GREEN MARKETING
ASSIGNMENT
CONTENTS
1) Introduction
2) Definition
3) Positive Aspect of Green Marketing
4) Negative Aspect of Green Marketing
5) Problems with going green
6) Green Marketing strategies that different firms should adopt
7) Green Code
8) Choosing the right Green Marketing Straregy
9) ConclusionINTRODUCTION
The promotion of environmentally safe or beneficial products, green marketing began in
Europe in the early 1980s when specific products were identified as being harmful to the
earth’s atmosphere. As a result, new “green” products were introduced that were less
damaging to the environment. The concept caught on in the United States and has been
gaining steadily ever since.
Divergent aspects of green marketing include ecologically safer products, recyclable and
biodegradable packaging, energy-efficient operations, and better pollution controls.
Advances produced from green marketing include packaging made from recycled paper,
phosphate-free detergents, refillable containers for cleaning products, and bottles using
less plastic.
As today’s consumers become more conscious of the natural environment, businesses are
beginning to modify their own thoughts and behavior in an attempt to address the
concerns of consumers. Green marketing is becoming more important to businesses
because of the consumer’s genuine concerns about our limited resources on the earth. By
implementing green marketing measures to save the earth’s resources in production,
packaging, and operations, businesses are showing consumers they too share the same
concerns, boosting their credibility
DEFINITONS
Pride and Ferrell (1993) Green marketing, also alternatively known as environmental
marketing and sustainable marketing, refers to an organization.s efforts at designing,
promoting, pricing and distributing products that will not harm the environment
Polonsky (1994) defines green marketing as .all activities designed to generate and
facilitate any exchanges intended to satisfy human needs or wants, such that the
satisfaction of these needs and wants occurs, with minimal detrimental impact on the
natural environment .
Elkington (1994: 93) defines green consumer as one who avoids products that are likely
to endanger the health of the consumer or others; cause significant damage to the
environment during manufacture, use or disposal; consume a disproportionate amount of
energy; cause unnecessary waste; use materials derived from threatened species or
environments; involve unnecessary use of, or cruelty to animals ;adversely affect other
countries.
POSITIVE ASPECTS OF GREEN MARKETING
1) First and foremost, a good green marketing program is one that either: adds renewables
that would not already be added or supports renewable projects that might not otherwise continue to operate. If these things are already happening and being paid for by all, then
the program doesn't meet the bottom-line test: green marketing programs must make a
difference.
2) A sign of a good green marketing program is one that has strong links to local
environmental groups and that achieves broad support among regional and national
groups with an interest in promoting renewable power. Public Service of Colorado, for
example, has developed a close working partnership with the Land and Water Fund and
other environmental groups in the state.
3) A green marketer that is seriously interested in greening the electric system will have a
program that is linked to a larger vision and a strategic plan for making renewables an
increasingly larger part of the generation mix. A good example of this is Central and
Southwest's recent decision to acquire a significant amount of renewables capacity, with
the intent of ratebasing a good portion of it, and subscribing the rest through a green
pricing program.
4) For green marketing programs to be successful in the long run, they should both
improve the environment and be fair to consumers. Prices should not be excessively
higher than the actual cost of the resources in the portfolio. This is particularly true for
green pricing programs, which are scrutinized by regulators, and in imperfectly
competitive markets, because in these cases, there is no real competition in the green
market. In markets that are vibrantly competitive and in which consumers have good
information, this is less of a problem since lower-cost providers can compete to displace
those providers charging excessive prices.
NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF GREEN MARKETING
1) Selling green power at a mark-up that would have been produced anyway with the cost
shared by all. An example of this would be renewable power that is already included or
would be included in a utility's ratebase without the green program. These types of
programs sell nothing as if it is something, which is worse than doing no green marketing
at all, because these programs are fundamentally unfair and breed consumer cynicism. If
we permit these types of programs to occur, they will undermine the market for those
marketers who are actually making a difference.
2) Programs that do not in some way directly benefit the renewable generator. An
example of this would be a utility that has an existing power purchase contract with a
renewable generator, but does not flow any benefit through to the generator.
