Green marketing: Promoting environmentally friendly products

young merc runising Promoting surroundally companionable ingatheringsAbstractGreen merchandising is selling of products that argon surroundal safe. Companies marketing their green achievements were once a small segment of forward-thinking shapings, hardly since grown into a group of marvellous advocates that includes an oil lodge and the worlds largest seller. surroundingsal palsy-walsy production is vital in running future economies. By nature, plants take carbon dioxide from the air and break down oxygen in respiration process. By doing this, they annoy ecology sound and sustainable. Companies should stop polluting the environment and make their existence sensible and sustainable. They should go green.This subject discusses what is green trade, and to what extent ar companies integrating its principles into their communications i.e. positioning green and green thinking into their operations? Paper also foc offices on what is the magnetic core of green selling in the satisfaction of the contains and deprivations of consumers.The challenges in an trend of going green are also put in the paper. arrangement strategies for Green i. e environment- affectionate products are suggested in the paper.Keywords Green marketing, positioning green, environmentIntroductionAccording to the Ameri rat Marketing Association, green marketing is the marketing of products that are presumed to be environmentally safe. Thus green marketing incorporates a broad range of activities, including product modification, changes to the production process, promotional material changes, as swell up as modifying advertising. Yet defining green marketing is non a simple task where several meanings intersect and contradict each other(a) an example of this exit be the existence of varying social, environmental and retail definitions attached to this term. Other similar terms used are environmental Marketing and Ecological MarketingGreen marketing refers to the process o f marketing products and/or work based on their environmental turn a profits. such(prenominal) a product or service whitethorn be environmentally friendly in itself or produced and/or packaged in an environmentally friendly way.The obvious assumption of green marketing is that potential consumers bequeath flock a product or services greenness as a benefit and base their buying decision accordingly. The not-so-obvious assumption of green marketing is that consumers forget be willing to pay more(prenominal) for green products than they would for a less-green comparable alternative product an assumption that, in my opinion, has not been proven conclusively.While green marketing is growing greatly as change magnitude human bodys of consumers are willing to back their environmental consciousnesses with their dollars, it can be dangerous. The public hunts to be sceptical of green claims, to begin with and companies can earnestly damage their brands and their sales if a green claim is discovered to be false or contradicted by a companys other products or practices. Presenting a product or service as green when its not is called greenwashing.Green marketing can be a very powerful marketing strategy though when its done right.Also Known as environmental Marketing, Ecological Marketing, Eco-Marketing.Common Misspellings Geen marketing, gren marketing.ExampleChads green marketing campaign bombed becEnvironmental Product StrategiesThere are a large number of environmental issues impacting on the production of goods and products. For exampleWhat is the impact of production, sourcing of materials and packaging on the environment?Can minimum levels of packaging and/or environmentally friendly packaging be achieved with off com declare product quality or appeal?provider practices i.e. are they at least as environmentally friendly as the organisation they are supplying?Environmentally friendly products can step-up and minify production cost environmentally frien dly production whitethorn profit costs for organisations and their suppliers but this may be rack upset by lower fuel bills through zilch efficiency measures or an increase in sales caused by a positive product image. An organisation may able to sink increases in production costs (caused by EFS) to consumers. However, this will depend on the level of increase, type of consumer, competitor prices for the same(p) type of product and the strength of the economy. For example during times of recession consumers will place price above numerous if not all of the factors make up the marketing mix.Environmental Place StrategiesAll organisations will want to conservatively time when their product reaches consumers exact time of distribution will depend on the product or service being distributed. Such timing may piss an environmental implication.Some products will convey to reach the consumer shortly after production for example fresh aliment in order to retain freshness, taste or nutritional value. The fast-breaking method of distribution may damage the environment. Conversely a more environmentally friendly method e.g. via canals may impact on raceing of distribution and accordingly quality of the product. A method of distribution that combines speed with environmentally friendliness may increase distribution costs as some of these processes are still under development e.g. electric vehicles.In addition to the type of transport used for distribution, an organisation will occupy to review distribution techniques For example timing deliveries so that they occur during off peak hours and do not contribute to congestion. Some organisations attempt to make fewer deliveries, whilst others promote concentrated products (e.g. fabric conditioner) as they increase the number of products that can carried in each delivery vehicle.Even if environmentally friendly distribution is not at the top of an organisations list of priorities, government policies may elevate it to the top. Congestion charging and low emission zones wee been introduced in the London. obscure from the obvious increase in costs emanating from observance of such policies, a failure to observe environmentally friendly rules and regulations will lead to fines and sanctions and consequently negative publicity.After reviewing internal distribution methods an organisation will need to review supplier and subcontractor distribution as consumers and the media expect organisations claiming environmental documentation to only when liaise with other environmentally friendly organisations.. For example do the subcontractors use Bio-fuel? Are the subcontractors actively managing their carbon footprint or energy use?Environmental Promotion StrategiesDue to the consumer, celebrity and government proclivity for protecting the environment environmentally friendly