A Study on Green Marketing Strategies – A Tool to achieve sustainability ISBN - 978-93-5351-746-5

A STUDY ON GREEN MARKETING STRATEGIES – A TOOL TO ACHIEVE

SUSTAINABILITY
Mrs. UMA. K
Assistant Professor and Research Scholar
chanduma25@gmail.com
Mobile: 9916262474
Pooja Bhagavat Memorial Mahajana Education Centre, Mysuru

ABSTRACT:

Nowadays the concern for environmental topics and sustainable development has
been increasing. Environmental issues have come to the forefront. Unrestrained use of fossil
oil has caused climate changes, global resource limitations slow down the progress to sustain
the current economic growth strategy. Therefore efforts are being made in order to achieve
sustainable development, which consists of social sustainability, economic sustainability, and
environmental sustainability in order to reach the well-being of present and future
generations. Sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their need' (UNDP, 1987).
Hence for sustaining success marketers have to intend towards sustainable consumption and
tries to protect the environment. We can classify the sustainable development into three
constituent parts; environmental sustainability, economic sustainability, and socio political
sustainability. Sustainability is the most common word nowadays in the environmental and
economic world. This paper explains the way for achieving sustainable development through
green marketing strategy.

Keywords:Green marketing strategy, Green products, Sustainable development, Green

marketing Mix, Green consumers.

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1. INTRODUCTION
The global warming, the high level of pollution and global climate change has
affected the behavior of consumers and companies. Due to the environmental concerns
companies and consumer has started to rise inters for the eco-friendly products, products that
do not pollute the environment. Companies demonstrate their environmental concern in
different ways; Green marketing is one of the tools used by companies for achieving
sustainable development. The companies do not have to satisfy costumer only, but they have
to take into account the interests of society overall. They have to take into consideration the
long- term prosperity not the temporary. Consumers demonstrate their environmental concern
by means of buying products that are friendly to the environment (e.g., Green products) or by
boycotting products that harm the environment. The companies need to know consumers'
attitude and to adapt new marketing solutions with the focus on determining the expectations
and satisfying their needs.
The conceptual model of the green policies illustrates that external forces (e.g.,
customer needs, public concern, and stakeholders) and internal forces (e.g., management
priorities, need for competitive advantage, corporate culture) and is the basic motives to start
with the green policies that might be various level. The level of the greenness (corporate,
business, tactical, functional) impacts on the green strategies’ implementation activities
(targeting, positioning, pricing, design, logistics, alliances, and on the company’s green
marketing mix 7P (product/service, place, price, promotion, procedures, processes, people
and physical surroundings), and it will result in a particular consequences, such as
competitive advantage through crating value and adding value, through enhanced social
image, through reduced prices and higher return on investments (ROI), through greening the
whole B2B supply chain and greening the entire service/product life-cycle. Besides, the
macro environmental conditions also affect the level of corporate environmentalism. Eco-
labeling of products and services is one of the most vital tool helping in implementing green
polices and supporting in increasing of consumers loyalty and trust in the long-run.
Marketers observed this phenomenon as offering business opportunities, and a
number of organisations developed and implemented short-term orientated sensitive or long-
term orientated positive environmental strategies at the same time companies launched
environmentally friendly products. Regardless of the evidence that society is increasingly
sympathetic towards the products, green companies have not achieved the level of market
success that would have been expected. Many of them have been develop short-period

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environmental friendly tactics and have not been planning any innovation within the green
marketing strategies At the same time there have happened quite few cases where the
companies were accused of using green-washing strategy and promoting their products as
green even they have not been green at all.

