Marketing and Sustainability

A.Y. 2024/2025
6
Max ECTS
48
Overall hours
SSD
SECS-P/07 SECS-P/08
Language
Italian
Learning objectives
This course aims at introducing students to fundamentals of sustainability within the marketing perspective. The course provides notions, models and competences for understanding how business can interact with issues related to sustainability.
In particular, the course is designed in order to:
- illustrate the main sustainability models and contributions marketing can give to them
- depict and discuss fundamental variables of marketing process, in order to make students able to define an operational sustainable marketing strategy
- describe the new relationships that marketing needs to establish with customers, in order to support emerging sustainable business models.
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course student will be able to:
· explain sustainable marketing's role in a global framework
· identify sustainable marketing opportunities through the marketing research process
· identify and explain the four basic elements of the marketing mix" (product, price, place, and promotion) as they relate to sustainable marketing
· evaluate sustainable channel development strategies within an organization.
· draw the structure of a sustainable marketing plan
Single course

This course can be attended as a single course.

Course syllabus and organization

Single session

Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
The global economic system in 20th century had operated on a throughput take-make-waste model. As economic growth stretches global resources, however, consumers are becoming more and more conscious of the importance of sustainability practices. Marketing has a vital and unique role to play in creating a more sustainable society as most of consumers' material needs and many of our psychological needs are met through marketing systems. Sustainable Marketing is the process of creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers in such a way that both environment and human capital are preserved or enhanced throughout.
The course is divided into three sections and areas of focus. Part 1 is an overview of sustainability and its role in every aspect of modern day marketing. With this in depth knowledge of sustainability, students will explore how these principles are folded into sustainability-based strategic planning. Part 2 focuses on understanding the consumption process and how sustainability principles can effectively affect our consumption decisions. This section also examines how sustainability considerations can add value to products and services. Communicating value via integrated marketing programs is next, a vital element of sustainable marketing, including how branding and labeling can support a sustainable marketing strategy. Part 3 will give students a thorough understanding of sustainability principles as they apply throughout including the supply chain. This includes how to proclaim value via sustainable pricing strategies, delivering value in retailing, product innovation, and sustainable services marketing.
Prerequisites for admission
No preliminary courses are a prerequisite for entry into Marketing and sustainability course.
Teaching methods
- Face-to-face lectures
- Case studies /Incidents

Details
In addition to face-to-face lecturers, this course includes case studies/incidents on real marketing problems. These exercises allow students to appreciate the applicability of the models and the analytical tools discussed during the course and to develop problem-solving skills.
Teaching Resources
Instructor will upload the slides, readings and additional materials on https://ariel.unimi.it
Assessment methods and Criteria
Attending Students
Attending students are evaluated according to an individual written exam (weighted 80% of the final grade) and an individual work (weighted 20% of the final grade):
- Individual work: attending students are required to work on a 4 incident cases during the course under the professors' supervision.
- Individual written exam based on textbook, slides, lessons' notes, and guests' speech notes; it is made of 1 open-ended questions and 4 multiple-choice questions.

Non Attending students
Non attending students are evaluated through a written exam. Questions are based on both the textbook and the added book pointed out in the previous paragraph. Written exam is made of 6 multiple choice and 2 open-ended questions. The written exam accounts for 100% of the final grade
SECS-P/07 - BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND ACCOUNTING STUDIES - University credits: 1
SECS-P/08 - MANAGEMENT - University credits: 5
Lessons: 48 hours
Professor(s)
Reception:
Room .....