AIMS AND CONTENT

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Apply the four elements of the marketing mix (product, price, communication, distribution) in business contexts related to energy and environmental sustainability, highlighting potential deviations from traditional models;
• Assess a product’s sustainability throughout its life cycle, including through tools such as LCA (Life Cycle Assessment);
• Analyze product strategies and packaging design in relation to the cradle-to-cradle approach—that is, circularity—and the environmental certifications obtained;
• Analyze sustainable pricing strategies, willingness to pay for green attributes, and their market acceptance in terms of the gap between claims and actual behavior;
• Examine the components of Total Consumer Cost (TCC), highlighting how a product that is more expensive in the short term may prove more economical in the long term due to the energy savings it offers;
• Distinguish between authentic environmental communication and greenwashing, understanding the ethical, legal, and reputational implications, particularly in light of current regulations;
• Monitor and manage online reputation in the context of environmental transition, using social listening tools such as sentiment analysis, content analysis, and emotion detection;
• Design credible sustainable communication plans that are consistent with the company’s identity, its values, and the concrete actions it has implemented;
• Evaluate the most appropriate distribution channels for products and services to reduce environmental impact, including digital and local distribution solutions.

TEACHING METHODS

Please note that this course is delivered online (9 hours online videos + 6 hours in person) via the Learn platform. To request access, students must contact the Settore metodi e contenuti at edunext@aulaweb.unige.it.

Attendance is not compulsory.

Exam accommodations for students with disabilities or SLD Students with a valid disability certificate or a diagnosis of Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) (under Italian Law 104/1992) or Special Educational Needs (SEN), who are registered with the University’s Inclusion Services, can request compensatory tools and/or dispensatory measures for exams.

Students with disabilities, with SLD or with SEN are reminded that, to request exam accommodations, they must first upload their certification to the University website at servizionline.unige.it <https://servizionline.unige.it/>, in the “Students” section. The documentation will be checked by the University’s Services for the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities and with SLD.

At the beginning of the course, students are advised to contact the lecturer to agree on exam arrangements which, while respecting the learning objectives of the course, take individual learning needs into account. To request compensatory tools or dispensatory measures, students with disabilities or SLD must fill in the dedicated Webform available athttps://unige.it/disabilita-dsa, at least 7 working days before the exam.

Students with SEN may instead send their request by e-mail to the lecturer, copying the Department Representative, Prof. Elena Lagomarsino, at inclusione.economia@unige.it, and the Inclusion Office at inclusione.studenti@info.unige.it.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Program Overview:

• The operational marketing mix from a sustainability perspective: an introductory overview and key features;
• The product lever: eco-design, product life cycle, environmental certifications, and international standards demonstrated through product packaging, and the cradle-to-cradle approach;
• The price lever: sustainable pricing, perceived value, willingness to pay (the gap between stated and actual behavior), and models based on Total Consumer Cost (TCC);
• The communication lever: environmental storytelling, authenticity, transparency, and consistency with corporate objectives, mission, and values;
• Negative situations such as greenwashing: definition, types, emblematic cases, and the European regulatory framework;
• Online reputation assessment through social listening, sentiment analysis, content analysis, and emotion detection;
• The distribution lever: sustainable channels, green logistics, digital distribution, and selection of approaches between long and short channels;
• Case studies: analysis of strategies implemented by players operating in relevant sectors and examination of future scenarios such as decarbonization and the new frontiers of environmental marketing;

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

The required reading is:

• Belz, F.M.; Peattie, K. (2012). Sustainability Marketing - A Global Perspective.
• Digital note: https://www.egeaeditore.it/ita/prodotti/marketing-e-vendite/sustainability-marketing.as

Supplementary teaching materials (slides, scientific articles, industry reports, and case studies) will be provided via the University’s e-learning platform.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Please note that online lectures are scheduled to begin on September 28, 2026 (first semester).

The 6-hour lectures in-person will take place from November 16 to December 11, 2026 (first semester).

Further details about the lecture timetable will be announced at a later date.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam consists of a written test designed to assess the student’s ability to discuss the topics covered in the course in a critical, comprehensive, and informed manner, drawing on concrete examples and real-world contexts.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The evaluation takes into account the accuracy and completeness of the answers, the ability to relate the course’s theoretical content to real-world contexts and case studies, the depth of critical analysis, and the quality of presentation and argumentation.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Please contact the lecturer for any further information not included in the teaching unit description.