3) Programs that make false claims and do not adequately inform consumers about the
nature of their product. For example, selling "nuclear and coal free" power when
consumer dollars are sent to a nuclear- and coal-owning utility. This is a recipe for
creating cynicism, once the anti-nuclear consumers find out their dollars have been
channeled to the owners of plants they dislike. Electrons and dollars are fungible, so, in
these kinds cases, unless the marketer can prove to the public that the consumer dollars
they are collecting do not in any way support the nuclear and coal plants, and support
only the resources claimed as "green," such claims should not be made. This is not to say that portfolios necessarily need to be nuclear- and coal-free for marketers to make green
claims, but marketers should not misrepresent their portfolio.
4) Collecting premiums in exchange for vague promises to build renewables in the future.
Consumers should not be asked to pay for someone else's investment when they get
nothing in return, and when no tangible benefit to society results.
PROBLEMS WITH GOING GREEN
One of the main problems is that firms using green marketing must ensure that their
activities are not misleading to consumers or industry, and do not breach any of the
regulations or laws dealing with environmental marketing. Another problem firms face is
that those who modify their products due to increased consumer concern must contend
with the fact that consumers' perceptions are sometimes not correct like in McDonald's
case where it has replaced its clam shells with plastic coated paper. When firms attempt to
become socially responsible, they may face the risk that the environmentally responsible
action of today will be found to be harmful in the future. This may explain why some
firms, like Coca-Cola and Walt Disney World, are becoming socially responsible without
publicizing the point. They may be protecting themselves from potential future negative
backlash, if it is determined they made the wrong decision in the past.
Governments want to modify consumer behavior thus they need to establish a different
set of regulations and sometimes may result in a proliferation of regulations and
guidelines, with no one central controlling body.
Reacting to competitive pressures can cause all "followers" to make the same mistake as
the "leader." A costly example of this was the Mobil Corporation who followed the
competition and introduced "biodegradable" plastic garbage bags. While technically these
bags were biodegradable, the conditions under which they were disposed did not allow
biodegradation to occur. Mobil was sued by several US states for using misleading
advertising claims . Thus blindly following the competition can have costly ramifications.
End-of-pipe solutions may not actually reduce the waste but rather shift it around, though
it may minimize its short term affects. Ultimately most waste produced will enter the
waste stream, therefore to be environmentally responsible organizations should attempt to
minimize their waste, rather than find "appropriate" uses for it.
GREEN MARKETING – ADOPTION BY THE FIRMS.
Green marketing has been widely adopted by the firms worldwide and the following are
the possible reasons cited for this wide adoption:
1) OPPORTUNITIES
As demands change, many firms see these changes as an opportunity to be exploited and
have a competitive advantage over firms marketing non-environmentally responsible
alternatives. Some example of firms who have strived to become more environmentally responsible, in an attempt to better satisfy their consumer needs are:
• McDonald's replaced its clam shell packaging with waxed paper because of
increased consumer concern relating to polystyrene production and Ozone
depletion.
• Tuna manufacturers modified their fishing techniques because of the increased
concern over driftnet fishing, and the resulting death of dolphins.
• Xerox introduced a "high quality" recycled photocopier paper in an attempt to
satisfy the demands of firms for less environmentally harmful products.
2) SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Many firms are beginning to realize that they are members of the wider community and
therefore must behave in an environmentally responsible fashion thus resulting in
environmental issues being integrated into the firm's corporate culture.
An example of a firm that does not promote its environmental initiatives is Coca-Cola
which invested large sums of money in various recycling activities, as well as having
modified their packaging to minimize its environmental impact. Another firm who is very
environmentally responsible but does not promote this fact, at least outside the
organization, is Walt Disney World (WDW) with an extensive waste management
program and infrastructure.
3) GOVERNMENTAL PRESSURE
Governmental regulations relating to environmental marketing are designed to protect
consumers through regulations designed to control the amount of hazardous wastes
produced by firms by issuing of various environmental licenses, thus modifying
organizational behavior. In some cases governments try to "induce" final consumers to
become more responsible by taxing individuals who act in an irresponsible fashion. For
example in Australia there is a higher gas tax associated with leaded petrol.