2. LITERATURE REVIEW
Vinod Kumar & et al., (2013)1: This paper presents the extant literature available on the
emerging area of Sustainability Marketing Strategy (SMS), which hopefully, will prove to be
a springboard for the future research. Tracing the origin of the concept of SMS, a detailed
discussion on historic developments in the field is taken up. Finally, the author after
analyzing current status of research in the field of SMS, a probable agenda for future research
has been formulated, which may serve as a useful recommendation for the upcoming
investigators, as significant contribution need to be made in the area of SMS.
Teo Yee Voon&RashadYazdanifard(2014)2: This paper highlights the marketing responses
to environmental concerns facing the world today through green marketing intervention
strategies to achieve sustainable development.They suggest individuals and organizations can
benefit from green marketing strategies and at the same time protect the environment to
achieve sustainable development. The faults and the future of green marketing as a discipline
and future directions for researchers are also reviewed.
Ajike& et al., (2015)3: This study investigated the role green marketing plays on sustaining
the development of the Nation. In their findings discovered a very high positive relationship
exists between Green marketing customer's satisfaction, customer loyalty and the
organizations profitability. So the study recommended that organisation must be conscious of
her customer's environment in order to promote sustainable development in the Nation.
Anita &Klodiana (2015) 4 : This paper they try to examine the attitude of Albanian
consumers toward eco-friendly products. The purpose of the survey is to collect information
from a consumer standpoint. They apply various statistical analyses to investigate the
demographic variable of consumers who are willing to pay an extra price for eco-friendly

1
Vinod Kumar & et al., (2013): “Sustainability Marketing Strategy:-An Analysis of Recent Literature”, Global
Business Review 14(4) 601–625, SAGE Publications, DOI: 10.1177/0972150913501598, Page no- 601–625.
2
Teo Yee Voon&RashadYazdanifard ( 2014): “Green marketing strategies, sustainable development, benefits
and challenges /Constraints”, www.researchgate.net/publication/264992117, Page no- 3-10.
3
Ajike& et al., (2015): “Green Marketing: A Tool For Achieving Sustainable Development In Nigeria”,
International Journal of Advanced Research in Statistics, Management and Finance, ISSN Hard Print: 2315-
8409, ISSN Online: 2354-1644 Vol. 3. No. 1, Page no: 1-15.
4
Anita &Klodiana (2015): “Green marketing as a key strategy for sustainable development: A case study of
Albanian consumers”, Euro Economica, Vol 33, No 1, Issue 1(33)ISSN: 1582-8859,
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A Study on Green Marketing Strategies – A Tool to achieve sustainability ISBN - 978-93-5351-746-5

products. They find that the profile of consumers with a positive attitude towards eco-friendly
products was more likely to be young educated women.
Peera Kumar &Venkatasubbaiah (2017) 5 : This paper explains the way for achieving
sustainable development though green marketing. They suggest that the business will survive
and be sustainable only when marketers understand the changes in the market which are
greening and leads to sustainable development. They conclude that Green marketing is a tool
for protecting the environment for the future generation. It has a positive impact on
environmental safety.

3. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM:

Most of the firms seek to maximize profits at whatever cost even at the expense of the
consumer’s wellbeing. The globe must be developed according to the needs of the people, but
with the obligation of sustainable development as a complete process. The ecological
development is about making models in a qualitative way to meet the socio-economic needs
and interests of citizens while eliminating or significantly reducing the impacts that threaten
or harm the environment and natural resources.The elected businesses have been quick to
accept the newer challenges or changes like environmental management, minimization of the
waste aligning with organizational activities.

4. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Global warming, the high level of pollution and global climate change has affected
the behavior of consumers and companies. Due to the environmental concerns, companies
and consumer has started to raise interest in the eco-friendly products, products that do not
pollute the environment. Companies demonstrate their environmental concern in different
ways; Green marketing is one of the tools used by companies for achieving sustainable
development. Companies do not have to gratify customer only, but they have to take into
account the interests of society overall.So, these days' concepts of green marketing are taking
shape as one of the key business strategies of the companies for gaining the competitive
advantage, ensuring sustainable consumption of products in the market and enjoying
sustainable development in the future.
5. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
This study on green marketing strategies hasthe following specificobjectives:
1. To study the concept of green marketing strategies and sustainable development.

