Consumers today are more concerned about environmental degradation and the negative impact of their uses of products and services on the environment. The reason for this concern could be visible climatic changes, global warming and increasing air and water pollution. Thus, using environmental marketing by organizations not only provides an opportunity to meet consumers’ expectations and address their environmental concerns but also to gain a competitive advantage and a solid consumer base for the environment.
Environmental marketing, according to the marketing association, is marketing products that are presumed to be environmentally safe. Thus, a wide range of activities is covered under environmental marketing, which includes modifying products, making changes in the production process and packaging, as well as modifying advertising or removing any action that negatively impacts the environment.
Today, the earth faces more environmental issues than before; hence, companies must market themselves as environmentally friendly. Environmental marketing is emerging as a popularly promotional strategy owing to increased consumer awareness and concerns.
Environmental marketing calls upon businesses to follow ethical and green practices while dealing with customers, suppliers, dealers and employees.
Companies have started marketing themselves as green companies. Even the public sector units and state governments are now paying much attention to environmental issues such as global warming, pollution, and water contamination. They have started taking steps to prevent environmental pollution.
In a recent survey conducted by national geographic society and international polling firm globe scan (2010) to determine consumers’ green attitude called “consumer green dex”, the top scoring consumer was in the developing economies of India, Brazil and China, while industrialized countries ranked at the bottom. Consumers showing the most significant increase in environmentally sustainable behaviour were in India, Russia and the united states. For a company to be successful in green marketing requires to be committed to operating in ecologically friendly ways.
There is no consensus on what precisely environmental is. There is no accepted definition of ecological products. However, some common characteristics of environmental products are generally accepted as green, including energy efficiency, water efficiency, Low emitting, healthy products, Recyclable, Durable, Biodegradable, Renewable, Reused products, Third party certified, Locally produced etc.
Environmental marketing has become one of the most popular topics among marketers since it can deliver competitive benefits. However, it necessitates investment in technology advancement, process innovation, and customer communication, among other things. Due to government laws and a shift in consumer preferences around the world, several Indian enterprises have begun marketing themselves as environmental organizations. However, there has been little research on environmental marketing in India, and there is some doubt about customer knowledge of ecological products. The Indian consumer’s attitude toward environmental effects and the relationship between attitude and behaviour is also debatable. Because environmental marketing differs from regular marketing, marketers must understand the variables influencing consumers to purchase ecological products, thus making our environment safer.
