INTRODUCTION

According to the American Marketing Association, green marketing is the marketin

g 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,
• packaging changes, as well as
• Modifying advertising.
Yet defining green marketing is not a simple task where several meanings interse
ct and contradict each other; an example of this will be the existence of varyin
g social, environmental and retail definitions attached to this term. Other simi
lar terms used are Environmental Marketing and Ecological Marketing. The legal i
mplications of marketing claims call for caution. Misleading or overstated claim
s can lead to regulatory or civil challenges. In the USA, the Federal Trade Comm
ission provides some guidance on environmental marketing claims.
So, in simple terms Green marketing refers to the process of selling products an
d/or services based on their environmental benefits. Such a product or service m
ay be environmentally friendly in itself or produced and/or packaged in an envir
onmentally friendly way.
The obvious assumption of green marketing is that potential consumers will view
a product or service's "greenness" as a benefit and base their buying decision a
ccordingly. The not-so-obvious assumption of green marketing is that consumers w
ill be willing to pay more for green products than they would for a less-green c
omparable alternative product - an assumption that has not been proven conclusiv
ely, specially the mild effect which it had had on consumers has washed away by
the present recession (2008-09) only.
Green marketers though argue that it is a way to use the environmental benefits
of a product or service to promote sales. Many consumers will choose products th
at do not damage the environment over less environmentally friendly products, ev
en if they cost more. With green marketing, advertisers focus on environmental b
enefits to sell products such as biodegradable diapers, energy-efficient light b
ulbs, and environmentally safe detergents.
People buy billions of dollars worth of goods and services every year—many which
harm the environment in how they are harvested, made, or used. Environmentalist
s support green marketing to encourage people to use environmentally preferable
alternatives, and to offer incentives to manufacturers that develop more environ
mentally beneficial products.
THE BIRTH OF GREEN MARKETING
The concept of green marketing has been around at least since the first Earth Da
y in 1970. But the idea did not catch on until the 1980s, when rising public int
erest in the environment led to a demand for more green products and services. M
anufacturers responded to public interest by labeling hundreds of new products "
environmentally friendly"—making claims that products were biodegradable, compos
table, energy efficient, or the like.
The term Green Marketing came into prominence in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The American Marketing Association (AMA) held the first workshop on "Ecological
Marketing" in 1975. The proceedings of this workshop resulted in one of the fir
st books on green marketing entitled "Ecological Marketing".
The first wave of Green Marketing occurred in the 1980s. Corporate Social Respon
sibility (CSR) Reports started with the ice cream seller Ben & Jerry's where the
financial report was supplemented by a greater view on the company's environmen
tal impact. In 1987 a document prepared by the World Commission on Environment a
nd Development defined sustainable development as meeting "the needs of the pres
ent without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own nee
d", this became known as the Brundtland Report and was another step towards wide
spread thinking on sustainability in everyday activity.
Two tangible milestones for wave of green marketing came in the form of publishe
d books, both of which were called Green Marketing. They were by Ken Peattie (19
92) in the United Kingdom and by Jacquelyn Ottman (1993) in the United States of
 America.
In the years after 2000 a second wave of Green marketing emerged. By now CSR and
the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) were widespread. Such publications as a 2005 Unite
d Nations Report, then in 2006 a book by Al Gore and the UK Stern Report brought
scientific-environmental arguments to a wide public in an easy to understand wa
y.
GREEN WASHING
In spite of its growing popularity, the green marketing movement faced serious s
etbacks in the late 1980s because many industries made false claims about their
products and services. For instance, the environmental organization Corp Watch ,
which issues annually a list of the top ten "green washing" companies, included
BP Amoco for advertising its "Plug in the Sun" program, in which the company in
stalled solar panels in two hundred gas stations, while continuing to aggressive
ly lobby to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Green marketin
g can be a very powerful marketing strategy though when it's done right. In a si
milar kind of case Chad’s green marketing campaign bombed because he made the mi
stake of packaging his environmentally friendly product in Styrofoam, emitting C
FC’s.
Without environmental labeling standards, consumers could not tell which product
s and services were truly beneficial. Consumers ended up paying extra for misrep
resented products. The media came up with the term "green washing" to describe c
ases where organizations misrepresented themselves as environmentally responsibl
e.