practices are used as promotional tools. For example the award of ISO 14001 (which certifies that an organisation has cert ain environmental standards, as certified by an independent external auditing organisation) is often quoted in marketing literature.Product packaging that can be recycled will have a message on the packaging clearly stating the recycling properties for the packaging. Similarly organic products will be labelled, not only on the packaging but also around the shelving displaying the organic produce.Some organisations have sought to curve costs through the promotion of environmentally friendly strategies. The use of attack aircraft carrier bags has changed dramatically in the UK over the last 2-3 years. Retailers actively promote the benefit of reusable bags as they have many benefitsLower costs for the retailerConsumers feel good as they believe that the use of a reusable bag is helping the environmentFewer carrier bags go to landfill other example is hotels twistinging guests the opportunity to interest in fewer linen and towel changes. Such strategy is environmentally friendly as it reduces the use of detergents and energy but it also reduces costs for the hotel and improves corporate image.Some organisations providing products and services which may harm the environment have added off setting methods to their portfolios and marketing literature. The idea behind off setting is that the consumer is offered the opportunity to indirectly engage in an activity (such as tree planting) that benefits the environment and therefore balances/evens out the damage they caused for example through flying. Such schemes attempt to ease the consumers conscience and retain a positive image for the organisation providing the environmentally unfriendly product or service.Environmental Pricing StrategiesThroughout this member we have discussed how environmentally friendly strategies can either increase or decrease organisational costs. The ideal marketing mix is a reduction in costs and/or an increased in costs which is exceeded by an increase in profits.Pricing must refle ct the demand for the product an incorrectly priced product will reduce demand this is now further complicated by the impact environmental issues have on pricing. If an organisation is paying more for raw materials because the supplier is environmentally friendly it may decide to pass on this price increase to the consumer, the amount the ideal amount will be dictated by the shoot for consumer.On the other hand companies cutting costs and increasing profits at the expense of the environment may be risking negative publicity, fines, sanctions or may simply ache out to organisations actively promoting their environmentally friendly practices even if such competitors offer more expensive products and services.SummaryThe environmental marketing mix is adequate extremely important in todays business world. Firms will have to carefully manage this mix if they are to successfully operate in a world which is becoming increasingly aware of climatic changes.Wheres the beef? may not be the most accurate phrase, but its the first that comes to mind.Seriously, thats the only thought I could come up with in the face of this intelligence McDonalds is swapping out the red in its logo for a deep hunter green to tout its environmental credentials in Europe.From an Associated Press article by Mary MacPherson LaneAbout 100 German McDonalds restaurants will make the change by the end of 2009, the company said in a statement Monday. Some franchises in Great Britain and France have already started using the smart color scheme behind their Golden Arches.This is not only a German initiative but a Europe-wide initiative, Martin Nowicki, McDonalds Germany spokesman, told The Associated Press. The company has warmed to greener practices, including environmentally friendly refrigeration and converting used oil into biodiesel fuel.With this new appearance we want to clarify our responsibility for the preservation of natural resources. In the future we will put an even larger focus on that, Hoger Beek, vice chairman of McDonalds Germany, said in the statement.Leaving aside the organic unsustainability of the fast food industry as a whole, this is not to put that there is nothing behind McDonalds claims of environmental action the company is operative on green buildings, electric vehicles and published a report rather this year highlighting its best green efforts.Who are the green consumers? grounds the demographics of green consumerism can help entrepreneurs explore the environmental market, and home in on likely prospects. Research has shown that green consumersare sincere in their intentions, with a growing commitment to greener lifestylesalmost always judge their environmental practices as inadequatedo not expect companies to be perfect in order to be considered green. Rather, they look for companies that are taking substantive steps and have made a commitment to improve.However, they also operate to overstate their green behaviour, including the number of green products they actually usewant environmental protection to be easy, and not to entail major sacrificestend to distrust companies environmental claims, unless they have been independently verifiedlack intimacy some environmental issues, and tend not to trust themselves to evaluate scientific information about environmental impacts. However, at the same time they are eager to learn, and this means that consumer education is one of the most effective strategies that entrepreneurs can use.The most responsive age group tends to be young adults, many of whom are influenced by their children. In addition, women are a key target for greener products, and often make purchases on behalf of men.The best green customers are throng with more money to spend. As a result, the most promising products for green tend to be at the higher end of the market. The most promising outlets for green products are retail stores frequented by better-off shoppers.In general, green consumers have th e education and intellectual orientation to appreciate value they will find out evidence that is presented in support of environmental claims.In the US, children and teens are mainly more concerned than adults about the environment, and are more knowledgeable about green alternatives. Increasingly, they influence their parents purchasing decisions. Equally importantly, millions of them will reach maturity in the next decade, and gain purchasing power of their own.At the resister end of the age spectrum, US consumers born before the 1950s are the least green. As their numbers diminish, their share of consumer purchases will dwindle.In Canada, children and parents uniform tend to have strong environmental concerns. Older people, too, tend to be active green purchasers.