Sustainable marketing as a response to contemporary challenges facing companies in Poland

Abstract

The fact, that the volatility of the environment affects the way the companies operate in the market is evident (Kotler and Keller 2013, Herman and Szablewski 1999, Obłój 1989) However, changes taking place outside the company have different sources, different nature and strength of influence, and thus induce different responses (Drucker 2009). A strong trend in recent years is the search for formulas of activity related to sustainable development. The authors state a hypothesis that the adaptation of sustainable development concept in marketing activity is an adequate answer to changes occurring in the environment. Some important attempts of integrating non-economic company goals with marketing strategy are made in the literature. However the concept of sustainable marketing is the most complex one. The aim of the paper is to characterize a contemporary business environment of polish companies, to identify sources of crisis of traditional marketing activities as well as conceptualize sustainable marketing concept. The authors have also analysed research results run so far on polish market regarding the scope of use of sustainable marketing in order to indicate existing research gaps in this field. To achieve these goals a deduction technic had been used as well as secondary sources of information, like research reports prepared by external research agencies. The analysis of research results run among companies operating in Poland drives to conclusion that sustainable activities regard mainly the general company strategy connected with pro-social and pro-ecological activities, not stricte marketing activities. Research results presented in the paper also lead to the conclusion that there is no comprehensive research on the instrumental approach to sustainable marketing activities.

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Sustainable marketing as a response to contemporary challenges
facing companies in Poland
Edyta Rudawska
University of Szczecin, Poland
Ewa Frąckiewicz
University of Szczecin, Poland
Małgorzata Wiścicka
University of Szczecin, Poland
Research grant financed by the National Science Centre in Poland, Harmonia Funding,
registration no. 2014/14/M/HS4/00891 (Head: prof. US Edyta Rudawska)
Abstract
The fact, that the volatility of the environment affects the way the companies operate in
the market is evident (Kotler and Keller 2013, Herman and Szablewski 1999, Obłój
1989) However, changes taking place outside the company have different sources,
different nature and strength of influence, and thus induce different responses (Drucker
2009). A strong trend in recent years is the search for formulas of activity related to
sustainable development. The authors state a hypothesis that the adaptation of
sustainable development concept in marketing activity is an adequate answer to
changes occurring in the environment.
Some important attempts of integrating non-economic company goals with marketing
strategy are made in the literature. However the concept of sustainable marketing is the
most complex one. The aim of the paper is to characterize a contemporary business
environment of polish companies, to identify sources of crisis of traditional marketing
activities as well as conceptualize sustainable marketing concept. The authors have
also analysed research results run so far on polish market regarding the scope of use of
sustainable marketing in order to indicate existing research gaps in this field. To achieve
these goals a deduction technic had been used as well as secondary sources of
information, like research reports prepared by external research agencies.
The analysis of research results run among companies operating in Poland drives to
conclusion that sustainable activities regard mainly the general company strategy
connected with pro-social and pro-ecological activities, not stricte marketing activities.
Research results presented in the paper also lead to the conclusion that there is no
comprehensive research on the instrumental approach to sustainable marketing
activities.
Key words: sustainable marketing, polish market, CSR, marketing orientation
Changes in the business environment of companies
The development and success of modern business ventures is strongly determined by
the changes that occur beyond their boundaries. Identifying these changes and,
consequently, taking adequate action is becoming increasingly difficult due to the
intensity and variety of new emergent phenomena. Simultaneously, the environment
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itself constitutes a basic independent variable that influences the way in which specific
areas of the company function. For many years, source literature has stressed that
despite the importance of internal factors at a company's disposal, it is the environment
that plays the more significant role in the company's life because it is a source of
uncertainty (e.g.: Kotler and Keller, 2013, Herman and Szablewski 1999, Obłój, 1989,
Koźmiński and Piotrowski 2007). Therefore, one ought to agree with G. Nizard's (1998 p
11) statement that ‘what happens in the surroundings has greater meaning for the
survival of an organisation than that which happens within it’.
