As the visionary founder behind the Conscious Marketing Movement, a global online community shaping the future of marketing for a better tomorrow, Claudia is on a mission to spark social change in a marketing industry by putting purpose and positive impact at front.
Recognised as one of the Top 100 Marketers To Watch in 2024 in the Purpose, DEI, Ethical Champions category, she embodies a passion for marketing deeply rooted in a purpose-driven approach.
In this interview, Claudia shares her insights, experiences, and offers a glimpse into the impactful world of purpose-driven marketing. She talks about how freelancers can promote positive change through their work and her hopes and aspirations for the future of marketing.
Photo courtesy of Cláudia Guerreiro
Q: Can you tell us about your professional journey and what led you to focus on ethical marketing?
Ethical marketing is especially important to me because of my personal journey in the marketing industry. I’ve been working in marketing for several years, and at one point, I experienced burnout and almost gave up my career.
The reason for this was the prevailing approach in marketing – the “growth at all costs” mentality, which didn’t align with my values.
I realised that I didn’t like the idea of using traditional, aggressive tactics or hurting people’s feelings to make a sale. Instead of quitting, I made a choice to change the industry from within. It’s been 2 years now since I started this journey, and I’m incredibly happy with the impact I’ve been able to make.
By practicing conscious marketing, I’ve been able to connect with people on a more meaningful level. I’ve built trust, created positive relationships, and shown that marketing can be done with empathy and kindness. It not only benefits the people I interact with but also brings more satisfaction to my work.
So, ethical marketing is important to me because it allows me to align my career with my values and positively impact people, all while making the marketing world a better and more compassionate place.
Q: People can interpret conscious marketing in different ways. Can you tell us what conscious marketing means to you, and how does it differ from traditional marketing approaches?
We live in a time when we’re overloaded with information and endless stuff to buy. Ads are everywhere, bombarding us with manipulative tactics to spend our money.
As people become increasingly immune to marketing tactics, there’s a growing temptation to employ psychological tricks that prey on our insecurities and fears. This blurs the line between effective promotion and dehumanising tactics…
You’ve seen those phrases: “Don’t miss out”, “limited offer”, or “only 2 spots left”. They’re designed to tap into our anxieties and push us towards impulsive purchases…
The truth is, we’re all fed up with these old-school marketing tactics. They prioritise profit at any cost, leaving a bitter taste in your mouth. Take Justin Welsh for example – a prominent voice in entrepreneurship with over 500,000 followers. After downloading a free resource, he received a staggering 22 emails in 40 days, all aggressively pushing a product. Needless to say, he didn’t make that purchase.
So, to me, conscious marketing is all about growth, but not at all costs. It’s all about building a relationship with our potential customers. It’s about planting the seed, not picking up the fruit.
That’s why, after freelancing on my own for 2 years, I’ve made the decision to support all the marketers and entrepreneurs who are already working on, or are interested in, making their marketing practices more conscious.
Running and promoting a business committed to positive impact is not easy. The path is full of complexities… But I dream of a future where we all come together, become stronger as a team, and work together to achieve our goals.
This dream led me to apply for The Break Fellowship in 2023, a programme funded by the European Union, and that’s how the Conscious Marketing Movement started.
Q: Can you share some examples of marketing campaigns or strategies that embody conscious marketing principles?
Conscious Marketing is all about making sure you are aligning your marketing efforts with your higher purpose — the WHY behind what you do.
No matter what kind of business you’re in, it’s really about building relationships with people who might be interested in what you have to offer and giving them the best guidance you can.
Inside the Conscious Marketing Movement, we regularly share easy-to-follow resources in various formats including written content, videos and audios explaining conscious marketing. These resources also show real-life examples of marketing campaigns and strategies that embody conscious marketing principles.
The cool thing is that these principles are universally applicable, regardless of your industry. They serve as a guiding light for your work or business, infusing it with integrity and purpose.
But, to give you a sneak peek, the campaign that our members love is LUSH How It’s Made: Happy Skin Enzymic Facial Exfoliator.
Q: What challenges have you faced in promoting ethical marketing practices, and how have you overcome them?
There are a lot of challenges but the main one would be scepticism. That we need to use the traditional marketing tactics to succeed.
