International Journal of scientific research and management (IJSRM)

||Volume||4||Issue||04||Pages||4059-4061||2016||
Website: www.ijsrm.in ISSN (e): 2321-3418

Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats of Green Marketing

Dr.P.Nagarajan
Assistant Professors in Commerce
Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar- 608 002
Mail ID: [email protected]
Cell No: 9865525179

Abstract

My interest is the future, because I am going to spend the rest of my life there.
- Charles F. Kettering
Every social and global issue is a business opportunity just waiting for the right
kind of inventive entrepreneurship, the right kind of investment, the right kindof collective
action.
- Peter DruckerConsumers now have worries about the future of the world and as results of this
mostly prefer environment friendly products. In return to these attitudes of the consumers, companies have
started to form their marketing strategies so as to appeal increasing awareness of this environment-
friendliness. These marketing strategies, named as green marketing. Green Marketing also known as
ecological marketing or environmental marketing has become a vital topic in today’s fastest growing world.
Green marketing is an attempt to characterize a product as being environmental friendly (eco-friendly). The
definition has been refined and segmented into three main brackets: i) Retailing Definition ii) Social
Marketing Definition iii) Environmental Definition. Green marketing should not neglect the economic
aspect of marketing. Marketers need to understand the implications of green marketing. Green marketing
should not be considered as just one more approach to marketing, instead should be pursued with greater
vigor as it has societal and environmental dimensions. Marketers also have the responsibility to make the
stakeholders aware about the need and the advantages of green products.
This paper has highlighted various aspects on evolution of green marketing, different phases of
green marketing, reasons for green marketing, golden rules of green marketing and SWOT analysis.
Key Words: Marketing, Environment, eco-friendly, Stakeholders.

INTRODUCTION these negativities. Consumers now have worries

about the future of the world and as results of this
While globalization process continues in mostly prefer environment friendly products. In
its full speed across the world, this process has return to these attitudes of the consumers,
also brought some problems with it. Leading one companies have started to form their marketing
of these problems is environmental problems that strategies so as to appeal increasing awareness of
affect all living beings negatively. These this environment-friendliness. These marketing
aforementioned environmental problems have strategies, named as green marketing. Green
started to come to the agenda more and more in Marketing also known as ecological marketing or
the recent years and people have started to talk

Dr.P.Nagarajan, IJSRM volume 4 issue 4 April 2016 [www.ijsrm.in] Page 4058

 DOI: 10.18535/ijsrm/v4i.03

environmental marketing has become a vital topic waste issues. Third phase was "Sustainable"
in today’s fastest growing world. green marketing.

EVOLUTION OF GREEN MARKETING GROWTH Of GREEN MARKETING

The term Green Marketing came into 1. Opportunities available and competitive
prominence in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The advantage.
American Marketing Association (AMA) held the 2. Corporate social responsibility on the
first workshop on "Ecological Marketing" in part of companies.
1975. Two tangible milestones for wave of green 3. Government regulations.
marketing came in the form of published books, 4. Competition with other responsible
both of which were called Green Marketing. They companies.
were by Ken Peattie (1992) in the United 5. Goodwill of the company.
Kingdom and by Jacquelyn Ottman (1993) in the 6. Environment conscious consumers.
United States of America. 7. For conserving scarce natural resources
Green marketing is an attempt to
characterize a product as being environmental GOLDEN RULES OF GREEN MARKETING
friendly (ecofriendly). The definition has been
1. Know you're Customer: Make sure that the
refined and segmented into three main brackets:
consumer is aware of and concerned about the issues
Retailing Definition: The marketing of products that your product attempts to address, (Whirlpool
that are presumed to be environmentally safe. learned the hard way that consumers wouldn't pay a
Social Marketing Definition: The development premium for a CFC-free refrigerator because
and Marketing of products designed to minimize consumers dint know what CFCs were.
the negative effects on the physical environment 2. Educating your customers: isn't just a matter of
or to improve its quality. Environmental letting people know you're doing whatever you're
Definition: The efforts by organizations to doing to protect the environment, but also a matter
produce, promote, package and reclaim products of letting them know why it matters. Otherwise, for
in a manner that is sensitive or responsive to a significant portion of your target market, it's a case
ecological concerns. of "So what?" and your green marketing campaign
goes nowhere.
OBJECTIVE 3. Being Genuine & Transparent: means that a)
1. To identify the different phases , reasons you are actually doing what you claim to be doing in
for growth and golden rules of green your green marketing campaign and b) the rest of
marketing your business policies are consistent with whatever
2. To study the SWOT and challenges of you are doing that's environmentally friendly. Both
green marketing these conditions have to be met for your business to
establish the kind of environmental credentials that
will allow a green marketing campaign to succeed.
DIFFERENT PHASES OF GREEN 4. Reassure the Buyer: Consumers must be made
MARKETING to believe that the product performs the job it's
supposed to do-they won't forego product quality in
The green marketing has evolved over a
the name of the environment.
period of time.According to Peattie (2001), the
5. Consider Your Pricing: If you're charging a
evolution of green marketing has three phases. premium for your product-and many
First phase was termed as "Ecological" green environmentally preferable products cost more due
marketing, and during this period all marketing to economies of scale and use of higher-quality
ativities were concerned to help environment ingredients-make sure those consumers can afford
problems and provide remedies for environmental the premium and feel it's worth it.
problems. Second phase was "Environmental" 6. Giving your customers an opportunity to
green marketing and the focus shifted on clean participate: means personalizing the benefits of
technology that involved designing of innovative your environmentally friendly actions, normally
new products, which take care of pollution and through letting the customer take part in positive
environmental action.

Dr.P.Nagarajan, IJSRM volume 4 issue 4 April 2016 [www.ijsrm.in] Page 4059

 DOI: 10.18535/ijsrm/v4i.03

7. Thus leading brands should recognize that Threats

consumer expectations have changed: 1. Uncertainty as to the environmental impact
It is not enough for a company to green its products; of present activities, including that is
consumers expect the products that they purchase perceived to be less environmentally
pocket friendly and also to help reduce the harmful.
environmental impact in their own lives too. 2. Uncertainty as to which green marketing
activities are acceptable from a
GREEN MARKETING: SWOT ANALYSIS government perspective.
As in formulation of green strategy, a firm 3. The possibility of a backlash from
may evolve it from a SWOT analysis consumers or government based on
Environmental Audit existing green marketing claims, threat one
Strengths and two above may cause backlash to arise
1. Marketers get access to new markets and
gain an advantage over competitors that CONCLUSION
are not focusing on “greenness. Green marketing in India is still in its
2. Marketers can charge a premium on infancy and a lot of research is to be done on
products that are seen as more eco- green marketing to explore its full potential. Green
responsible. marketing should not neglect the economic aspect
3. Organizations that adopt green marketing of marketing. Marketers need to understand the
are perceived to be more socially implications of green marketing. Green marketing
responsible. should not be considered as just one more
4. Green marketing builds brand equity and approach to marketing, instead should be pursued
wins brand loyalty among customers with greater vigor as it has societal and
environmental dimensions. Marketers also have
Weakness the responsibility to make the stakeholders aware
1. Most customers choose to satisfy their about the need and the advantages of green
personal needs before caring for products.
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