4) COMPETITIVE PRESSURE
Another major force in the environmental marketing area has been firms' desire to
maintain their competitive position. In many cases firms observe competitors promoting
their environmental behaviors and attempt to emulate this behavior. In some instances this
competitive pressure has caused an entire industry to modify and thus reduce its
detrimental environmental behavior. For example, it could be argued that Xerox's "Revive
100% Recycled paper" was introduced a few years ago in an attempt to address the
introduction of recycled photocopier paper by other manufacturers. In another example
when one tuna manufacture stopped using driftnets the others followed suit.
5) COST OR PROFIT ISSUES
Disposing of environmentally harmful by-products, such as polychlorinated biphenyl
(PCB) contaminated oil are becoming increasingly costly and in some cases difficult. In
minimizing wastes firms often develop more effective production processes that reduces
the need for some raw materials thus serving as a double cost savings. In other cases
firms attempt to find end-of-pipe solutions, instead of minimizing waste by trying to find markets or uses for their waste materials, where one firm's waste becomes another firm's
input of production.
GREEN CODE
G eneralise with care. Consumer behaviour will not necessarily be consistent across
different product types, and particular market segments may respond to certain issues on
the green agenda but not others.
R emember, the validity of a piece of market research is not related to the degree to which
it supports your preferred option.
E xplore the context from which market research data comes. Be clear on the nature of
the sample used, the questions asked, the way in which responses were recorded and the
time and place from which the responses come.
E nsure that where market research is crossing international borderlines, that the
terminology and interpretation remains consistent. Terms like ‘environment’, ‘green’ and
‘conservation’ do not always translate precisely between languages.
N eutrality is important. Ensure that when you pose questions to consumers, that they can
make any response without being made to feel guilty or uncomfortable, and ensure that
your own preconceptions about the green agenda (such as an assumption that green
products will cost extra) are not encoded within the questions.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT GREEN MARKETING STRATEGY
Green marketing has not lived up to the hopes and dreams of many managers and
activists. Although public opinion polls consistently show that consumers would prefer to
choose a green product over one that is less friendly to the environment when all other
things are equal, those "other things" are rarely equal in the minds of consumers.And
hopes for green products also have been hurt by the perception that such products are of
lower quality or don't really deliver on their environmental promises.Yet the news isn't all
bad, as the growing number of people willing to pay a premium for green products —
from organic foods to energy-efficient appliances — attests.
How, then, should companies handle the dilemmas associated with green marketing?
They must always keep in mind that consumers are unlikely to compromise on traditional
product attributes, such as convenience, availability, price, quality and performance.
Since there is no single green-marketing strategy that is right for every company experts
suggest that companies should follow one of four strategies, depending on market and
competitive conditions, from the relatively passive and silent "lean green" approach to the
more aggressive and visible "extreme green" approach — with "defensive green" and
"shaded green" in between. Managers who understand these strategies and the underlying reasoning behind them will be better prepared to help their companies benefit from an
environmentally friendly approach to marketing.
CONCLUSION
Green marketing covers more than a firm's marketing claims. While firms must bear
much of the responsibility for environmental degradation, the responsibility should not be
theirs alone.
Ultimately green marketing requires that consumers want a cleaner environment and are
willing to "pay" for it, possibly through higher priced goods, modified individual
lifestyles, or even governmental intervention. Until this occurs it will be difficult for firms
alone to lead the green marketing revolution.
Having said this, it must not be forgotten that the industrial buyer also has the ability to
pressure suppliers to modify their activities. Thus an environmental committed
organization may not only produce goods that have reduced their detrimental impact on
the environment, they may also be able to pressure their suppliers to behave in a more
environmentally "responsible" fashion. Final consumers and industrial buyers also have
the ability to pressure organizations to integrate the environment into their corporate
culture and thus ensure all organizations minimize the detrimental environmental impact
of their activities. Thus green marketing should look at minimizing environmental harm,
not necessarily eliminating it.