To put things in perspective, I’ve achieved some significant milestones while supporting ethical marketing practices. For example, I now have more than 18,000 followers and 7,000 newsletter subscribers on LinkedIn. I ranked 35th out of 100 in the 2023 Top Marketing Influencers Index, and I was a finalist in the 2023 Digital Women Awards. I also took part in the 2023 Spring Cohort of the Break Fellowship, which is funded by the European Union. More recently, I was named one of the Top 100 Marketers To Watch in 2024 by the Alt Marketing School, in the Purpose, DEI, Ethical Champions category.
And I’m sure there will be many more great things to come.
I’m sharing all this just to emphasise that conscious marketing can lead to growth. It’s not a myth – it’s a reality, and I hope to see more people speaking up for ethical marketing and doing well.
Q: Last year you successfully launched a movement called Conscious Marketing Movement. Could you tell us more about this movement and its goals?
The Conscious Marketing Movement is a global community shaping the future of marketing for a better tomorrow.
We bring together purpose-driven entrepreneurs and conscious marketers to learn, connect and grow so that we can create social impact and profits. Our objective is to transform marketing from profit-at-all-costs into a purpose-driven approach.
Think of us as similar to a B-Corp, which is a type of business that cares about more than just making money. We’re all about making a positive impact, and we align closely with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goals 8, 10 and 12.
Feel free to discover more about our impact here.
Q: In your opinion, what role can freelancers and marketers play in promoting positive change through their work?
Marketing professionals have a lot of influence. We can shape how people see the world, what they do, and what they buy. But there’s a bigger question: Are we using that power for good? I don’t believe we are.
As humans, we crave genuine connections. It’s a fundamental part of our nature. But strangely, we forgot this when it comes to marketing. We’re taught that shameless self-promotion, tapping into our fears, and creating fake urgency and fake scarcity are the only ways to go.
What if this approach doesn’t sit right with you? What if it’s not only odd, but also the least effective and least fulfilling path you could take?
Businesses can be profitable AND contribute to a better world for everyone — the planet, people, and prosperity all included. And we all play a role in making this happen.
For example, here are 3 phrases marketing professionals should stop using in their marketing efforts and what they can replaced them with:
Steal my template to earn 10K a day.→ Try my template, make it yours, and see how it works for you.Don’t miss out, you’ll be left behind.→ Come join us on this adventure!Only 2 spots left. You will loose this once-a-lifetime opportunity.→ There’s still room for you if you’re interested.
If this idea resonates with you, then the Conscious Marketing Movement might be your place. Particularly, the Masterclass on Nonviolent Comms in Marketing would be a great place to get started.
Q: As an avid reader, if you could recommend only one book that everyone should read, which one would it be?
Inside the Conscious Marketing Movement, we have a digital library with over 100 resources supporting conscious marketing. Particularly a lot of books.
My absolute favourite among them is Carolyn Tate’s “Conscious Marketing: How to Create an Awesome Business with a New Approach to Marketing.”
Q: Lastly, as someone deeply involved in conscious marketing and with a vision for positive change, what are your hopes and aspirations for the future of marketing?
I envision a world where Conscious Marketing is the norm, not the exception.
Right now, people think Conscious Marketing is a niche, and something only for “hippies”. But I want to change that. I hope to see Conscious Marketing become a common and widely accepted way of doing marketing that many different people and businesses use.
Businesses big and small will understand the power and importance of using their marketing to make a positive impact. And customers will expect nothing less.
We’ll see a shift from the traditional model of profit at all costs, to one where businesses prioritise people, the planet, and profit in equal measure. Sustainable and socially responsible practices will be woven into every aspect of business, from product design to marketing campaigns.
All in all, I see a world where the power of marketing is harnessed for good. Where the voices of marginalised communities are amplified and heard. A world where Conscious Marketing becomes the catalyst for positive change, driving us towards a more equitable, sustainable future.
To dive deeper into the world of consicous marketing, make sure to check out Conscious Marketing Movement. They offer a free 7-day trial (no credit card required), so you can try it out with no strings attached. You can also connect with Claudia inside our Freelancing For Good community, follow her on LinkedIn, and subscribe to her newsletter Conscious Marketing Insights.