Peera Kumar &Venkatasubbaiah (2017): “Green Marketing and Sustainable Development”, National
5

Conference on Marketing and Sustainable Development, ISBN 978-1-943295-10-4, Page no-36-47.

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2. To understand Green marketing Mix and green marketing strategies.

3. To Analyze the Opportunities and challenges of green marketing strategies.
4. To know the Indian and global scenario of green marketing

6. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This is a theoretical research paper, where secondary information produced by
different authors and researchers has been used. For locating necessary information, various
books, journals as well as websites have been explored by the researcher which has been
mentioned in the reference section.

1. To study the concept of green marketing strategies and sustainable development.

As green marketing strategies know a day’s become increasing more important to
Producers sellers & consumers to a triple bottom line performance evaluation. This study
seeks to better understand the role of green as a green marketing strategy. Through it’s an
integration of the marketing management, operation literature, & an investigative frame
work is generated to identifies the stakeholders like Producers, dealers, consumers
Government, Banks & farmers, potentially impacted through the eco-friendly efforts.
The sustainable development: which consists of social sustainability, economic
sustainability and environmental sustainability in order to reach well-being of present and
future generations.Thus companies are trying to design new strategies for gaining competitive
advantage in the marketplace. The green marketing is one of such strategies used by
marketers for reaching sustainable development. The companies need to know consumers'
attitude and to adapt new marketing solutions with the focus on determining the expectations
and satisfying their needs.
Green Marketing Evolution
Stage Decade Green marketing history
1st stage 1980s Introduction of ecological products; ecological was equivalent to green
products; green consumption was very low
2nd stage Early-1990s High concern about green issues; still low consumption of green
products; companies involve themselves in using less raw material,
wasting less; corporate efforts in recycling, energy efficiency, corporate
responsibility
3rd stage Late-1990s Changes in production processes, technology and resourcing;
sustainability marketing; Total quality management involves
environmental issues

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4th stage 2000s Green products and services making a comeback; Eco friendliness
/going-green become more and more popular between companies and
consumers; the term of ‘sustainable green marketing’ is introduced

Green marketing Strategies: includes a wide range of activities related to: product design,
the manufacturing process, service delivery processes, packaging, construction and
renovation of buildings, recycling, and other areas such as marketing communications
(Kilbourne, 1998).

Green product is “-green”, if it

• It creates minimum natural effect.
• It is produced in a way that is environmentally conscious.
• It avoids water pollution, area contamination and air pollution as well.
• It preserves natural resources such as energy and water.
• It utilizes recyclable sourced materials.
• It is not utilizing plastic bags, but instead someone's own bag.
• It is locally manufactured.
• Its products those are originally grown.
• These products are recyclable, reusable and biodegradable.
• These Products with natural ingredients.
• These products containing nontoxic chemical.
• These products contents under approved chemicals.
• These products that do not harm or pollute the environment.
• These products that will not be tested on animals.
• These products that have Eco-friendly packaging i.e. reusable, refillable containers
etc.
Objectives of Green Marketing Strategies:
• To make environmentalism profitable.

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• To bring out the green marketing strategies.

• To eliminate the concept of waste.
• To identify the opportunities and challenges of green marketing.
• To Bringing out product modification.
• To Changing in production processes.
• To reinvent the concept of product.
• To know the level of awareness regarding green marketing among consumers.
• To realize the buying behaviour of consumers related to green marketing.
• To knowin what way green marketing helps company to build its image.
• To Initiative taken by government towards green marketing.
• To reinvent the concept of product modification.

