Visit to Zero Carbon Guildford by Sustainability Marketing students
Senior Lecturer in Marketing and Strategy, Dr Alvina Gillani, reports on a trip she organised to Zero Carbon Guildford (ZCG) for MSc Strategic Marketing students to give them insights into sustainability and community engagement in practice.
ZCG is a collective of residents, community groups, and small and medium-sized businesses focused on collaborative efforts to drive a climate action plan. The session featured two speakers: Steph Bleach, Climate Engagement Specialist at ZCG, and Dr Smirti Kutaula, Associate Professor in HRM at Kingston Business School and UN PRME London and South East Network Lead.
Our MSc Strategic Marketing students, all of whom are taking the Sustainability Marketing module first went on a tour of the facilities, including community projects such as:
the ‘Library of Things,’ which allows people to borrow useful equipment instead of buying it
the ‘Community Fridge,’ where volunteers collect food from local grocery stores that is past its sell-by date but still within its use-by date and redistribute it to the public free of charge
the ‘Home Energy Surveys’ project, which employs trained energy surveyors to provide free home energy surveys to local residents, advising them on how to better insulate their homes and reduce their energy bills
After the tour, Steph conducted a ‘Climate Engagement Workshop’, highlighting the importance of increasing engagement and participation in ZCG projects, as well as promoting behaviour change towards low-carbon lifestyles. Our students sat in on a presentation about a real market research project – based on focus groups and interviews – which showcased the segmentation of Surrey residents into consumer personas based on their attitudes toward climate action. The workshop explained the importance of understanding these personas and using normative messaging to develop effective marketing communications that enhance engagement. As a practical exercise, students created example marketing communication messages for various local projects aimed at increasing climate engagement."
Following Steph’s workshop, Dr Kutaula discussed green skills for employability and provided insights into how understanding and applying sustainability principles can differentiate students in their careers and enable them to contribute meaningfully to a sustainable world. Students reflected on the green skills they have gained from the Sustainability Marketing module and considered how they can highlight these skills with specific examples in their cover letters and CVs.
Our students really appreciated the trip for emphasising the practical application of the sustainability marketing concepts they have learned in the classroom, such as consumer personas, sustainability communications strategies and behaviour change. Some of them also signed up for the volunteering opportunities provided by ZCG where they can gain practical experience of sustainability marketing which they can mention on their CVs to help them when they look for jobs.
Related sustainable development goals