ASSIGNMENT
CONTENTS
1) Introduction
2) Definition
3) Positive Aspect of Green Marketing
4) Negative Aspect of Green Marketing
5) Problems with going green
6) Green Marketing strategies that different firms should adopt
7) Green Code
8) Choosing the right Green Marketing Straregy
9) ConclusionINTRODUCTION
The promotion of environmentally safe or beneficial products, green marketing began in
Europe in the early 1980s when specific products were identified as being harmful to the
earth’s atmosphere. As a result, new “green” products were introduced that were less
damaging to the environment. The concept caught on in the United States and has been
gaining steadily ever since.
Divergent aspects of green marketing include ecologically safer products, recyclable and
biodegradable packaging, energy-efficient operations, and better pollution controls.
Advances produced from green marketing include packaging made from recycled paper,
phosphate-free detergents, refillable containers for cleaning products, and bottles using
less plastic.
As today’s consumers become more conscious of the natural environment, businesses are
beginning to modify their own thoughts and behavior in an attempt to address the
concerns of consumers. Green marketing is becoming more important to businesses
because of the consumer’s genuine concerns about our limited resources on the earth. By
implementing green marketing measures to save the earth’s resources in production,
packaging, and operations, businesses are showing consumers they too share the same
concerns, boosting their credibility
DEFINITONS
Pride and Ferrell (1993) Green marketing, also alternatively known as environmental
marketing and sustainable marketing, refers to an organization.s efforts at designing,
promoting, pricing and distributing products that will not harm the environment
Polonsky (1994) defines green marketing as .all activities designed to generate and
facilitate any exchanges intended to satisfy human needs or wants, such that the
satisfaction of these needs and wants occurs, with minimal detrimental impact on the
natural environment .
Elkington (1994: 93) defines green consumer as one who avoids products that are likely
to endanger the health of the consumer or others; cause significant damage to the
environment during manufacture, use or disposal; consume a disproportionate amount of
energy; cause unnecessary waste; use materials derived from threatened species or
environments; involve unnecessary use of, or cruelty to animals ;adversely affect other
countries.
POSITIVE ASPECTS OF GREEN MARKETING
1) First and foremost, a good green marketing program is one that either: adds renewables
that would not already be added or supports renewable projects that might not otherwise continue to operate. If these things are already happening and being paid for by all, then
the program doesn't meet the bottom-line test: green marketing programs must make a
difference.
2) A sign of a good green marketing program is one that has strong links to local
environmental groups and that achieves broad support among regional and national
groups with an interest in promoting renewable power. Public Service of Colorado, for
example, has developed a close working partnership with the Land and Water Fund and
other environmental groups in the state.
3) A green marketer that is seriously interested in greening the electric system will have a
program that is linked to a larger vision and a strategic plan for making renewables an
increasingly larger part of the generation mix. A good example of this is Central and
Southwest's recent decision to acquire a significant amount of renewables capacity, with
the intent of ratebasing a good portion of it, and subscribing the rest through a green
pricing program.
4) For green marketing programs to be successful in the long run, they should both
improve the environment and be fair to consumers. Prices should not be excessively
higher than the actual cost of the resources in the portfolio. This is particularly true for
green pricing programs, which are scrutinized by regulators, and in imperfectly
competitive markets, because in these cases, there is no real competition in the green
market. In markets that are vibrantly competitive and in which consumers have good
information, this is less of a problem since lower-cost providers can compete to displace
those providers charging excessive prices.
NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF GREEN MARKETING
1) Selling green power at a mark-up that would have been produced anyway with the cost
shared by all. An example of this would be renewable power that is already included or
would be included in a utility's ratebase without the green program. These types of
programs sell nothing as if it is something, which is worse than doing no green marketing
at all, because these programs are fundamentally unfair and breed consumer cynicism. If
we permit these types of programs to occur, they will undermine the market for those
marketers who are actually making a difference.
2) Programs that do not in some way directly benefit the renewable generator. An
example of this would be a utility that has an existing power purchase contract with a
renewable generator, but does not flow any benefit through to the generator.