M. Castells (2004 p. 4, p 48) describes the world as a ‘space of flows’ that occur in a
manner that is unlimited and dynamic, and create, enrich, or destroy the bonds between
units on both economic and social grounds. These relations are not limited to one or
several systems but are spreading on a global scale. Due to the revolution in
information-communication technology, globalisation has accelerated considerably,
which brought on positive consequences, i.e. civilizational progress, increased
democratisation of societies, increased client awareness, and the reinforcement of
consumer organisations. At the same time, however, it has revealed and strengthened
the following negative consequences (Adamczyk 2009, p 16, Kramer 2014, pp 25-26):
1. Intensifying the disparity in people's living standards and quality of life.
2. Excessive consumerism.
3. The violent degradation of the natural environment.
4. The excessive exploitation of natural resources.
5. Economic scandals.
6. The financial crisis.
Parallel to the processes of globalisation, other phenomena are growing in intensity, i.e.
the expansion of ICT, the shift from an industrial society into one of information and
knowledge, the increasing number of highly saturated markets, the radical change in
the growth curve of market phases, the shortening of products' life cycle, the permanent
search for new sources of competitive advantages, the growing internationalisation of
companies, and other (Herman and Szablewski 1999, pp 14-17; Morawski, 2006, pp
82-83). Their consequences become apparent in many different areas, also in the
changing of relationships between companies and their clients, because they are
reflected in the changes of client behaviour as well. Due to the access to rich sources of
information, the ease and speed of acquiring them, the position of clients in relation to
companies has undergone significant reinforcement.
The environment in which today's companies’ function is unstable, but more importantly
– it is increasingly unforgiving. P. Drucker (2009, pp. 7-8) writes about deep
transformations, often drastic ones, which do not allow for utilising old models of
behaviour because the challenges faced by companies today are completely different
from those in the past. That is why these companies, as well as the managers running
them, are met with completely new expectations, also ones beyond economics.
These violent, varied, and global transformations are leading to the ascertainment that
one of their consequences should be the abandonment of the current management
paradigm aimed at profit maximisation, and taking a path of social responsibility and
steady, constant progress. The goal of this approach is to gain the acceptance for
company activities within both its internal and external environments. A justification of
such an approach is the fact that business itself constitutes a part of social life, a logical
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consequence of which is that business should serve society and its natural
environment, not harm it. Thereby increases the significance of following moral
principles and business ethics, as does social and ecological involvement of market
entities, which should also be reflected in the company's marketing management.
Meanwhile, the current marketing practices of numerous businesses keep arousing
controversy in this regard, which serves as a source of much criticism toward the
concept in question.
Criticism against marketing theory and practice
While considering the process of marketing development, its character interdisciplinary
should be stressed. In its initial stages of development, marketing was connected
directly with economics, while its current evolution associates marketing with
management. There is also a third area of research in marketing, a behavioural one,
which is associated with social paradigms (Mazurek-Łopacińska and Sobocińska 2013,
pp 5-15.). Marketing knowledge combines elements of other fields and sciences,
including philosophy and psychology. This disciplinary variety contributes to the
multidirectional development of marketing, but also fuels frequent criticism from the
representatives closely associated with a given field. Critics such as E. Fromm, for
instance, believe that linking marketing with psychology contributes to: confusing the
consumer, moral degradation, authorising the dictate of fashion and consumerism,
supporting a climate of unrest, facilitating price discrimination and ‘invading’ private
lives, devaluating human rights, and drawing attention away from important social goals
(Gugin, Langer and Mróz 1998, pp 35-39).
Another reason behind the conflicts is the fact that marketing combines theoretical
consideration and practice. This prompts some researchers to stress its insignificant
theoretical (scientific) character, while others find its practical aspect difficult to
measure. Scholars most often accuse marketing of lacking its own academic
achievements and research methods. At the same time, business representatives point
out the imprecise measurability of the effects of marketing, the low efficiency, and the
ungrounded costs of marketing activity. Other areas of conflict regarding the essence of
marketing include: seeing marketing as sales or advertising, confusing marketing with
product management and customer support (McDonald and Wilson 2013, pp 30-31.).