Green Consumer: Elkington (1997) and Anirban (2012) 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.The consumers
had 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.A green consumer was generally distinct from those who
adopt environmentally friendly behaviours and/or who purchases green products over the
standard alternatives.
Types of Green Consumers:
True Blue Green Buyers (9%): True Blues have strong environmental values and take it
upon themselves to try to effect positive change. They are more likely to avoid products made
by companies that are not environmentally conscious.
Greenback buyers (6%): Greenbacks are differing from True Blues in that they do not take
the time to be politically active. But they are more willing than the average consumer to
purchase green products.
Green Sprouts (31%): Sprouts believe in environmental causes in theory but not in practice.
The sprouts will rarely buy agreen product if it means spending more, but they are capable of
going either way and can be persuaded to buy green if appealed to appropriately.
Green Grousers (19%): Grousers tend to be uneducated about environmental issues and
cynical about their ability to effect change. They believe that Green products cost too much
and do not perform as well as the competition.

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Basic Browns (33%): The basic browns are caught up with day-to-day concerns and do not
care about environmental and social issues.
This indicates that near about 46% of the consumer marker buy repetitively the green
products. And the factors like social, cultural and economic trends may cause the size of the
target market to grow.
2. To understand Green marketing Mix and green marketing strategies.
Greening of Marketing Mix
Green marketing strategy can be implemented through the process called the Greening of
Marketing Mix, including External Green 7P, Internal Green 7P, and Green 4S for Success
(Peattie, 2001).
Green product:The ecological objectives in planning products are to reduce resource
consumption and pollution and to increase conservation of scarce resources.
Green Price: ThePrice is a critical and important factor of a green marketing mix. Most of
the consumers will only be prepared to pay additional value if there is a perception of extra
product value. The value mayimprove performance, function, design, visual appeal, or taste.
The green marketing has to take all these facts into consideration while charging a premium
price.
Green Place: The choice of where and when to make a product available will have a
significant impact on the customers. A very few customers will go out of their way to buy
green products.
Green Promotion: The Ads that address a relationship between a product/service and the
biophysical environment. Those promote a green lifestyle by highlighting a product or
service. Ads present a corporate image of environmental responsibility.

3. Green Marketing Strategies: As consumers become more environmentally conscious,

businesses must adopt a green strategy. The small businesses seeking to leverage the power
of ‘going green’ should carefully coordinate genuine actions and marketing strategies.
STRATEGIES OF GREEN MARKETING & SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

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1. Applying Green Promotion Successful promotion depends on choosing the right strategy
and media for promotion of green products. Any kind of green promotion becomes neutral
unless it supported by corresponding corporate activities.
2. Changing the Attitude towards Waste generated always does not necessarily have to be
an unhelpful result of production processes. A newer understanding of the idea of waste has
given birth to a new market of recycled products. Also, it may be so that which is deemed
waste for a company may be a raw material for another.
3. Successful Market Segmentation and Concentration on Selected Market Segment A
Company needs to focus on the market comprising of the green consumers. The company can
run an advertisement for its products in green-focused media. It can also innovate anew green
product along with its existing products. Further, it can altogether launch a new strategic
business unit aimed at the green.
4. Developing a New Generation of Green Product insufficient production processes and
poor designing of products can be very harmful to the environment that is why the companies
should consider possible negative effects on the environment and minimize them at the
beginning of New Product Development.
5. Green Positioning Companies interested in positioning themselves as green should make
sure that all the activities that it is involved in support its projected image, so as not to cheat
the consumers as well the media.
6. Deciding about Green Prices Consumers today are willing to pay only a small premium
or no premium at all for the green products. Pricing may become a cause of concern when it
comes to selling the product in the market, as its manufacturing may be expensive due to new
technology involved. It, therefore, becomes the responsibility of the manufacturer to decide
upon the pricing of the product.
7. Green Packaging a business that manufactures and packages products can convert to eco-
friendly packaging. To converting to biodegradable packaging provides customers with a

