When Sustainability Becomes Strategy: Rethinking the Marketing Mix
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66635/53hknq97Keywords:
Sustainability, Marketing Mix, Competitive Advantage, ESG Integration, Greenwashing, GreenhushingAbstract
In this study, the evolving function of sustainability in marketing strategy is analyzed based on the emergence of sustainability as the new "eighth" P in the marketing mix paradigm. Analyzing interdisciplinary literature ranging from 2015 to 2026, the research studies how the concept of sustainability evolves from merely being an activity related to communicating and reporting about corporate performance to a strategic governance approach influencing marketing decision-making. Based on an extensive body of literature dedicated to such concepts as sustainability marketing, ESG reporting, greenwashing, greenhushing, sustainability governance, and competitive advantage, the research identifies three main stages of sustainability evolution: symbolic addition, strategic differentiation, and integrated governance architecture. At the symbolic stage, sustainability represents mostly a tool of communication; at the stage of strategic differentiation, it influences product, price, place, and promotion aspects of marketing. Lastly, at the integrated stage, sustainability evolves into a cross-cutting governance approach underlying marketing decisions. Moreover, the research proves that the degree to which sustainability is incorporated varies depending on regulatory requirements, stakeholders' pressure, feasibility to measure, and the depth of governance in respective industries. By differentiating sustainability from Corporate Social Responsibility and ESG measurement systems, the paper advances marketing theory by viewing the marketing mix as a strategic governance system.
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