Hence the negative assessment of traditional marketing increased in recent years,
particularly of its status and meaning, which is apparent in numerous publications.
Understanding and seeing marketing as a company-running philosophy and concept is
becoming increasingly popular. Such a mindset is a factor in the success of a company
(Rudawska 2012, pp 69-80). The customer focus, generally defined as providing the
values they appreciate, should be fundamental.
For decades, marketing has been treated as a tool for maximising sales and profit,
which contributed greatly to increasing the environmental and social hazard. The
reason behind this is acknowledging that an important marketing goal is to increase
consumption and maximise profit through satisfying all the client's needs. Despite it
adopting the concept of sustainability, even modern marketing remains anthropocentric,
which is due to striving toward the fulfilment of the client's needs above all else. This
means that the world and its resources revolve around the consumer, and their needs
must be satisfied. Such a view of marketing activity is opposed to the ecocentric
concept as well as the actual sustainability concept.
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Increasingly more attention is drawn towards marketing activities that focus on product
innovation, which contributes to the increase in new products while simultaneously
shortening the product life cycle. The excessive exploitation of natural resources
needed to create new products, polluting the environment with ‘old’ products and their
packaging, as well as intense distribution are all conducive to the development of
irrational consumer behaviour. Mass marketing activities are also seen as responsible
for the changes in consumer behaviour, stemming from progressing consumerism.
Overconsumption, consumer anxiety, hurried shopping, on-impulse decisions, striving
for personal gain, virtualisation, and servitisation are behaviours characteristic of
economic consumers. Sustainable consumer behaviour stands in direct opposition
(Pabian 2013, pp 183-193.) and is characterised, among other things, by greening,
dematerialisation, prosumption, and deconsumption (Mazurek-Łopacińska and
Sobocińska 2011, p 15.).
The constant stimulation of clients' needs through marketing activities makes the
modern client engage in mutually exclusive behaviours. On one hand the client is
rational, on the other – erratic, rash, and prone to shopping on impulse.
Also noticeable is the fact that consumers are enjoying increasing access to information
and the possibility of confronting it, which is due to the faster spread of new media,
information technology, and artificial intelligence. This makes consumers more critical of
mass marketing activities and the products they are offered. They are also growing
desensitised to promotional activities, rendering traditional marketing methods
ineffective. The challenges faced by marketing today are time, social expectation,
environmental needs, business ethics, and outcome awareness. Considering the
aforementioned multifacetedness of marketing, especially that stemming from modern
companies' unprecedented dynamic environmental changes, new research is required.
Topics that need to be undertaken include: value-based marketing, ethical problems in
marketing, social reception of marketing, and the role of marketing in social,
environmental, and business domains.
Green marketing, social marketing, responsible marketing … in search of an adequate
answer
Despite various determinants regarding how a company functions, marketing expresses
the company's activities that are closest to the consumer. This denotes knowledge of
the consumer's needs and preferences. Marketing acts as a ‘catalyst’ for the interests of
the company and the client, and it undergoes transformations, as does the particular
environment where marketing takes place. A list of successive definitions provided by
the American Marketing Association (AMA) may serve to visualise the changes in
perceiving the role of marketing:
1. 1935: Marketing is a business activity that facilitates the transfer of goods and
services from producers to consumers.
2. 1985: Marketing is the process of planning and implementing concepts, managing
prices, promotion, and distribution of ideas, services, and goods in order to lead to an
exchange that will satisfy the needs of individual and institutional buyers.
3. 2004: Marketing is an organisational function and a set of processes whose goal is to
create, communicate, and provide value to consumers, as well as to manage relations
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with consumers in a way that benefits the organisation and its shareholders (Darroch,
Miles and Cooke 2004, p 31).
4. 2013: Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating,
communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers,
clients, partners, and society at large (https://www.ama.org/AboutAMA/Pages/Definition-
of-Marketing.aspx, access 28.11.2015).