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visible symbol of the company's commitment to ‘going green’. It can also leverage the eco-
friendly packaging as part of its advertising program to help draw in new environmentally
conscious customers.
8. Applying ‘Green’ Logistics Distribution of goods can also be designed such that they
leave minimum impact on the environment. Mere reduction in packaging and wrapping can
contribute to a large extent in reducing the waste and saving paper. Efficient inventory
management can also contribute to minimizing wastage in a big way.
9. Educate Your Customers For green marketing to be effective, a company has to use
another strategy as it is not just a matter of telling people about to know whatever the
companies are doing to protect the environment but also a matter of telling them to know why
it matters and its importance.
3. To Analyze the Opportunities and challenges of green marketing.
Opportunities for green marketing: Environmental concerns present both challenges and
opportunities Enlightened Chief Executive Officers have taken advantage of opportunities by
using green marketing strategies which have resulted in various benefits (Ottoman, 1997):
1. Profitability: Green based products create less waste, use fewer raw materials, and saves
energy
2. Competitive advantage: Companies that are first to put their environmental innovation on
the shelve enjoys the competitive advantage
3. Increased market share: Brand loyalty is near the all-time low. Actually, the percentage
of Americans who feel that some brands are worth paying more for is declining. According to
a poll conducted by the Porter, Novelli consumers viewed the company’s record on the
environment as an important determinant of their purchase decision.
4. Better products: Green based products are higher in quality in terms of energy saving,
performance, convenience, safety, etc.
5. Personal Rewards: Green products offer consumers with the benefits of healthier, more
fulfilled lives and power to make the world a better place
6.Better Physical Environment: Well co-ordinated use of all green marketing strategies will
result in a better physical environment in terms of reduced air and water pollution, waste
energy depletion, global warming, deforestation, depletion of natural resources.
7. Sustainable development: meeting the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their needs. (Ottman, 1997)
Challenges in Green Marketing

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1. The essential for standardization: It is found that only 5% of the marketing messages
from Green campaigns are entirely true and there is a lack of standardization to authenticate
these claims. There is no standardization to authenticate these claims.
2. It is a new Concept: Indian literate and an urban consumer is getting more aware of the
merits of Green products. The customer needs to be educated and made aware of the
ecologicaldangers. The green movements need to reach the common people and that will take
a lot of time and effort.
3. The need for toleranceand perseverance:The investors and corporate need to view the
environment as a major long-term investment opportunity, the marketers need to look at the
long-term benefits from this new green movement. It requires a lot of patience and no
immediate results. In the meantime it is a new concept and idea; it will have its own
acceptance period.
4. The Need to avoiding green myopia: The first rule of green marketing is focusing on
customer benefits i.e., the primary reason why consumers buy certain products in the first
place. To motivate consumers to switch brands or even pay a premium for the greener
alternative. It is not good going to help if a product is developed which is absolutely green in
various aspects but does not pass the customer satisfaction criteria. This will lead to green
myopia. Also if the green products are priced very high then again it will lose its market
acceptability.
5. Green products require renewable and recyclable material, which is costly
6. Requires a technology, which requires a huge investment in R & D
7. Water treatment technology, which is too costly
8. Majority of the people are not aware of green products and their uses.
9. Majority of the consumers are not willing to pay a premium for green products.

4. To know the Indian and global scenario of green marketing:

Top Ten Green Brands in India: 1. AMUL 2. Dabur India Ltd. 3. Infosys 4. Taj Hotels
5. Britannia Industries Ltd. 6. SuzlonIndia 7. Hindustan Unilever Ltd. 8. Wipro technologies
ltd. 9. MarutiUdyog Ltd. 10. Godrej Consumer Products.
The global scenario in green marketing|: There is a growing need to switch over to green
products and services by both marketers and consumers. Whereas the shift to ‘green’ will be
expensive to both the consumers as well as businesses, it will most definitely pay off in the
long run. Environmental issues are addressed in green marketing efforts. The core idea of
green marketing is to create awareness among people on environmental issues and how
consumers would be helping the environment if they switch over to green products.
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Thereforegreen marketing aims to provide more information to people and also gives those
more choices to switch over to green lifestylea number of businesses have begun committing
themselves to make their entire operation more environmentally friendly. Therefore
corporations are becoming more aware of their responsibilities towards the environment. This
has forced the lawmakers, environmental groups, consumers, financial institution, insurers,
and the organization's own employees to become more aware of environmental aspects and
this, in turn, has led to an increase in the number of policies and schemes and regulations at
both the national and international levels.

