The growing impact of sustainable marketing on social media and its relevance for different generations

Firstly, let’s discuss what can be considered Sustainable Marketing. In my view, it is a set of digital and offline marketing strategies that aim to promote products, services or brands in a less aggressive or abusive way, bringing a positive impact to society or the environment.

“I have two daughters (currently one aged 13 and one aged 8), the older one does not run her social network to this day, but even though we deprive them of this contact, the content published on YouTube, Instagram and Tiktok leaks and reaches them, whether through the school or via a WhatsApp message”, comments Vini Taddone.

With the increasing rise of the Social Media professional as one of the favorites of companies, due to their generalist profile of performing multitasking, it is my duty as a mentor to ensure everything they will develop for the companies in which they work or provide services.

The content is now read by children! So, how far can companies go to get a sale? Apart from hate speech in comments or recent events of suicides due to false content.

Sustainable marketing is gaining prominence, and I’m proud to be the first to highlight this term, especially on social media, where Generation Z leads brand searches, preferring a closer approach with companies compared to traditional search engines.

When analyzing the data, we observed that within the so-called Generation Z (people aged between 18 and 24), 36% of them prefer to research and seek answers about brands on social networks, instead of traditional search engines.

Among Millennials (25 to 34 years old), 22% of this group prefer to search primarily on social networks. Among Generation X (35 to 54 years old), 21% opt for this approach. Boomers (55+), only 6% use social networks more than search engines.

These numbers reveal a change in behavior, indicating that social media plays an important role in the search for information about brands, and reinforces the responsibility of social media professionals in producing content and disseminating information.

I emphasize that this growing migration to social networks requires an ethical approach, especially when considering younger audiences.

Within a saturated digital marketing scenario, adopting sustainable strategies becomes fundamental, as Sustainable Marketing is not only ethical, but a necessity to establish lasting connections.

This approach involves transmitting messages lightly, respecting people’s time and sensitivity. It does not mean the absence of persuasive triggers, but rather communication that breaks with traditional advertising pressure.

In this sense, development mentoring courses and programs, such as “Metamorfose Social Media”, aim to transform professionals in this area into strategists capable of winning over customers in a healthy way, achieving financial goals and building digital businesses in a sustainable way.

I highlight again that soft marketing does not exclude persuasive triggers or the use of vibrant colors to attract attention, but is a more respectful approach. It rejects the pressure of posting daily, highlighting the importance of a more natural and respectful approach to attracting audiences. Instead of “post every day and read whenever you want”, opting for “when I post, read” is what elevates this meaning.

In a digital world flooded with commercial messages, and now, “soulless” messages with the rise of AI that are producing excessive posts, Sustainable Marketing emerges as an ethical, effective and more professional approach for Social Media and advertisers to adopt. Positioning yourself as an advocate of this practice is not only a conscious choice, but an effective strategy for lasting connections with your audience.

*Vinícius Taddone is marketing director and founder of VTaddone.