Upon analysing the definitions above, one may conclude that the essence of marketing
‘shifts’ from representing primarily the interests of the company to an increasing
acknowledgement of the important role of the client and, finally, society in general.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise that when clients show an interest in ecology or seek
products that are both healthy and environment-friendly, companies exhibit innovation
regarding new offers. At the turn of the 1990s this innovative thinking was embodied in
so-called green marketing (also known as environmental or ecological marketing). The
idea initially referred to how the product is made, and later incorporated protecting the
environment and saving energy as well. Nowadays, green marketing is associated with
activities such as (Kramer 2014, p 31.):
1. Care for locally-sourced raw materials and health-promoting effects of products.
2. Dignified and fair treatment of employees, suppliers, and clients, broader practice of
presumption.
3. Creating cooperative consumption projects, enhancing media statements with
information on the projects and effects of prosumption and cooperative consumption.
However, the discussions on the role that marketing ought to fulfil in relation to society
had been undertaken in the literature before. Its goal of stimulating increasingly high
and mass consumption has been questioned, and attention has been drawn to
increased social sensitivity. Social marketing according to Ph. Kotler and G. Zaltman
(1971, p 5) was defined in 1971 as ‘design, implementation and control of programs
calculated to influence the acceptability of social ideas and involving considerations of
product planning, pricing, communication, distribution, and marketing research’.
Currently, Ph. Kotler and K.L. Keller (2013, p 26) note that due to the wide spread of
goods and consumers’ increased social awareness, for many companies it is engaging
in socially responsible programs that constitutes a key source of competitive advantage,
as well as means of building consumers’ preferences. This, in turn, allows for significant
benefits in terms of sales and profit. Like never before, marketing is facing a challenge
of merging three elements that have hitherto been discrete: generating profit, providing
stakeholders with value, and caring for public interest. This way of seeing marketing
undoubtedly corresponds to the now widespread concept of sustainability.
The concept of sustainable marketing
The aforementioned changes in companies’ business environment as well as criticism
against marketing theory and practice imply the necessity for changing the assumptions
on which the modern marketing concept is based. For many markets and organisations,
issues associated with sustainable market activities have gained much significance and
have become a key factor in business strategies. A view that has been enforced for
many years is that a company’s competitive position depends on efficiently
implementing a market orientation. Faced with the indicated changes, it seems today
that a modification of this approach in favour of a sustainable marketing concept is
becoming necessary.
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In contrast to a market orientation that aims to maximise short-term economic value, the
sustainable concept of marketing additionally looks for sources of business success in
creating long-term social and environmental value. It is understood as a process of
marketing management wherein companies implement rules for sustainable activities in
order to satisfy the needs of a given organisation's clients and stakeholders by following
value systems that are profitable and socially responsible. This results in generating
positive long-term economic, social, and environmental results (Mitchell, Wooliscroft
and Higham 2010, pp 160-170). The sustainable concept of marketing thus creates
possibilities of supporting the marketing concept by eliminating or at least minimising its
negative influence on the environment and boosting its positive effect on society.
Although sustainability has become an influential concept in different fields of business
management, its development seems to motivate changes in marketing to the greatest
extent. Marketing, whether seen as the philosophy behind a company's actions or one
of the key elements (functions) of an organisation, being the most involved in the
relations between a company and its environment, ought to serve as the business's
central focus on sustainability and be its main source (Rudawska 2013, p 79). Apart
from the necessity to fulfil needs and to profit, its current definition also talks about
creating, communicating, and providing value for consumers, partners, and society. In
this context it is difficult to disagree with Ph. Kotler's ascertainment from 2010: that we
have entered the stage of marketing 3.0, wherein success will depend, among other
things, on the ability to consider ethical, environmental, and social values in our
consumer-oriented activities, and not only functional or emotional values. In his book
Confronting Capitalism: Real Solutions for a Troubled Economic System he also poses
a question about what to do in order for capitalism to share its profits with a larger group
of stakeholders (Kotler 2015). The author points out the necessity of designing and
implementing policies whose goal is to create social, ethical, and environmental value.