7. SUGGESTIONS
• Improve awareness about green products and their effectiveness.
• Green products should be priced according to their quality.
• There should not be more price difference between astandard product and green
product.
• The green product’s quality should be better than standard products.

8. CONCLUSIONS
Nowadays, climate change is worsening because manufacturers continually release
carbon dramatically that causes the greenhouse effect. The companiesnowadays realized the
problem and started using degradable packing, reducing carbon emission and also reducing
energy consumption (Polonsky& Jay, 1994).
The marketers have the responsibility to make the patrons understand the need for and
benefits of green products as compared to non-green ones. That’s why briefly we can suggest
that the business will survive and be sustainable only when marketers understand the changes
in the market which are greening and leads to sustainable development.For instance, it’s our
responsibility to do value addition to our cultural products (green products) by promoting
green marketing. We must find an opportunity to enhance our product's performance and
strengthen your customer's loyalty and command a higher price. The green marketing is still
in the infancystage and a lot of research is to be done on green marketing to fully explore its
potential.This means that organizations should tap into the adoption of green marketing
because it is still a golden goose, and can be a very powerful marketing strategy though when
it's done right. Government is not also left out in this race; the government should ensure
every organization that is out to make a profit or not should adopt green marketing as a
strategy for sustainable development.

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REFERENCES:
Ajike& et al., (2015): “Green Marketing: A Tool For Achieving Sustainable Development In
Nigeria”, International Journal of Advanced Research in Statistics, Management, and
Finance, ISSN Hard Print: 2315-8409, ISSN Online: 2354-1644 Vol. 3. No. 1, Page
no: 1-15.
Anita &Klodiana (2015): “Green marketing as a key strategy for sustainable development: A
case study of Albanian consumers”, Euro Economica, Vol 33, No 1, Issue 1(33)ISSN:
1582-8859,
Banerjee, S.B. (2003). Corporate Environmentalism: Antecedents and Influence of Industry
Type. Journal of Marketing. Vol. 67, pp. 106-122.
IlonaSolvalier (2010) Green Marketing Strategies - Case Study about ICA Group AB, Master
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Kilbourne, W. and Beckmann, S. (1998). “Review and critical assessment of research on
marketing and the environment”, Journal of Marketing Management.Vol. 4, No. 6, pp.
513– 532.
Ottman.(1997). “Green marketing, opportunity for innovation”, NTC publishers, pg45- 126.
Peattie, K. (2001). Towards Sustainability: The Third Age of Green Marketing. Marketing
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Peattie, Ken, and Crane, Andrew (2005). Green marketing: legend, myth, farce or prophesy?
Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal. Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 357-370.
Peera Kumar &Venkatasubbaiah (2017): “Green Marketing and Sustainable Development”,
National Conference on Marketing and Sustainable Development, ISBN 978-1-
943295-10-4, Page no-36-47.
Polonsky& Jay, M. (1994).An introduction to green marketing, Electronic Green Journal,
1(2), pg1-10.
Teo Yee Voon&RashadYazdanifard ( 2014): “Green marketing strategies, sustainable
development, benefits and challenges /Constraints”,
www.researchgate.net/publication/264992117, Page no- 3-10.
Vinod Kumar & et al., (2013): “Sustainability Marketing Strategy:-An Analysis of Recent
Literature”, Global Business Review 14(4) 601–625, SAGE Publications, DOI:
10.1177/0972150913501598, Page no- 601–625.

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