The Role of Sustainability Marketing Strategies and Customer Awareness in Finnish SMEs : An Analysis in Sales and Customer Retention
Lamsal, Bishal (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025120131059
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025120131059
Tiivistelmä
This thesis explores how sustainable marketing strategies and customer awareness influence sales performance and customer retention among Finnish small and medium-sized cleaning businesses. The goal was to identify an effective, sustainable marketing strategy and its impacts on business performance. Customer awareness regarding eco-friendly cleaning services. Bricol Palvelut, the Finnish cleaning company, has commissioned this thesis.
This report uses a multi-theoretical framework, which accommodates innovation, consumer behavior, and strategic marketing frameworks, focusing on sustainable business model theory. This framework explains the interrelationship between sustainability, technology, and consumer behavior in sustainable marketing strategy development of SMEs in Finland's cleaning industry. Both qualitative and quantitative research approaches have been adopted in this study. During the research, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with manager of Finnish cleaning company. And surveys with corporate clients. The thematic analysis method was used to analyse the collected data, which helped to find common patterns, key themes, and insights based on participants' experiences.
According to the results of the study, small and medium cleaning companies are struggling to adopt a sustainable marketing strategy due to a lack of financial resources and manpower. However, they have prioritized referral and loyalty programs as cheaper and more viable options.
Although these programs can be run at a lower cost, customers have shown a positive attitude towards them. Such programs have encouraged customers to maintain a long-term relationship with the company. Similarly, customers have clearly identified which marketing channels are most effective, proving the importance of customer-centric and sustainable marketing practices for businesses.
This report uses a multi-theoretical framework, which accommodates innovation, consumer behavior, and strategic marketing frameworks, focusing on sustainable business model theory. This framework explains the interrelationship between sustainability, technology, and consumer behavior in sustainable marketing strategy development of SMEs in Finland's cleaning industry. Both qualitative and quantitative research approaches have been adopted in this study. During the research, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with manager of Finnish cleaning company. And surveys with corporate clients. The thematic analysis method was used to analyse the collected data, which helped to find common patterns, key themes, and insights based on participants' experiences.
According to the results of the study, small and medium cleaning companies are struggling to adopt a sustainable marketing strategy due to a lack of financial resources and manpower. However, they have prioritized referral and loyalty programs as cheaper and more viable options.
Although these programs can be run at a lower cost, customers have shown a positive attitude towards them. Such programs have encouraged customers to maintain a long-term relationship with the company. Similarly, customers have clearly identified which marketing channels are most effective, proving the importance of customer-centric and sustainable marketing practices for businesses.