Therefore, by focusing on implementing pro-social and pro-environmental activities and
retaining economic efficiency, marketing can be seen as an element included within the
concept of sustainability, as well as an activity that supports it (Hunt 2011, pp 7-20.) This
has been reflected in the way that the concept of marketing is conceptualised, and it is
called sustainable marketing.
A review of the literature leads to the conclusion that this concept, like marketing itself,
is subject to various interpretations. Directly referring to the traditional concept of
marketing, F. Belz and K. Peattie (2014, p 29) define it as the planning, organisation,
implementing, and control of marketing resources and programs aimed at client
satisfaction, while also taking into account the company’s economic goals. Referring to
the concept of relationship marketing, they define sustainable marketing as the creating
and maintaining of relations with customers, social and natural environment entities. As
their basis, D. Martin and J. Schouten (2014, p 18) have adopted the AMA-proposed
concept of marketing, officially accepted in 2013, and consider it still valid today. They
view marketing as the creating, communicating, and providing of value for clients in
such a way that natural capital (the ecosystem) as well as human capital (labour, talent,
creativity) are retained or enhanced in the long term.
The significance of marketing for implementing the concept of sustainability can be
considered in micro- and macroscale. On one hand, it encompasses strategic marketing
decisions on an organisational level, i.e. establishing marketing values and goals of a
sustainable nature, as well as decisions associated with planning sustainable marketing
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mix strategies. Taking into account the three aforementioned aspects of the
sustainability concept on a microscale it involves relations and attitudes of market
entities across the entire value chain. On the other hand, on a macroscale, sustainable
marketing is seen as an activity that serves to improve society’s quality of life and to
solve socio-environmental issues (Kilbourne 2008, p 189). Sustainable marketing
activities can translate to changes in consumer models and lifestyles with undesirable
social, environmental, and economic impact.
Figure 1. Respondents’ opinions on social marketing activities (in %, N=387).
Source: (Wojnarowska 2014, p. 200)
Although, as presented above, the concept of sustainable marketing and its theoretical
background are not a finished process, analysis of business activity is present in the
literature. The cases analysed, however, are markets and companies that have
significantly greater marketing experience than their Polish counterparts.
The scope of implementing the concept of sustainable marketing in Polish companies
Marketing is naturally associated with markets wherein competitive mechanics are at
work. In Poland, such conditions arose in 1989 when political, social, and economic
transformations took place. The process of change cannot be considered finished, since
Polish economy became a part of global economy, which undergoes constant
transformation. Nevertheless, Polish companies are adjusting to the new conditions
created by market rivalry, albeit to varying degrees.
Considering what has been said above, it comes as no surprise that the first research
projects aiming to diagnose the degree of companies’ market orientation arose in the
early 1990s. Their subject was the level of managers’ knowledge on marketing and the
extent to which it was used within companies in question (Fonfara 1994, pp 22-26).
Although similar projects have been conducted by various institutions and on varying
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scales in the following years, they allow for the conclusion that a clear shift in Polish
companies’ market orientation is taking place in favour of spreading marketing concepts
and rules of behaviour in a competitive market. The most recent research was
conducted in 2013, on the 25th anniversary of Poland adopting the rules of a market
economy. Social marketing was one of the elements researched as part of managers’
opinions on new marketing concepts.
According to the collected data it is impossible to draw a clear conclusion regarding
Polish managers’ attitude towards this concept (Figure 1). More than half of the
researched firms (53.2%) practise it despite their ambivalent attitude, or do not practise
it despite their positive attitude. Almost a third of the respondents declared a positive
assessment of the concept of social marketing, pointing out that instances of not
implementing it are due to not having the possibility. Only 20% of the subjects have
been practising social marketing for an extended period and accepted it completely.
Every fourth subject has no opinion on the matter, regardless of business type or its
main market.
