AIMS AND CONTENT

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Learning Objectives:

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Apply the four levers of the marketing mix (product, price, promotion, 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);
• Examine product strategies and packaging designs that adhere to the cradle-to-cradle principle—that is, circularity—as well as highlight the environmental certifications achieved;
• Analyze sustainable pricing strategies, understand willingness to pay for green attributes, and assess market acceptance in terms of the gap between claims and actual behavior;
• Examine all components of the Total Consumer Cost (TCC), highlighting that a product that is more expensive in the short term could be more economical in the long term depending on the energy savings it offers;
• Distinguish between authentic environmental communication and greenwashing, understanding the ethical, legal, and reputational implications of such initiatives, especially in light of current stringent 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;
• Understand and evaluate the most appropriate distribution channels for products and services to reduce environmental impact, including digital and local distribution solutions.

TEACHING METHODS

The course consists of lectures designed to spark discussion and reflection, including through the analysis of relevant real-world case studies. These activities aim to foster a critical and practical understanding of sustainability issues in contemporary consumption.

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, atinclusione.economia@unige.it<mailto:inclusione.economia@unige.it>, and the Inclusion Office atinclusione.studenti@info.unige.it<mailto:inclusione.studenti@info.unige.it>.

Requests from students will be assessed by the lecturer and may be approved or rejected.

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-tail and short-tail 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

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.