on a company's goal: profits. However, sustainable development is revolved around a common goal - focused on respecting the environment, such as limiting consumption of electricity, water, etc, and global citizens. Do you think the two notions are contradicting each other? How, and why?

What do you think?

I think it could be a contradiction if the company is just marketing green and do not pay attention on the product's consumption.
If the company is really focus on how to develop a product which is more efficient in term of consumption than an ordinary product but apply to the same benefit than the last on, there is no contradiction anymore.

The company just have to make sure that its product will not use for example to much fossil energy, that the "life" of the produc is not too short and that the product is easy to recycle.

I think we can doing business in a sustainable way without damage the earth and on carring out population.
The contradiction come up when company just want to gain benefit and that's it !!

I think since the conscious of environmental protection has been rising, enterprises who want to make fortunes in next new era should be ready for producing green products.

However, the conscious of environmental protection of current comsumers is still weak. So there seems to be a contradiction which is not small between marketing principles and sustainable approach.

This is very serious and will cause enormous damages to our Earth.

So we can't wait for every consumer to wake and choose green products. What we should do is set a environmental protecting stardards and force every country's government abiding by these standards.

However, as everyone knows, the leader countries, including US and China, all basically refuse to conform to these standands in Copenhagen Climate Council because of economic reasons.

I feel very dissappointed for human shortsightedness.

Yes, there is a contradiction between them.

For most consumer, they don't get enough information that how much pollution made when a product is made.

People may discuss about performance, price, reliability. But few people talk about pollution of a product. So most consumer wont purchase based on eco-friendly.

Like ChienWei's example, Group of Eight say they will reduce carbon emission by half in 40 years. but don't give any other concrete promise.

When it comes to efficiency, using less material and energy to produce more product, everything works fine, like Nike and GE in the article. But when real conflict occurs, I don't think those company care much about the environment, local communities and society. Sweatshop is still everywhere in China, just see the book "The China Price"(《低價中國》). And Wall-mart is the largest exploiter, forcing their suppliers to meet their standard in order to share risk and cost; caring little about the working conditions and just allow the manufacturers to make false document about their working conditions...... In my opinion, companies often just do superficially to gain such thing as "image", little genuine work has done.

I think the two are not contradictory at all. In fact, the sustainable approach to business should be and will be the most profitable. Being environmentally aware and responsible gains stakeholder loyalty and, thus, will provide more long term business. If a company screws over the environment and are depleting resources without any hesitation, people will recognize that and in today's highly publicized society, the business will lose.

I think, as long as sustainability truly is the company's goal, it is okay for a company to try to make profits as well. Maybe if profits came first as a goal for company, and they are sustainable just to earn profits, then it would be a little contradictory. However, its always so hard to tell which companies are being sincere, but I also do agree with Lu. Its part of the recent business, companies are just trying to keep themselves alive.

I can't agree that most people will recognize pollution made by company well. Most people gain these kind information by news, and if companies can let main media not to report their scandal, most people won't know what they do.

For example, Nestle exploit 3rd world farmer to sell their products, but main media few report this issue.

In the 5 mini-cases we have read, the two things seem not to be totally contradictory.
When companies began to take emphasize on sustainability, their revenue was increasing.
Maybe u will say it is maybe a outlier example, but i think it proves that the two things are not totally contradictory.