Among the socially responsible marketing activities undertaken, the top one was the
organisational, financial, and in-kind support of public benefit institutions (e.g.
orphanages, hospitals, foundations) (Figure 2). The sponsorship of social programs
(e.g. in the fields of education, culture, science, environmental protection, benefitting the
local community) came in second, while activities aimed at protecting the natural
environment – third. Relatively few companies have organised social marketing
campaigns or engaged their employees in these ways. The researchers noticed that
undertaking such activities was most often associated with the scope of the given
business (mainly producers of consumer goods) as well as workforce size (generally
companies employing more than 1,000 people).
Figure 2. Social marketing activities (in %, N=422)
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Source: Ibidem, p. 204.
The research presented is the first and as yet the only one conducted by a scientific
institution on such a large scale. Practitioners have also made an attempt to research
sustainable marketing. Qualitative research conducted in 2011, in the form of individual
in-depth interviews among 8 representatives of mid-sized and large companies, shows
that respondents associate sustainable marketing activities mainly with the process of
marketing communication. Managers stressed that responsible marketing constitutes
communication activities that convey information about a product or service honestly
and clearly, without any falsehoods or confusion. Activities that involve offering a
responsible product, i.e. environment-friendly packaging, was considered the second
most important association. Respondents also underlined the educational nature of
marketing activities – the promotion of a healthy lifestyle, safe consumption of products
classed as stimulants (Ćwik 2012, p140-149)."
The concept of social responsibility of Polish companies' is far more researched than
the concept of sustainable marketing. This seems natural due to both the original
character of the CSR concept in relation to sustainable marketing and the fact that in
the early 1990s the Polish market saw new managerial concepts being adapted by the
introduction of foreign capital and know-how. The oldest CSR institution in Poland is
FOB (Responsible Business Forum), and it examines various aspects of CSR. It
originally studied knowledge of the CSR concept itself, but the most recent report (from
2015) includes opinions on CSR achievements in Polish business in the last 15 years,
as well as opinions on the perspectives of its development in the nearest future.
According to the majority (81%) of managers who participated in the research in 2015,
CSR has exerted influence on the way Polish businesses operate (Figure 3). Most often
this influence became apparent in the changing business strategy. The influence was
also clearly visible in caring for the environment and the society (Figure 4). The
managers agreed that CSR helped in tackling social challenges in Poland (according to
65% of respondents), most notably those associated with education, social assistance,
and environmental protection. The greatest inhibitor of CSR development in the past 15
years was found to be a lack of understanding of the concept on part of companies'
managerial staff (46% of the indicated cases) (Andrejczuk and Grzybek 2015, pp12-13).
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Figure 3. Has CSR influenced business? (N=133)
Source: (Andrejczuk and Grzybek 2015, p. 13)
Figure 4. How has CSR influenced business? (N=133)
Source: Ibidem, p. 13
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Based on FOB's findings it is possible to indicate the most significant benefits and key
barriers associated with implementing CSR. Currently, the most important benefits
pointed out by respondents are: raising the level of employees' awareness in terms of
ethics and their involvement (74% and 71% of the indications, respectively). While in
2003 and 2010 improving the image and reputation was regarded as the most important
benefit, and increasing customer loyalty as the fifth one, according to the most recent
research they occupy fifth and sixth place, respectively (i.e. 62% and 61%). The
research was run among 500 managers. The final sample was: 2003 N=170, 2010
N=173, 2015 N=133, while in 2015 a new methodology was implemented). The barriers
of running a socially responsible business according to respondents are: first and
foremost, a lack of involvement and knowledge of managerial staff, a lack of knowledge
on the benefits of implementing CSR, and identifying it with sponsoring activities. 44%
of respondents regard a lack of consumer pressure as a barrier for future CSR
development in Poland.
Other analyses conducted among the 500 largest Polish businesses indicate that
relatively few companies inform their stakeholders about CSR online. Only 9% of
company websites include information about social responsibility and/or social
involvement in their mission statement. 44% of the companies have a distinct section
dedicated to social involvement, which is accessible from the main page, or a section
that is located deeper and dedicated to the company's social activities. However, the
largest group (212 businesses) provides no such information whatsoever. The analyses
have been prepared on the base of BI-NGO 2010 Index, a systematic research verifying
information regarding social engagement, which is available in internet sites of the
biggest polish companies out of 500 list of “Rzeczpospolita” (Zaplanowane
zaangażowanie, p 10).
