Ethical Marketing: Is Marketing with Heart the Key? Meet Gabriella Yan, Who Thinks So 🧡

Welcome to "Marketing With Heart", a special edition where we get to know incredible marketing freelancers who are all about putting ethics first. My main goal here is to inspire brands with a strong sense of purpose to take on a more positive, sustainable, impactful, accessible, and inclusive approach to marketing.

I'm seriously stoked about this week's lineup because I've got an unbelievably amazing marketing freelancer to feature. This lady is seriously inspiring, and I couldn't be more grateful that she agreed to be a part of this. Trust me; you're in for a treat!

But before we dive in, I just wanted to take a moment to introduce her to you. 👇

🔸 Gabriella Yan — a bubbly, creative, highly organised and slightly OCD event marketer with a multicultural background, a passion for meticulous planning, a love for storytelling, and is currently redefining the way we explore the world.

How would you describe ethical marketing in your own words?

For me, ethical marketing means marketing honest and fair to the intended target audience and not overselling your product or services while considering the impact on individuals, society, community and the environment. 

Can you share an example of a marketing campaign that you believe successfully incorporated ethical considerations?

I think Patagonia stands out as a socially responsible clothing company that incorporates ethical considerations into their marketing. Evident in their “Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaign, which not only promotes their brand but encourages consumers to consider the impact of their actions on the environment, I thought that was a very smart and witty campaign from a marketing perspective. Patagonia’s commitment to being socially and environmentally responsible is further demonstrated in their stores worldwide, where in Berlin, customers can repair their old clothes and bags and in their stores in Japan, they don’t provide shopping bags of any kind - not even purchasable. These initiatives highlight Patagonia’s dedication to sustainability and promoting positive change which is consistent across all their marketing messages. 

It's important to note that Patagonia has faced recent accusations of not being as sustainable as they portray themselves to be. However, they openly acknowledge that no brand's sustainability efforts are ever truly complete, which I find commendable. As I build my own platform in the sustainability space, it is essential to recognize that achieving 100% sustainability is an ongoing challenge for our society in this century. While "good enough" is never truly enough, it remains crucial for individuals and businesses to do their best in reducing their carbon footprint. Therefore, I continue to view Patagonia as a company that genuinely incorporates ethical considerations into their marketing endeavors.

What are some common ethical dilemmas that you have encountered in your work as a digital marketer, and how did you address them?

I believe one of the ethical dilemmas that digital marketers frequently grapple with is how to balance their personal beliefs with promoting a product or service that they may not genuinely endorse, but are professionally obligated to market. I myself have encountered this dilemma numerous times in my career. To address it, I strive to maintain transparency in my marketing approach. Rather than sugarcoating the product or service, I manage expectations and remain honest while still making the offering appealing to the intended audience.

For example, if I am assigned to promote a green initiative at an event, such as "We do not use any plastic bottles," seemingly to create an illusion of it being a “green” event, I would acknowledge the reality that plastic may still be used in other areas of the event. Rather than marketing the event as completely "plastic-free," I would manage expectations by stating that we are making efforts to reduce plastic use by banning plastic bottles and recycling all other plastic-related items after the event.

Can you share an example of a marketing campaign or tactic that you think is unethical? What makes it unethical, and how could it be improved?

Occasionally, sustainability marketing campaigns undertaken by prominent hospitality groups may raise ethical concerns. Despite these groups having their own sustainability initiatives, there is sometimes a disconnect between the messaging of their campaigns and the actual sustainability practices implemented at the individual hotel level. The complex and extensive operations of hotels present significant challenges in achieving sustainability goals. Although it is acknowledged that hotels are making efforts to overcome these challenges, some marketing campaigns may come across as unrealistic, leading to ethical concerns related to greenwashing.

Inspired by the prevalence of greenwashing in the tourism sector, I have embarked on building my own sustainable travel platform called TRAppe (Travel: Planet, People, Economy). Through TRAppe, I aim to eradicate greenwashing by providing transparency and accurate information to empower individuals in making conscious choices while traveling. My goal is to educate people about the true essence of sustainable tourism and transform the way we explore the world.

