Sustainability Management and Marketing: A Case Study of Icebreaker

Running head: SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING
SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING: A CASE STUDY OF
ICEBREAKER
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING1
Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction...............................................................................................2
2.0 Background of “Icebreaker”......................................................................2
3.0 Marketing Mix and Sustainability...............................................................3
3.1 Product...................................................................................................3
3.2 Price........................................................................................................3
3.3 Promotion...............................................................................................4
3.4 Distribution.............................................................................................4
4.0 Effectiveness of the Marketing Mix used by “Icebreaker”.........................4
5.0 Marketing Positioning Analysis..................................................................5
6.0 Conclusion.................................................................................................6
7.0 References.................................................................................................7

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1.0 Introduction
As opined by Iannuzzi (2017), the business corporations in order to
attain long-term growth or for that matter competitive advantage within the
business market of their operation need to take into account the aspect of
sustainability. Lozano, Nummert and Ceulemans (2016) are of the viewpo9nt
that an important trend seen within the landscape of the business world is
the fact that the business corporations rather than using the construct of
sustainability as a merely business strategy are modeling their entire
business operations on the basis of this construct. This in turn had not only
helped the business corporations to attain long-term growth but also
contribute adequately towards the improvement of the condition of the
planet as well (Finch, Geiger and Harkness 2017). In this relation, mention
needs to be made of the Australian business corporation “Icebreaker” which
over the years had integrated the concept of sustainability within all the
business processes followed by it. This report intends to undertake an
analysis of the concept of sustainability management and marketing through
the usage of the case study of the business corporation “Icebreaker”.
2.0 Background of “Icebreaker”
The business corporation “Icebreaker” was founded by Jeremy Moon in
1995 as a result of a chance meeting with Merino in the nation of New
Zealand (Icebreaker.com 2019). This chance encounter made him realize the
relatively unexplored value as well as quality of the Merino which over the
years had recent scant attention and is a better or for that matter more
sustainable fiber for the manufacture of garments (Icebreaker.com 2019).
Thus, he decided to use this particular variety of fiber for the manufacture of
garments which would be obtained directly from the sheep that produce the
same and thereby reduce the environmental damage that the garment
manufacturing companies cause to the environment. Presently, it had been

SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING3
seen that the business corporation under discussion here had expanded its
business operations substantially in the different nations of the world like
Australia, China, New Zealand and others and within a very short time had
become one of the most popular garment manufacturing companies of the
entire world itself (Icebreaker.com 2019). In this relation, it needs to be said
that the concerned corporation not only uses the raw materials which are
completely environmentally friendly but also takes the help of the green
supply chain system which had enabled it further reduce the damage that it
causes to the environment. In addition to these, it had been seen that the
corporation takes the help of ethical and social marketing for the required
promotion or advertisement of the garments offered by it (Icebreaker.com
2019). The effective usage of these sustainable practices by the business
corporation under discussion here had directly contributed towards the
unprecedented success attained by “Icebreaker”.
3.0 Marketing Mix and Sustainability
3.1 Product
Icebreaker specializes in the manufacture as well as the sale of the
garments which are manufactured from the special variety of fiber that is
procured from the sheep named Merino (Icebreaker.com 2019). Furthermore,
it had been seen that the concerned corporation focuses on both the male
and the female individuals for the manufacture and the sale of the garments
which are being manufactured by it. In addition to the garments offered by it,
the business corporation under discussion is presently trying to launch
different kinds of accessories which would be manufactured from the waste
which is generated on the score of the production of the garments from
Merino. This is a part of the “RETURN & RECYCLE PROGRAM” launched by the
concerned corporation through which it is trying to reduce its ecological
footprinting even further (Icebreaker.com 2019). This as a matter of fact