The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) has revealed that 40% of marketers would like to receive a marketing qualification relating to sustainability but don’t yet possess one.
This is despite the fact that the number of marketers working on material related to sustainability is rapidly increasing, with 76% saying that they have engaged with this type of work in the last five years.
The need for training is especially clear as 49% of marketers have said that they are wary of working on sustainability projects out of fear of being accused of greenwashing. The need for brands to get their sustainability messaging right is increasingly key, with 63% of adults agreeing that brands should increase communications around the sustainability of their products and services.
“As marketers, we are all responsible for being proactive in implementing positive changes and embracing environmentally friendly working practices,” Chartered Institute of Marketing CEO, Chris Daly, said.
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“If the marketing profession is to deliver meaningful and tangible change at scale then, as an industry, we must do more to address the sustainability skills gap and ensure that marketers are equipped with the skills they need to work confidently on environmental campaigns which can encourage others, and drive the positive responsible behavioural changes needed within society.”
He added: “Ignoring the environmental crisis is not an option, and CIM’s new Sustainability Marketing Skills Gap report shows that marketers and businesses alike, who chose to do so, risk falling behind in their own careers and missing out on one of the biggest opportunities ahead.
“Marketers need to use their unique skill sets to influence, change behaviours, drive innovation and build communities where collective action makes a real difference.”
This is even more pertinent considering the CIM’s finding that 59% of 18-34 year-olds will let their purchases be dictated by how sustainable a brand appears to be, as opposed to only 31% of those aged 55 and above.