So, While green marketing was growing greatly as increasing numbers of consumers
were willing to back their environmental consciousnesses with their dollars, it
can be dangerous. The public tends to be skeptical of green claims to begin wit
h and companies can seriously damage their brands and their sales if a green cla
im is discovered to be false or contradicted by a company s other products or pr
actices. Thus, in other words presenting a product or service as green when it s
not is called green washing.
THE LEGAL FACTORS
In 1992, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) stepped in to prevent further decept
ion. The FTC created guidelines for the use of environmental marketing claims su
ch as "recyclable," "biodegradable," "compost-able," and the like. The FTC and t
he U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defined "environmentally preferable prod
ucts" as products and services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human hea
lth and the environment when compared to other products and services that serve
the same purpose.
The label "environmentally preferable" considers how raw materials are acquired,
produced, manufactured, packaged, distributed, reused, operated, maintained, or
how the product or service is disposed.
Today, special labels help the public identify legitimate environmentally prefer
able products and services. Several environmental groups evaluate and certify pr
oducts and services that meet FTC standards—or their own tougher standards.
One popular product that has received certification is shade-grown coffee, an al
ternative to coffee beans that are grown on deforested land in the tropics.

THE NEXT BOOST

During the late 1990s, green marketing received a large boost when President Bil
l Clinton issued executive orders directing federal offices to purchase recycled
and environmentally preferable products. Some industries adopted similar polici
es.
Examples of environmentally-beneficial products and services:
Paper containing post-consumer wastepaper
Cereals sold without excess packaging
Shade-grown coffee beans
Cleaning supplies that do not harm humans or environment
Wood harvested from sustainable forests
Energy-efficient light-bulbs
Energy-efficient cars
Energy from renewable sources of energy such as windmills and solar power
IMPORTANCE OF GREEN MARKETING
Human beings have limited resources on the earth, with which they must attempt t
o provide for the worlds unlimited wants. There is extensive debate as to wheth
er the earth is a resource at man s disposal. In market societies where there is
"freedom of choice", it has generally been accepted that individuals and organi
zations have the right to attempt to have their wants satisfied. As firms face l
imited natural resources, they must develop alternative ways of satisfying these
unlimited wants.
Ultimately green marketing looks at how marketing activities utilize these limit
ed resources, while satisfying consumers wants, both of individuals and industry
, as well as achieving the objectives of organisations. There are several reason
s for increased use of Green Marketing. Some possible reasons are as follows-
Organizations perceive environmental marketing to be an opportunity that
can be used to achieve its objectives.
Organizations believe they have a moral obligation to be more socially r
esponsible.
Governmental bodies are forcing firms to become more responsible towards
the environment.
Competitors environmental activities pressure firms to change their env
ironmental marketing activities.
Cost factors associated with waste disposal, or reductions in material u
sage forces firms to modify their behaviour.
THE GREEN DILEMMA
The past decade has shown that harnessing consumer power to effect positive envi
ronmental change is far easier said than done. The so-called "green consumer" mo
vements in the U.S. and other countries have struggled to reach critical mass an
d to remain in the forefront of shoppers minds. While public opinion polls take
n since the late 1980s have shown consistently that a significant percentage of
consumers in the U.S. and elsewhere profess a strong willingness to favor enviro
nmentally conscious products and companies, consumers efforts to do so in real
life have remained sketchy at best. One of green marketing s challenges is the l
ack of standards or public consensus about what constitutes "green," according t
o Joel Makower, a writer on green marketing.In essence, there is no definition o
f "how good is good enough" when it comes to a product or company making green m
arketing claims. This lack of consensus -- by consumers, marketers, activists, r
egulators, and influential people -- has slowed the growth of green products, sa
ys Makeover, because companies are often reluctant to promote their green attrib
utes, and consumers are often skeptical about claims.
