Natura case: sustainable marketing

Personal care and skincare have always been a topic that involves a large part of the population, and to meet these demands, some companies are dedicated to it.

For some years now, with this new paradigm, of linking with the environment in a more respectful way that is being developed in the world, more and more self-care products have emerged that promote sustainability, are framed within companies that promote ecology actions, and express themselves against animal abuse to make their products, among other policies they develop.

In this article, we invite you to learn about the case study of Natura Cosméticos, a Brazilian company dedicated to self-care that is also concerned about caring for the environment.

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What is Natura Cosmetics?

This is a company of Brazilian origin born in São Paulo in 1969 when its founder, Luiz Seabra, decided to open a cosmetics store in that city. The company sells skincare products as well as cosmetics. Today it is the largest Brazilian cosmetics company in that country, reaching its customers through more than 1.7 million consultants in countries such as Chile, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, and Brazil.

The environmental impulse that leads consumers to buy less and less plastic packaging, to read the components of the products that are consumed, and to demand quality codes from companies that verify that the products are made with natural raw materials, has made companies adapt to the new consumer standards. Natura is one of the companies that carry out this type of policy and makes it known through its marketing.

Throughout its history, the brand has gone through moments that shaped it as such, to become what it is today. Since 1970, when the store that gave rise to the company was opened, from then on, it has expanded mainly in Latin America, with the incorporation of employees and consultants, but they have also opened stores, including in Paris and New York.

Actions related to the environment

For some years now, the company has begun to carry out actions that are reflected in the marketing strategies that we see. Some of these milestone actions that we can highlight are:

• In 2006 the brand stops testing products or ingredients on animals.
• In 2007 they created the Neutral Carbon Program, which aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in all its production chains.
• In 2011 the brand created the Amazonas program to raise funds directly for this region.
• In 2013, the SOU line was launched, which is based on a 70% reduction in plastic in the products it sells.
• In 2014, the company became the first publicly-traded company to win the international B corp certificate (certificate granted to companies dedicated to solving the social or environmental needs of the sector in which they operate, with high environmental and community standards). 

These are actions that the company has been implementing throughout its history in its production plants and that are directly linked to the environment, but in addition to that, Natura has involved programs to promote education and Brazilian culture: as a special product line, immersed in the “Seeing is believing” program with the objective that the proceeds be made available to education or with a program for the dissemination of Brazilian music, called “Natura Musical”.

The seal that this company seeks to leave affixed to its products is respect for biodiversity and the environment, generating sustainability policies in all the countries in which it operates.

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How do you convey all these issues to the public?

Through marketing actions that we have seen for years, Natura seeks to get consumers interested in these sustainability policies that it promotes in the production and marketing of its products.

In their television or radio campaigns, there are images and sounds related to nature, and the colors of the earth, transmitting a natural and harmonious image of the environment. Their catalogs also show promotional products if recyclable packaging is purchased or they give the possibility of buying spare parts made with recycled packaging.

We cannot deny that for a few years, sustainable marketing has been a trend that can be seen in most industries. It is something like being an environmentalist is fashionable among companies, but the reality is that these actions that are carried out in business respond to the behavior that consumers present and how the way of relating to the ecosystem that surrounds them has changed. 

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For companies, the important thing is that consumers can perceive the true value of their products and actions in their advertising campaigns and for consumers, the most important thing is that companies fulfill what their marketing strategies promise. Natura is one of the companies in which these two issues are perfectly combined, adapting its production and development to the values communicated in its campaigns.