According to Nielsen, 66% of global consumers say they’re willing to pay more for sustainable brands. (2015) .
The main objective for both Green Marketing, and Greenwashing is to educate consumers about how a company maintains its eco-friendly measures (Hendricks). However, these two strategies are greatly different.
Green Marketing consists of all activities designed to facilitate interaction between human needs and the minimal detrimental impact on the natural environment they have (Polonsky 1994). To minimize this impact an organisation has on the environment, Green Marketing constructs a moral obligation for companies to be more socially responsible.
Greenwashing induces corporate posturing and deception. Greenwashing presents an absence of external verification claims that their business state they are making in regards to environmental welfare (Laufer p.253). This form of corporate deception is commonly used as an effort to camouflage a firm’s lack of true environmental performance (Walker & Wan p.231).
Green Marketing implements sustainable business practice in which corporations believe assist consumers in acknowledging their social responsibility.
The Body Shop is recognised for its effective green positioning relating to Green Marketing with its gold standard for non-animal tested products. By 2020, the brand’s goal is to develop a sustainable brand packaging, as well as using 100% renewable energy in stores (Vos 2019).
Contrasting the Green Marketed work by The Body Shop, Greenwashing is commonly achieved by companies who rebrand themselves through their name, logo, slogan or motto in an untruthfully environmentally friendly manner.
Sustainability is a growing worldwide concern as the majority of the population are putting additional stress on the environment. Therefore, Greenwashing is becoming a largely influential marketing strategy which consumers need to be more aware of.
Reference List
Hendricks, B, ‘Why is Green Marketing Important? – Objectives & Benefits’, ch.14
Laufer, W 2003, ‘Social Accountability and Corporate Greenwashing’, Journal Of Business Ethics, vol.43, pp.253-261
Nielsen, 2015, ‘Consumer-goods’ brands that demonstrate commitment to sustainability outperform those that don’t’, Nielson, 12 December, viewed 13 March, <https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/press-room/2015/consumer-goods-brands-that-demonstrate-commitment-to-sustainability-outperform.html>
Polonsky, M 1994, ‘A Stakeholder Theory Approach to Designing Environmental Marketing Strategy’
Vos, L, 2019, ‘What is Green Marketing? (+5 Sustainable Examples in 2019)’, G2Crowd, webpage, 22 January, viewed 13 March <https://learn.g2crowd.com/green-marketing>
Walker, K, Wan, F 2012, ‘The Harm of Symbolic Actions and Green-Washing: Corporate Actions and Communications on Environmental Performance and Their Financial Implications’, J bus Ethics, vol.109, pp.227-242
Consumer Behaviour: Buying, Having Being
Ch 1. Q8
Do marketers have the ability to control our desires or the power to create needs? Is this situation changing as the internet creates new ways to interact with companies? If so How?
- Marketers filter what we learn in the world
- Database-marketing includes tracking consumers buying habits and crafting products and messages precisely tailored to consumers. Therefore, marketers and companies are manipulating their consumer base into believing they have a genuine love and need for their product. Analytical and database tools provide companies with the ability to interact to consumers and recognise their interests on a personal level.
Ch 2. Q3
Some people ridicule the reference to marketing ethics and say it is an oxymoron. If you found yourself on the end of a negative comment about marketing ethics what would you say?
- Marketers deliberately persuade consumers for purchase reasons
- Marketers persuade and sell products as a need when they are actually a ‘want’
- Paid influencers genuinely not enjoying a product
- Marketers recommend ways to satisfy needs making products turn into needs rather than wants
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