Despite these challenges, green marketing has continued to gain adherents, parti
cularly in light of growing global concern about climate change. This concern ha
s led more companies to advertise their commitment to reduce their climate impac
ts, and the effect this is having on their products and services
ADOPTION OF GREEN MARKETING
There are basically five reasons for which a marketer should go for the adoption
of green marketing. They are -
* Opportunities or competitive advantage
* Corporate social responsibilities (CSR)
* Government pressure
* Competitive pressure
* Cost or profit issues
GREEN MARKETIN MIX
Every company has its own favorite marketing mix. Some have 4 P s and some have
7 P s of marketing mix. The 4 P s of green marketing are that of a conventional
marketing but the challenge before marketers is to use 4 P s in an innovative ma
nner.
Product
The ecological objectives in planning products are to reduce resource consumptio
n and pollution and to increase conservation of scarce resources (Keller man, 19
78).
Price
Price is a critical and important factor of green marketing mix. Most consumers
will only be prepared to pay additional value if there is a perception of extra
product value. This value may be improved performance, function, design, visual
appeal, or taste. Green marketing should take all these facts into consideration
while charging a premium price.
Promotion
There are three types of green advertising: -
* Advertisements that address a relationship between a product/service and the b
iophysical environment
* Those that promote a green lifestyle by highlighting a product or service
* Advertisements that present a corporate image of environmental responsibility
Place
The choice of where and when to make a product available will have significant i
mpact on the customers. Very few customers will go out of their way to buy green
products.
CHALLENGES AHEAD
* Green products require renewable and recyclable material, which is costly
* Requires a technology, which requires huge investment in R & D
* Water treatment technology, which is too costly
* Majority of the people are not aware of green products and their uses
* Majority of the consumers are not willing to pay a premium for green products

Popularity and effectiveness

ONGOING DEBATE
The popularity of such marketing approach and its effectiveness is hotly debated
. Supporters claim that environmental appeals are actually growing in number–the
Energy Star label, for example, now appears on 11,000 different companies mode
ls in 38 product categories, from washing machines and light bulbs to skyscraper
s and homes. The difference is, however, that green—rightfully so—is on the wane
as the primary sales pitch for products. On the other hand, Roper’s Green Gauge
shows that a high percentage of consumers (42%) feel that environmental product
s don’t work as well as conventional ones. This is an unfortunate legacy from th
e 1970s when shower heads sputtered and natural detergents left clothes dingy. G
iven the choice, all but the greenest of customers will reach for synthetic dete
rgents over the premium-priced, proverbial "Happy Planet" any day, including Ear
th Day. New reports, however show a growing trend towards green products.
CONSUMER’S CONFUSION
One challenge green marketers -- old and new -- are likely to face as green prod
ucts and a message become more common is confusion in the marketplace. "Consumer
s do not really understand a lot about these issues, and there s a lot of confus
ion out there," says Jacquelyn Ottman (founder of J. Ottman Consulting and autho
r of "Green Marketing: Opportunity for Innovation.") Marketers sometimes take ad
vantage of this confusion, and purposely make false or exaggerated "green" claim
s. Critics refer to this practice as "green washing".
STATISTICS
According to market researcher Mintel, about 12% of the Indian population can be
identified as True Greens, consumers who seek out and regularly buy so-called g
reen products. Another 68% can be classified as Light Greens, consumers who buy
green sometimes. "What chief marketing officers are always looking for is touch
points with consumers, and this is just a big, big, big touch point that s not b
eing served," says Mintel Research Director David Lockwood. "All the corporate e
xecutives that we talk to are extremely convinced that being able to make some s
ort of strong case about the environment is going to work down to their bottom l
ine."
COMPANY’S GREEN INITIATIVES
ITC
* ITC has been Carbon Positive three years in a row (sequestering/storing twic
e the amount of CO2 than the Company emits).
* Water Positive six years in a row (creating three times more Rainwater Harv
esting potential than ITC s net consumption).
* Close to 100% solid waste recycling.
* All Environment, Health and Safety Management Systems in ITC conform to the be
st international standards.
* ITC s businesses generate livelihoods for over 5 million people.
* ITC s globally recognised e-Choupal initiative is the world s largest rural di
gital infrastructure benefiting over 4 million farming families.
* ITC s Social and Farm Forestry initiative has greened over 80,000 hectares cre
ating an estimated 35 million person days of employment among the disadvantaged.

