Book Review: Sustainable Marketing: A Holistic Approach by Mark Peterson

Abstract

In most of the managerial processes, companies and firms often face uncertainty and negligence regarding environmental performance. As a result, unsustainable business practices continue without much care for nature or the environment. This review aims to analyze Mark Peterson’s text, Sustainable Marketing: A Holistic Approach 2021, in comparison with Peterson’s earlier text, Sustainable Enterprise: A Macromarketing Approach 2012 edition. Peterson’s work is the first of its kind to present a holistic approach for businesses to operate ecosustainably while producing material gains at the same time. This review is structured around a brief synopsis of the chapters of the book Sustainable Marketing: A Holistic Approach 2021. This review then compares the 2012 edition with the 2012 edition by first presenting the thematic content similarities, then highlights the differences found between the texts. This review critically analyses Peterson’s more recent text, Sustainable Marketing: A Holistic Approach 2021, and evaluates this text by propounding its most significant and critical points. Afterwards, this review establishes its stance regarding Peterson’s texts. This review should be useful for entrepreneurs, business practitioners, and marketers as well as researchers. Peterson’s Sustainable Marketing text can be an intellect guide for readers regarding successful operation of businesses sustainably and eco-sufficiently. Today’s consumption-driven approach to marketing activities may be said to have led to some unsustainable marketing practices which, in turn, have continued for a long time (Kapeller and Schütz 2015). Further, these unsustainable marketing practices have been growing at an unprecedented rate. Overall, these actions have caused the massive depletion of the Earth’s resources (Hunt 1976). In turn, this has resulted in environmental degradation, pollution, climate change, depletion of resources, and social disparities (Dean and McMullen 2007). Moreover, marketers appear to be only responsive to market demands, regardless of the impact on the environment. Consequently, consumer demands are no longer in line with sustainable marketing. Companies appear to be only pursuing economic goals with less regards for humanity or nature may find their business deteriorating over time (Easterly 2007). In this regard, Mark Peterson, a professor at the University of Wyoming, brings up his magnum opus, Sustainable Marketing: A Holistic Approach 2021, to provide a guide for businesses to learn to operate in a holistic manner— by considering the impact of various marketing activities over the environment and society. This book presents insights into how to identify opportunities during uncertain times with limited resources and to make the best use of them. Moreover, the theme of “macromarketing” introduces ways in which marketing systems impact society and the environment (Hunt 2012). A similar theme is established throughout the book along with answers to the very question of how enterprises can be created as well as sustained without damaging the environment, regardless of the resources available. One of the remarkable features of the 2021 book is that, at the end of each chapter, it provides illustration with examples of corporate tycoons. One such example is in the section “Mavericks Who made it” in order to not just to portray ideas of sustainable enterprise creation but demonstrate it with real life examples. One such example is Ray Anderson, CEO of Interface and Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever. Both of Peterson’s books (the 2012 and 2021 editions) include the rigorous investigation of marketing practices utilized to minimize the adverse impact on society and the environment at large. The time has come to stop harmful practices by adopting a revised version of the triple bottom line strategy. The overall approach should be based on the 3Ps, that is, people, planet and profit. This revised approach does not include the need to relinquish one’s bottom line and use an approach which focusing only on profit and materialistic benefit for the enterprise. Instead, Peterson’s 2021 text succinctly addresses how enterprises, while continuing to receive profits, can still redirect their approach in order to create sustainable ecofriendly products and enable a sense of responsible consumption on the part of the consumers. Overall, the goal is to enhance eco-efficiency, eco-sufficiency and eco-balance. The 2012 book is comprised of four parts. Part 1 of the book includes the background of macromarketing to increase a reader’s knowledge of what is happening in the marketing world today. Part 2 of the book presents factors that are affecting marketing in the 21t century such as empowered consumers, collaborative firm relationships, and globalization. Part 3 of the book deals with the massive issues involving the natural environment and how marketing practices have led to an insane depletion of the natural environment. Part 4 of the book discusses issues related to unequal distribution of wealth among societies, as well as the need for poverty alleviation to foster market development. Peterson presents insights related to hybrid organization and philanthropy where companies work Book and Media Reviews