Marketing insects: can exploiting a commercial framework help promote undervalued insect species?

The potential decline of insects and their contribution to ecosystem services is a matter of immense concern. Reversing the current degradation of the natural world will require substantial attitudinal and behavioural shifts, but for this to occur people will need to buy-in to decisions and choices that may be less desirable than those they currently make. People will also need to appreciate the importance of ecosystems, habitats and species that are currently regarded as uncharismatic, including of course a great many insects and other invertebrates. To do this requires a radical shift in our approach to marketing the natural world in general and insects in particular. We propose adopting the approach used so successfully in commercial marketing; the 4Ps framework (product, price, place and promotion). We outline examples of how this would result in more informed and effective ways to market biodiversity, expanding focus away from species traditionally considered charismatic. The public perception of insects, a group that includes some of the most loved and many of the most disliked taxa on the planet, could potentially be substantially improved by the use of this approach. If such a marketing strategy can raise their perceived value, it follows that the public may care more about insects and empower conservation action.