* ITC s Watershed Development Initiative brings precious water to nearly 35,000

hectares of drylands and moisture-stressed areas.
* ITC s Sustainable Community Development initiatives include women empowerment,
supplementary education, integrated animal husbandry programmes.
•Xerox introduced a "high quality" recycled photocopier paper in an at
tempt to satisfy the demands of firms for less environmentally harmful products
.2) SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Many firms are beginning to realize that they are memb
ers 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 prom
ote its environmental initiatives is Coca-Cola which invested large sums o
f money in various recycling activities, as well as having modified the
ir packaging to minimize its environmental impact. Another firm who is very envi
ronmentally responsible but does not promote this fact, at least outsi
de the organization, is Walt Disney World (WDW) with an extensive wast
e 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 hazardo
us wastes produced by firms by issuing of various environmental licens
es, 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 ma
intain their competitive position. In many cases firms observe competitors promo
ting their environmental behaviors and attempt to emulate this behavior. In some
instances this detrimental environmental behavior. For example, it could be arg
ued that Xerox s "Revive 100% Recycled paper" was introduced a few years
ago in an attempt to address the introduction of recycled photocopier pap
er by other manufacturers. In another example when one tuna manufacture stopped
using driftnets the others followed suit. 5) COST OR PROFIT ISSUESDisposing of
environmentally harmful by-products, such as polychlorinated biphenyl (P
CB) contaminated oil are becoming increasingly costly and in some cases difficul
t. 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, in
stead of minimizing waste by trying to findmarkets or uses for their waste mater
ials, where one firm s waste becomes another firm s input of production.
MARUTI: GREENING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
The company has remained ahead of regulatory requirements in pursuit of environm
ent protection and energy conservation at its manufacturing facilities, and in d
evelopment of products that use fewer natural resources and are environment frie
ndly.
The company credited the Just-in-Time philosophy adopted and internalized by t
he employees as the prime reason that helped to excel in this direction.
The company has been promoting 3R since its inception. As a result the company h
as not only been able to recycle 100% of treated waste water but also reduced fr
esh water consumption. The company has implemented rain water harvesting to rech
arge the aquifers. Also, recyclable packing for bought out components is being a
ctively promoted.
The company has been facilitating implementation of Environment Management Syste
m (EMS) at its suppliers end. Regular training programs are conducted for all t
he suppliers on EMS. Surveys are conducted to assess the vendors who need more g
uidance. The systems and the environmental performance of suppliers are audited.

The green co-efficient of this system is much better than the conventional syste
m
HCL s ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT AND ECOSAFE POLICY
In building a system to identify, develop and sustain the maintenance of an envi
ronment management system at corporate level we have formulated a program that w
e proudly refer as HCL s ecosafe. The aim is to encapsulate knowledge, awareness
, and key developments on all environmental issues faced by today s world and to
incorporate these in HCL s operations assuring our commitment in delivering qua
lity products, solutions and services
The key objective under HCL ecoSafe is targeted at integrating environmental man
agement procedures into its business processes thereby protecting the environmen
t, health, and safety of all its stakeholders. HCL commits to manufacture produc
ts that are environment friendly in all respects and are free from hazardous che
micals.
HCL ecoSafe focuses on product lifecycle management to ensure that our products
right from when they are manufactured, bought by customers, recovered at their e
nd-of-life and recycled after useful life is done in an environmentally responsi
ble manner.
MORE EXAMPLES
* McDonald s restaurant s napkins, bags are made of recycled paper.
* Coca-Cola pumped syrup directly from tank instead of plastic which saved 68 mi
llion pound/year.
* Badarpur Thermal Power station of NTPC in Delhi is devising ways to utilize co
al-ash that has been a major source of air and water pollution.
* Barauni refinery of IOC is taken steps for restricting air and water pollutant
s.
THE NEW TRENDS REVEALED BY DELOITTE
Shoppers are thinking green, but not always buying that way, according to a new
study released by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) and Deloitte. The
study found that while 54 percent of shoppers indicate that environmental susta
inability in a factor in their purchasing decisions, they actually bought green
products on just 22 percent of their shopping trips. The survey is the basis of
the GMA-Deloitte report titled Finding the Green in Today s Shoppers: Sustainabi
lity Trends and New Shopper Insights and was based on interviews with over 6,400
shoppers.