According to the assessment of managers who were subjected to FOB research, the
next 15 years are going to be optimistic for CSR in Poland. The largest group of
respondents predicts that CSR will enter a stage of maturity, characterised by the
implementation of social and environmental matters in business models. According to
them, CSR is going to have its renaissance when more and more companies join the
network of responsible businesses. At the same time, none of the respondents are
worried that CSR will experience a downturn once companies lose interest in this topic
(Andrejczuk and Grzybek 2015, p 13).
Such a prediction of future trends results from several factors. The first refer to EU
regulations, which have gained new significance due to the 2014 directive concerning
the disclosure of non-financial and diversity information. According to respondents,
human rights organisations will play an important role as well. With all probability,
pressure will arise in particular sectors due to their leaders being active in responsible
business. It is the opinion of managers that the business environment shall also have
increasingly high requirements and is going to articulate its expectations regarding the
use of responsible action standards.
Respondents strongly agree that the development of CSR is going to be reflected in
companies' influence on Poland's socio-economical development in the future. It will
primarily take place in aspects such as: shaping an economy based on knowledge and
intellectual capital (89% of responses positive, including 43% that agree completely), as
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well as building social capital (89% of responses positive, including 35% that agree
completely) (Andrejczuk and Grzybek 2015 p 16).
Customers’ increase in awareness of the needs in respect to CSR is also the reason for
a broader, pro-social, and pro-environmental approach to marketing. According to
Polish public opinion, the development of CSR is hindered mainly by: the desire for
quick and short-term profit, the lack of a long-term strategy, and the absence of
authorities on the CSR scene (Gasiński and Piskalski 2012).
Conclusion
Companies, as social organisations, undoubtedly constitute a key element of a complex
global system - one they need to adapt to, but can also shape. Under conditions of
competitive rivalry it is difficult to overestimate the role of marketing, although the way it
was understood and practised changed over the years.
Overall, it can be said that the approach to the concept of marketing is twofold: one is
strictly business like, where marketing instruments serve chiefly to maximise company
profit, whereas the other is that of social activities, where marketing contributes to
improve clients' quality of life by informing, educating, and introducing innovation.
Changes arising on an unprecedented scale that can be observed in business
environments are virtually forcing the latter direction.
The use of responsible and sustainable marketing practices has become a significant
challenge for large, mid-sized, and small companies, and they need to face it in order to
gain a lasting competitive advantage. Companies' comprehensive and consciously
applied reaction to the concept of sustainability has a chance to benefit business
players, the natural environment, and society. On one hand, implementing the values of
sustainability into marketing strategies and a skilful use of available marketing tools can
translate to quantifiable business gains. On the other hand, in a time of Internet and
global networks, where marketing information has the power to change attitudes and
behaviours of a wide range of recipients, companies can play an important role in the
promotion of sustainable activities.
Observing the Polish market today provokes one to reflect that companies are growing
increasingly aware of the validity of using CSR. They do not know much, however,
about the sustainability approach to marketing. In their undertakings, companies are
becoming interested in taking into account social and environmental aspects alongside
economic ones. They implement them in their strategies in a conscious and organised
fashion. Without a doubt, the models and tools created or adjusted for Polish conditions
serve as valuable indicators. The announcement of the long-awaited ISO 26000
standard regarding social responsibility in business is an important fact, and nearly a
third of Polish companies are adhering to it already (Polski CSR 2010 p 3, Ćwik 2012, p
6).
It seems, however, that as in markets where businesses have greater and longer
experience with implementing the marketing approach, one of the conditions for
practising sustainable marketing will be the customer. As stressed by Drucker, the
customer does not buy what the seller offers, but what the customer personally
considers as highly regarded values. Therefore, it is vital that the customer is able to
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recognise the offers of sustainable marketing. Ultimately these should be the offers that
he will search for.
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