Advertising & Society Quarterly

Abstract:

Advertising scholars and a leading practitioner meet to discuss the timely topic of sustainability and advertising. The panelists first covered the challenges of defining sustainability and agreed that it is a critical and contested concept. They also talked about the concept of the environment and its relation to society and commerce while acknowledging that cultural differences contribute to diverse ideas of nature and the environment around the world. The panelists also delved into the concept of profit versus purpose and growth versus good in the context of sustainability. They propose the idea of radical collaboration between companies, scholars, activists, and everyday people to achieve common goals in achieving sustainability and protecting the environment. However, the challenges of incentivizing collaboration among groups with different cultural, ideological, economic, and political perspectives must be attended to, along with overcoming people's limited time and attention to address such large, overwhelming global issues. The panel analyzes notable environmental messaging in advertising and marketing and offers advice on how to achieve the goal of having profits serving the greater good or balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability.