Sustainability in marketing: a systematic review unifying 20 years of theoretical and substantive contributions (1997–2016)

Abstract

A growing area of marketing research has surfaced in the past 20 years at the nexus of marketing and sustainability. However, a review of marketing literature shows that this field lacks conceptual and theoretical clarity. This article reviews research published on sustainability from 25 leading marketing journals between 1997 and 2016. It examines how theories used to frame sustainability in marketing literature have evolved. Additionally, no unified definition for sustainability exists in current marketing literature. To fill this void, the author proposes a new, holistic definition of sustainability in marketing, coined “sustainable marketing,” which is unique to the marketing discipline. Through presenting the GREEN Framework of Sustainable Marketing, the author conceptually and theoretically clarifies, unifies, and extends the current research. Finally, the systematic review explores implications for theory and practice and offers researchers, practitioners, and policymakers many opportunities for future research.