3) Programs that make false claims and do not adequately inform consumers about the
nature of their product. For example, selling "nuclear and coal free" power when
consumer dollars are sent to a nuclear- and coal-owning utility. This is a recipe for
creating cynicism, once the anti-nuclear consumers find out their dollars have been
channeled to the owners of plants they dislike. Electrons and dollars are fungible, so, in
these kinds cases, unless the marketer can prove to the public that the consumer dollars
they are collecting do not in any way support the nuclear and coal plants, and support
only the resources claimed as "green," such claims should not be made. This is not to say that portfolios necessarily need to be nuclear- and coal-free for marketers to make green
claims, but marketers should not misrepresent their portfolio.
4) Collecting premiums in exchange for vague promises to build renewables in the future.
Consumers should not be asked to pay for someone else's investment when they get
nothing in return, and when no tangible benefit to society results.
PROBLEMS WITH GOING GREEN
One of the main problems is that firms using green marketing must ensure that their
activities are not misleading to consumers or industry, and do not breach any of the
regulations or laws dealing with environmental marketing. Another problem firms face is
that those who modify their products due to increased consumer concern must contend
with the fact that consumers' perceptions are sometimes not correct like in McDonald's
case where it has replaced its clam shells with plastic coated paper. When firms attempt to
become socially responsible, they may face the risk that the environmentally responsible
action of today will be found to be harmful in the future. This may explain why some
firms, like Coca-Cola and Walt Disney World, are becoming socially responsible without
publicizing the point. They may be protecting themselves from potential future negative
backlash, if it is determined they made the wrong decision in the past.
Governments want to modify consumer behavior thus they need to establish a different
set of regulations and sometimes may result in a proliferation of regulations and
guidelines, with no one central controlling body.
Reacting to competitive pressures can cause all "followers" to make the same mistake as
the "leader." A costly example of this was the Mobil Corporation who followed the
competition and introduced "biodegradable" plastic garbage bags. While technically these
bags were biodegradable, the conditions under which they were disposed did not allow
biodegradation to occur. Mobil was sued by several US states for using misleading
advertising claims . Thus blindly following the competition can have costly ramifications.
End-of-pipe solutions may not actually reduce the waste but rather shift it around, though
it may minimize its short term affects. Ultimately most waste produced will enter the
waste stream, therefore to be environmentally responsible organizations should attempt to
minimize their waste, rather than find "appropriate" uses for it.
GREEN MARKETING – ADOPTION BY THE FIRMS.
Green marketing has been widely adopted by the firms worldwide and the following are
the possible reasons cited for this wide adoption:
1) OPPORTUNITIES
As demands change, many firms see these changes as an opportunity to be exploited and
have a competitive advantage over firms marketing non-environmentally responsible
alternatives. Some example of firms who have strived to become more environmentally responsible, in an attempt to better satisfy their consumer needs are:
• McDonald's replaced its clam shell packaging with waxed paper because of
increased consumer concern relating to polystyrene production and Ozone
depletion.
• Tuna manufacturers modified their fishing techniques because of the increased
concern over driftnet fishing, and the resulting death of dolphins.
• Xerox introduced a "high quality" recycled photocopier paper in an attempt to
satisfy the demands of firms for less environmentally harmful products.
2) SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Many firms are beginning to realize that they are members of the wider community and
therefore must behave in an environmentally responsible fashion thus resulting in
environmental issues being integrated into the firm's corporate culture.
An example of a firm that does not promote its environmental initiatives is Coca-Cola
which invested large sums of money in various recycling activities, as well as having
modified their packaging to minimize its environmental impact. Another firm who is very
environmentally responsible but does not promote this fact, at least outside the
organization, is Walt Disney World (WDW) with an extensive waste management
program and infrastructure.
3) GOVERNMENTAL PRESSURE
Governmental regulations relating to environmental marketing are designed to protect
consumers through regulations designed to control the amount of hazardous wastes
produced by firms by issuing of various environmental licenses, thus modifying
organizational behavior. In some cases governments try to "induce" final consumers to
become more responsible by taxing individuals who act in an irresponsible fashion. For
example in Australia there is a higher gas tax associated with leaded petrol.
