Over the past 10 to 15 years, Japanese marketers have wholeheartedly embraced the symbology of sustainability. Notions of ‘green’ and ‘eco’ and ‘human’ have proliferated in aesthetic terms.
The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 goals and 169 targets that countries are encouraged to use as a guide for sustainable development.
On many levels, Japan appears to ignore key elements of what westerners consider to comprise social modernity. One classic example is the profound lack of progress women have made in gaining meaningful roles in management. In this area, to name only one, Japan seems to trail other countries by decades.
At CarterJMRN we’ve heard many times over the years that Japanese people do not seem to care about climate change or, for that matter, environmental issues in general. This makes it hard for people whose job is to encourage positive change, and it is with those important stakeholders in mind that we’re writing this article.
While the green branding and sustainable product market in Japan may trail that of other developed countries, you can’t say that it hasn’t made a splash.
In the autumn of last year I reflected upon the extraordinary summer heat we had experienced, and the effect of seasonality upon near-term marketing success — or failure.