What are some key metrics that businesses should use to measure the success of ethical marketing campaigns? How do these metrics differ from traditional marketing metrics?

Unlike traditional marketing metrics that solely focus on sales and revenue, ethical marketing metrics are often more difficult to quantify and may require more in-depth analysis to fully understand their ROI. Here are some metrics which businesses can use:

• Testimonials and Reviews: They are a good way to measure the success of ethical marketing campaigns, it provides credibility to your product or service and improves customer trust.

• Social Media engagement: Measuring social media engagement can help businesses to understand how well their ethical messages is resonating with their target audience

• Brand Reputation: Ethical marketing campaigns can impact a brand’s reputation in a positive way, which can lead to increased customer loyalty and word-of-mouth marketing. 

What advice would you give to a small business owner who wants to make their marketing more ethical but doesn't know where to start?

In my opinion, it all starts with the quality of your product or service. It is crucial to have a strong value proposition and to be transparent and truthful about what you're offering. Attempting to deceive customers with false marketing claims is a risky strategy, as your product or service's true value will eventually become evident. If you promote a product or service with exaggerated or unethical marketing, customers will quickly catch on, leading to a negative impact on your brand and business in the long run. 

Here are some simple steps which I practice in building TRAppe:

• Educate yourself: Read up on ethical marketing practices and learn from others who have successfully implemented them in their businesses (Claudia’s Newsletter is a good place to start 😉). There are many online resources, Google is your friend. 

• Set ethical standards: Create a set of ethical standards for your business and hold yourself accountable to them. 

• Be transparent: Make sure that your marketing messages are transparent and honest. Avoid making false and misleading claims.

• Consider the impact of your marketing: Think about the potential impact of your marketing on your customers, your community, and the environment. Consider ways to minimise any negative impacts and maximise the positive ones.

Always remember that marketing is not a one size fits all solution and it’s an ongoing process, it requires a commitment to continuous improvement and learning.

Final Word 

Thank you again, Gabriella, for sharing your insights and expertise with us. Your participation has given us valuable insights into marketing with heart. And thank you to you, my awesome reader, for joining me on this journey. Every one of us has a role to play in making the world a better place. Let's continue to learn, grow, and make a positive impact, one step at a time. 👣

Pssst… If you're looking for more inspiring marketing freelancers to follow and learn from, make sure to check out Ana Barreiro, Elena Ferrara, Federica Girola, Kathrin Bussmann, Ph.D., Margherita Sgorbissa, Slavina Dimitrova, Yuval Ackerman, and I’m sure many more! We're all in this together, supporting each other in creating a positive impact through our work. So, go ahead and give them some love. 😉

TL;DR

Meet Gabriella Yan, a marketing freelancer who prioritizes ethical practices. She defines ethical marketing as being honest, fair, and considering the impact on individuals, society, and the environment. She highlights Patagonia as a company that successfully incorporates ethics into their marketing through campaigns like "Don't Buy This Jacket" and sustainable store initiatives. Gabriella addresses ethical dilemmas by advocating transparency and managing expectations. She criticizes greenwashing in the hospitality industry and introduces TRAppe, her own platform for transparent sustainable travel. Metrics such as testimonials, social media engagement, and brand reputation can gauge the success of ethical marketing campaigns. For small business owners, she suggests focusing on quality, transparency, and impact, while continuously learning and improving.

Become a part of the Conscious Marketing movement

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Summer Break Alert ☀️

Psst... Just wanted to let you know that I'll be taking a little break from social media for a while. It's important to take some time off every now and then, you know? It really helps us disconnect, recharge our batteries, and see things from a new and refreshed point of view. But don't worry, I won't leave you hanging completely! During this summer, I'll be sharing some incredible insights from conscious marketing advocates that I've come across. And yes, all of this content has been scheduled in advance. 😁

That's all for today!

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