Now eco packaging is poised to become the next low-hanging fruit of the clean te
ch world. Investors and entrepreneurs this week at Europe s most important annua
l clean tech conference reported unprecedented interest in reducing the use of r
aw materials while finding superior protection for food and other products.
Consumers are increasingly putting plastic shopping bags and non-green wrapping
items on their naughty list, according to Deloitte s 2008 Annual Holiday Survey.
Nearly half of the 13,000 consumers polled said they d be willing to pay more f
or green gifts. This was up from 17 percent last year.
Consumers perceive themselves as being environmentally responsible. Successful g
reen marketing requires matching a company s brand attributes with its customers
identity as "green." An article suggested examining green marketing from the p
erspective of the 4 P s of marketing -- product, price, placement and promotion
-- plus a 5th P, "prove it."
Americans are quick to identify polluting companies as "socially irresponsible"
and make their purchasing decisions accordingly, says a new survey. The poll al
so found that American consumers between the ages of 18-29 are more likely to sp
end more on organic, environmentally preferable or fair trade products than othe
r age groups.
The survey, by the research firm Global Market Insite, quizzed more than 15,000
online consumers in the U.S. and 16 other countries about their socially consci
ous business practices.
Americans placed the highest value on corporate community involvement; when aske
d what factor was the most important in determining if a business is socially re
sponsible, "contributing to the community" (e.g. sponsorship, grants, employee v
olunteer programs) came in highest with 47%. On the other hand, all of the other
countries surveyed (India, Canada, Australia, Germany, China, and Japan) select
ed environmentally preferable practices (recycling, using biodegradable products
) as the top factor.
 "In the high-tech era where employees are expected to work 24/7, it s significa
nt that Americans rate giving back to the community as their top priority in rec
ognizing socially responsible companies," said Marjorie Thompson, co-author of B
rand Spirit: How Cause Related Marketing Builds Brands. "It shows that people wa
nt to feel connected to each other and that they are willing to reward businesse
s who tap into this sense of mutual support and belonging. Companies will need t
o start thinking of their community programs as core to their businesses and bra
nds, and central to how they market themselves."

Not surprising, the U.S., along with other countries such as India and China, wh
ich have experienced environmental disasters caused by corporations (e.g. Love C
anal, Bhobal, Exxon Valdez) or have had to deal with major polluting issues (e.g
. coal plants, manufacturing), believe that damaging the environment is associat
ed with acting socially irresponsible. Other countries, including France (60%),
Denmark (52%) and Italy (45%) selected the use of child labor as the main factor
in making them think a corporation is socially irresponsible.
Juxtaposing Americans negative opinions on damaging the environment, the GMIPo
ll found that only 42% of all Americans are willing to spend more for products b
randed as organic, environmentally friendly, or fair trade, except for the Y Gen
eration. While only 14% of 18-29 year olds label themselves as socially responsi
ble consumers, half of this age group (50%) responded that they will spend more
on these types of products (organic, environmentally friendly or fair trade) com
pared to their older and wealthier counterparts, with only 37% of 45-64 years ol
ds saying they would spend more on green products.
Thompson advertisements: "Based on the findings, Generation Y is obviously more
environmentally conscious and socially savvy, which is expected given that many
are aware of the issues surrounding globalization and trade and how this can ne
gatively affect the environment, labor pool and the local communities."
Surprisingly, a large majority of online consumers in the less developed countr
ies of China and India, 91% and 71% respectively, will pay more for socially res
ponsible products, while almost half (47%) of the U.K. respondents indicated the
y would spend more for these types of goods.
GREEN HOUSE AS REDUCTION MARKET
The emerging greenhouse gas reduction market can potentially catalyze projects w
ith important local environmental, economic, and quality-of-life benefits. The K
yoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), for example, enables trading
between industrial and developing nations, providing a framework that can result
in capital flows to environmentally beneficial development activities. Although
the United States is not participating in the Kyoto Protocol, several US progra
ms enable similar transactions on a voluntary and regulatory basis.
