Responsible marketing, from understanding to action
Whether we're talking about the negative effects of over-consumption, or the issues surrounding the use of data collected through information and communication technologies, the discipline of marketing is often singled out, or even blamed (for over-consumption, programmed product obsolescence and many other ills, etc.). Yet marketing has always been rooted in consumer understanding.
Béatrice Siadou-Martin, University of Montpellier; Anne Mione, University of MontpellierJean-Marc Ferrandi, IAE Nantes and Marie-Christine Lichtlé, University of Montpellier
Beyond the commercial sphere
In Roman mythology, Mercury is both the god of trade and of thieves. This image underlines the dialectic of commercial exchange around enrichment, which is not a contemporary issue. Drawing on different perspectives (sociology, psychology, economics, etc.), marketing is concerned with understanding consumer behavior, with the aim of understanding their needs and responding to them by developing products or services.
One of the grievances levelled against marketing is precisely this comprehensive orientation, seen as a prerequisite for manipulation. Without denying the desire to influence a marketing strategy, it is important to be aware of the double movement that exists between supply and demand (in other words, production and consumption) and to recognize marketing's (simple) role as facilitator and translator.
In recent decades, concepts such as consumer satisfaction, value creation, the equilibrium of the consumer-business exchange and the powers exercised in this relationship have attracted the attention of researchers.
After recalling these elements, Pierre-Louis Dubois, Professor Emeritus at the University of Montpellier, proposed the following definition of marketing at the inaugural conference of the MARÉSON University Chair on November 10:
"It's the set of processes implemented by an organization to understand, influence (not manipulate) in the direction of its objectives, and control the exchange between itself and other entities to create value for all stakeholders".
Marketing thus goes far beyond the commercial sphere, and concerns all organizations. They must set their objectives and orientations by identifying and dialoguing with their stakeholders, in order to create value, which should not be reduced to mere economic wealth.
A wide range of issues
The responsibility of marketing, defined in these terms, is therefore not open to debate. Depending on the individual's will, a simple knife may be indispensable for making buttered toast, but it can also become the weapon of a crime. This is not to deny the disastrous consequences of the second use. However, this alone cannot justify the disappearance of all knives.
Going beyond the traditional concept of the company based on economic wealth raises questions about the terms of a new social contract, which does not neglect the creation of an economic resource, a necessary condition for a company's longevity. This requires the company to think in terms of value, and to reconcile the (sometimes divergent) interests of its stakeholders.
Indeed, implementation raises a number of issues. For example: what value and what performance indicators? Which stakeholders in an international company? How can we set ourselves apart from our competitors, who still follow a traditional economic model based solely on economic value? What forms of reporting should be implemented? How can we train tomorrow's managers to be aware of corporate social responsibility?
"Civilizational crisis
At a time when the world is undergoing a "change of imaginary", an understanding attitude (literally, taking together, grasping with intelligence) is becoming a necessity. Faced with these profound upheavals in society, nothing and no-one is immune. We are not facing an economic crisis, but rather a crisis that Sorbonne professor emeritus Michel Maffesoli has described as "civilizational". Post-modernity is therefore in the making...
Far from being able to describe precisely what will come after modernity, Michel Maffesoli provides three keys to reading it: belonging, sensitive reason and "envelopmentalism". Persevering in being leads us to be there, to attach ourselves to daily life to mark our belonging: this short time disrupts our relationship with work, our relationship with others... Beyond the apparent oxymoron of the second key, sensitive reason gives an important place to experience, thus reconciling emotions and reason. Man then seeks to "make of his life a work of art": he is not going to "waste his life earning it", but proposes a profound meaning defined beyond this work value. Finally, "envelopmentalism" is an invitation to localism: place is important, it's the link!
It's important to remember that the human plant needs roots to grow, so the challenge is to rediscover these "forgotten" roots and to foresee possible developments based on this dynamic rooting, while recognizing the humility present in the human being (ecosophy).
The "next world" emerges
While it would appear illusory to attempt to draw up a list of the beginnings of the "post-world", which can be seen as much in protest movements (the "yellow vests" crisis, for example) as in associative involvement, it is interesting to illustrate these conceptual reflections with managerial applications.
Marie Eppe's personal convictions and her desire to direct her professional commitment towards a social project are the driving forces behind the development of her company In Extremis. Drawing on her skills in food formulation and innovation marketing, she proposes to valorize the existing resources of an industry (in this case, bread for incorporation into flour) and to offer up-cycled products (cookies for breakfast and aperitifs). The environmental value of the product is enhanced by its taste and nutritional value.
Likewise, Nouvelles Grisettes was born in March 2020 during the first confinement and displays the desire to design a viable economic model that respects people and their environment. This third-party space offers a range of activities including a tailoring workshop, a concept store, a coworking space, sewing classes, an events service, a café-restaurant, etc., and operates thanks to the voluntary commitment of 170 members.
Like a musical chord, which proposes a harmonious blend of several notes, Etikord is a platform designed to create a space for exchanges between committed consumers and ethical, innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in several European countries. In this way, all players can translate their commitments into reality, drawing on the dual movement between supply and demand to build commercial offers that are more respectful of the surrounding world.
These were the main ideas put forward at the inaugural conference on November 10, entitled "Responsible consumption: an aspiration put to the test", organized by the MARÉSON (MArketing RÉSpONsable et Bien-être) University Chair. The aim of this Chair is to strengthen relations and interactions between academics, practitioners and students, all of whom are concerned by societal issues and wish to question and mobilize marketing to respond to them.
Béatrice Siadou-Martin, University Professor of Management Sciences, University of MontpellierAnne Mione, Professor of strategic marketing, quality management and strategy, University of MontpellierJean-Marc Ferrandi, Professor of Marketing and Innovation at Oniris, IAE Nantes and Marie-Christine Lichtlé, University Professor, University of Montpellier
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read theoriginal article.