4) COMPETITIVE PRESSURE
Another major force in the environmental marketing area has been firms' desire to
maintain their competitive position. In many cases firms observe competitors promoting
their environmental behaviors and attempt to emulate this behavior. In some instances this
competitive pressure has caused an entire industry to modify and thus reduce its
detrimental environmental behavior. For example, it could be argued that Xerox's "Revive
100% Recycled paper" was introduced a few years ago in an attempt to address the
introduction of recycled photocopier paper by other manufacturers. In another example
when one tuna manufacture stopped using driftnets the others followed suit.
5) COST OR PROFIT ISSUES
Disposing of environmentally harmful by-products, such as polychlorinated biphenyl
(PCB) contaminated oil are becoming increasingly costly and in some cases difficult. In
minimizing wastes firms often develop more effective production processes that reduces
the need for some raw materials thus serving as a double cost savings. In other cases
firms attempt to find end-of-pipe solutions, instead of minimizing waste by trying to find markets or uses for their waste materials, where one firm's waste becomes another firm's
input of production.
GREEN CODE
G eneralise with care. Consumer behaviour will not necessarily be consistent across
different product types, and particular market segments may respond to certain issues on
the green agenda but not others.
R emember, the validity of a piece of market research is not related to the degree to which
it supports your preferred option.
E xplore the context from which market research data comes. Be clear on the nature of
the sample used, the questions asked, the way in which responses were recorded and the
time and place from which the responses come.
E nsure that where market research is crossing international borderlines, that the
terminology and interpretation remains consistent. Terms like ‘environment’, ‘green’ and
‘conservation’ do not always translate precisely between languages.
N eutrality is important. Ensure that when you pose questions to consumers, that they can
make any response without being made to feel guilty or uncomfortable, and ensure that
your own preconceptions about the green agenda (such as an assumption that green
products will cost extra) are not encoded within the questions.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT GREEN MARKETING STRATEGY
Green marketing has not lived up to the hopes and dreams of many managers and
activists. Although public opinion polls consistently show that consumers would prefer to
choose a green product over one that is less friendly to the environment when all other
things are equal, those "other things" are rarely equal in the minds of consumers.And
hopes for green products also have been hurt by the perception that such products are of
lower quality or don't really deliver on their environmental promises.Yet the news isn't all
bad, as the growing number of people willing to pay a premium for green products —
from organic foods to energy-efficient appliances — attests.
How, then, should companies handle the dilemmas associated with green marketing?
They must always keep in mind that consumers are unlikely to compromise on traditional
product attributes, such as convenience, availability, price, quality and performance.
Since there is no single green-marketing strategy that is right for every company experts
suggest that companies should follow one of four strategies, depending on market and
competitive conditions, from the relatively passive and silent "lean green" approach to the
more aggressive and visible "extreme green" approach — with "defensive green" and
"shaded green" in between. Managers who understand these strategies and the underlying reasoning behind them will be better prepared to help their companies benefit from an
environmentally friendly approach to marketing.
CONCLUSION
Green marketing covers more than a firm's marketing claims. While firms must bear
much of the responsibility for environmental degradation, the responsibility should not be
theirs alone.
Ultimately green marketing requires that consumers want a cleaner environment and are
willing to "pay" for it, possibly through higher priced goods, modified individual
lifestyles, or even governmental intervention. Until this occurs it will be difficult for firms
alone to lead the green marketing revolution.
Having said this, it must not be forgotten that the industrial buyer also has the ability to
pressure suppliers to modify their activities. Thus an environmental committed
organization may not only produce goods that have reduced their detrimental impact on
the environment, they may also be able to pressure their suppliers to behave in a more
environmentally "responsible" fashion. Final consumers and industrial buyers also have
the ability to pressure organizations to integrate the environment into their corporate
culture and thus ensure all organizations minimize the detrimental environmental impact
of their activities. Thus green marketing should look at minimizing environmental harm,
not necessarily eliminating it.
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