While international trade in greenhouse gas reductions holds substantial promise
as a source of new funding for sustainable development, this market can be larg
ely inaccessible to many smaller-scale projects, remote communities, and least d
eveloped localities. To facilitate participation and broaden the benefits, sever
al barriers must be overcome, including: a lack of market awareness among stakeh
olders and prospective participants; specialized, somewhat complicated participa
tion rules; and the need for simplified participation mechanisms for small proje
cts, without which transaction costs can overwhelm the financial benefits of par
ticipation. If the barriers are adequately addressed, greenhouse gas trading can
play an important role supporting activities that benefit people’s lives and th
e environment.
One of the most popular trend in the business is emission trade or Emissions tra
ding (or emission trading) which is an administrative approach used to control p
ollution by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions in the emissi
ons of pollutants. It is also called cap-and-trade .A central authority (usually
a governmental body) sets a limit or cap on the amount of a pollutant that can
be emitted. Companies or other groups are issued emission permits and are requir
ed to hold an equivalent number of allowances (or credits) which represent the r
ight to emit a specific amount. The total amount of allowances and credits canno
t exceed the cap, limiting total emissions to that level. Companies that need to
increase their emission allowance must buy credits from those who pollute less.
The transfer of allowances is referred to as a trade. In effect, the buyer is p
aying a charge for polluting, while the seller is being rewarded for having redu
ced emissions by more than was needed. Thus, in theory, those who can reduce emi
ssions most cheaply will do so, achieving the pollution reduction at the lowest
cost to society.
There are active trading programs in several air pollutants. For greenhouse gase
s the largest is the European Union Emission Trading Scheme. In the United State
s there is a national market to reduce acid rain and several regional markets in
nitrogen oxides. Markets for other pollutants tend to be smaller and more local
ized.
GREEN MARKETING CASES
Philips Light s CFL
Philips Lighting s first shot at marketing a standalone compact fluorescent ligh
t (CFL) bulb was Earth Light, at $15 each versus 75 cents for incandescent bulbs
.The product had difficulty climbing out of its deep green niche.The company re-
launched the product as "Marathon," underscoring its new "super long life" posit
ioning and promise of saving $26 in energy costs over its five-year lifetime Fin
ally, with the U.S. EPA s Energy Star label to add credibility as well as new se
nsitivity to rising utility costs and electricity shortages, sales climbed 12 pe
rcent in an otherwise flat market.
Car sharing services
Car-sharing services address the longer-term solutions to consumer needs for bet
ter fuel savings and fewer traffic tie-ups and parking nightmares, to complement
the environmental benefit of more open space and reduction of greenhouse gases.
They may be thought of as a "time-sharing" system for cars. Consumers who drive
less than 7,500 miles a year and do not need a car for work can save thousands
of dollars annually by joining one of the many services springing up, including
ZipCar (East Coast), Flex Car (Washington State), and Hour Car (Twin Cities).
Electronics sector
The consumer electronics sector provides room for using green marketing to attra
ct new customers. One example of this is HP s promise to cut its global energy u
se 20 percent by the year 2010. To accomplish this reduction below 2005 levels,
The Hewlett-Packard Company announced plans to deliver energy-efficient products
and services and institute energy-efficient operating practices in its faciliti
es worldwide.
Introduction of CNG in Delhi
New Delhi, capital of India, was being polluted at a very fast pace until Suprem
e Court of India forced a change to alternative fuels. In 2002, a directive was
issued to completely adopt CNG in all public transport systems to curb pollution
.
CONCLUSION
Green marketing is still in its infancy and a lot of research is to be done on g
reen marketing to fully explore its potential .Think of a refrigerator for examp
le. While we may have had to be convinced in the 1950s to buy a refrigerator, we
would have wanted the great white box to have attractive looks till the 1970s,
but in today s uncertain world, we might ask ourselves about the impact of the c
hlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that our refrigerator is emitting and demand a more en
vironmentally friendly refrigerator.
So, if today s successful marketing is about appealing to personal values and de
livering consumer empowerment, then surely the time is right to inject sustainab
le development into the marketing mix to help address some of the gritty issues
presently faced by our planet .Green marketing methods may produce highly effect
ive results if used cautiously and with integrity.