Feeling overwhelmed by climate literacy, carbon footprints, and ethical marketing? You’re not alone: most marketers are still figuring this stuff out, and Liana Fricker proves the journey is just as important as the destination. Let’s break down her advice into three easy chunks that any marketer can apply, whether you’re going solo, working within a team, or trying not to green-shout your way into irrelevance.
This conversation was originally recorded as part of the Ethical & Sustainable Marketing Accelerator. Access a free taster class at: amschool.click/accelerator
About Liana Fricker
Liana is Founder of Inspiration Space – a high performance training centre for fledgling founders and “Companies of One.” As a venture catalyst, Liana works with her clients to embed environmental stewardship into the heart of their business and embrace innovation.
She spent almost 20 years working in PR and Marketing in creative agencies before taking the leap into entrepreneurship.
Since then, she’s invested over 7,000 hours delivering 1:1 mentorship to small businesses in the UK. In 2022 and 2023 Startups Magazine included me in their esteemed roundup of the ‘Most Inspiring Women of The Year.’
Find her on LinkedIn: click here
Start Small, Think Smart: Sustainability Isn’t All-or-Nothing
Before you try to overhaul your entire marketing strategy, remember: your “next step” can simply be your first. Liana reassures us that most experts are still learning, and the tools for perfect carbon tracking don’t even exist yet! The most powerful thing you can do?
Use a little common sense, like noticing which digital tools eat up energy (cloud, emails, endless subscriptions). You can even audit your tech stack for hidden sustainability (and maybe save cash).
Quick wins to try:
- List all your digital tools and subscriptions: drop (or swap) the wasteful ones.
- Check the sustainability policy of every tech service you use.
- Count how many digital actions (emails, cloud prompts) you send each week to get a sense of your energy footprint.
- Aim for small, easy changes you can finish by next Friday, no overwhelm required.
Prioritisation Done Right: Less is More
If you’re steering the ship yourself, give yourself permission to do less. Liana switched from exhausting livestreams to targeted podcasts, managing her own energy and reducing digital overload (less streaming = less carbon).
When there’s a team or clients involved, real strategy starts with knowing your audience, where are they, and where should you actually show up? Marketers don’t have to be everywhere at once; they just need to be in the right places, sharing messages that land.
Simple steps for marketers:
- Identify the platforms and tactics that fit your energy and audience best.
- Ditch “everywhere syndrome”—focus where your audience truly is.
- Fewer emails, videos, and platforms = less stress for you, less impact on the environment.
- Think strategically: every action should serve a clear purpose (not just fill space).
Communicating Sustainability: Build Trust Before You Shout
It’s tempting to turn every green effort into a press release, but Liana reminds us: educate, don’t preach. Empathy and clarity matter, make your journey relatable, meet your audience where they are, and remember that what people really care about might be their mental health, not melting polar bears. Share concrete actions, not vague claims. Brands like Reformation do this brilliantly, they make sustainability easy to understand, and they show robust internal policies that give you real confidence to buy.
How to apply this:
- Address sustainability in a way that connects with real customer concerns (not just polar bears!).
- Use positive, educational language that helps people feel good about their choices.
- Build trust by being transparent—show your behind-the-scenes progress, not just the polished campaign.
- Remember: you can quietly do the right thing, even before you announce it to the world.