The New Age of Marketing and Consumerism.docx
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TheNewAgeofMarketingandConsumerism
TheNewAgeofMarketingandConsumerism:
ALookattheGreeningofToday’sMarketplace
ChristinaDonato
Abstract:
GreenMarketingandGreenConsumerismhavebeenemergingintherecentpast,as
environmentally-friendlyalternativesforconventionalmarketingmethods,productiontechniquesandproductsthemselves.Intoday’sageofenvironmentaldegradationandincreasedconsumption,theseconceptshavebeenintroducedinordertocombatthewarwehavegoingwithournaturalresources.Theyfocusoneliminatingunnecessarywasteinproduction,usingrecycledorreusedgoodsandconsmingonlyorganicorlessdegradingproducts.Inabidingbythesenew“green”methods,orrules,ofsurvivalintoday’sworld,bothproducersandconsumersareabletomakeadifferenceandlessentheirharmfuleffectsonthenaturalenvironment.However,evenwiththeincreasedbenefitsofusingthesenewtechniques,thereareafewnegativesidestotheGreenConsumerismandMarketingtechniques.Obviously,firmsareouttomakeaprofit.Therefore,consumershavetoknowwhattolookforintheso-called“environmentally-friendly”products.Inordertotrulyreduceone’simpactontheenvironment,therearecertainlevels(ofreductionorimprovement)tostrivefor,whenproducingandconsumingproducts.Overall,GreenConsumerismandGreenMarketinghavehelpedreduceourimpactonthe
environmentaswellashelpedfirmsmakeaprofit(whichistheultimategoal).Withtheexamplesgiven,andinformationlisted,itishopedthatthereaderwillgainmoreknowledgeonhowtoreducehisorherimpactontheEarth.Thesolutionofferedinthepaperultimatelypushesthereadertowardoptingfor“green”goods.“Oneperson’s‘smallawakening’totheecologicalcrisisisanotherperson’s‘marketopportunity’.”Polonsky,1995
Introduction
TheEarth’sabilitytosustainlifeandthereforeeconomicactivityisthreatenedbythewayweextract,process,transportanddisposeofavastflowofresources-some220billiontonsayear,ormorethan20timestheaverageAmerican’sbodyweighteveryday(Lovinsetal.,1999).In1990,theaverageAmericanwasestimatedtogeneratemorethan4poundsofsolidwasteeachday,76percentofwhichwaslandfilled,10percentincinerated,andamere14percentrecycledforfurtheruse(Polonsky,1995).MunicipalsolidwastefromallsourcesintheUnitedStatestotaledanestimated281milliontonsin1991(Polonsky,1995)!
ThevolumeofhazardouswastegeneratedinCanadaandsentoff-siteeachyearfortreatmentanddisposalisapproximately2.3-milliontonnes
(
(Http:
//April,5,2001).The2.3-million
tonnesdoesnotincludetheaqueouswasteswhicharepre-treatedon-siteanddischargedtothemunicipaltreatmentplant.Buttheestimatedoesincludeallotherfluid,sludgesandsolidhazardouswastesshippedoff-sitefromCanadianplants.AsatrocitieslikethoseintheUnitedStatesandCanadaarecommoninmanyothercountries,poorenvironmentalconditionsaroundtheworldaredrivingdemandsforgovernmentstoinitiatecontrolsandindustrytochangethewaytheydobusiness.EstimatingtheamountofhazardouswastegeneratedinCanadahasattractedconsiderableattentionoverthelastdecade.Thatisjustoneofthereasonsthatmanybusinesspeoplealikebegantobelievethatthe1990sweretobean“environmentaldecade”.Theeconomyisembeddedintheenvironment.RecentcalculationspublishedinthejournalNatureconservativelyestimatedthevalueofalltheEarth’secosystemservicestobeatleast$33trillionayear(Lovinsetal.,1999).Withinformationlikethis,firmsbegantochangetheirproductionmethodsandconsequentlytheirmarketingstrategies.Bysubjectingconsumerstotheever-increasingmandatesofGreenMarketingandGreenConsumerism,itwashopedthatconsumerswouldbeabletoreducetheirimpactontheEarth.
EmergenceofGreenMarketing
Morespecifically,GreenMarketingcameintoprominenceinthelate1980sandearly1990s
atatimewhenanxietyoverenvironmentaldisasterslikeozonelayerdepletion,oilspillsand
overflowinglandfillswasoccurringduetorecentoccurrencesofthesetypesofdisasters.OnJanuary29,1991,AdvertisingAgeheldaGreenMarketingSummitinNewYorkwheremorethan400peoplefromcorporations,media,advertisingagencies,governmentandtheenvironmentalmovementattended(Smith,1998).Thepurposewastohelpmarketerssortoutopportunitiesforgrowthandprogressinenvironmentalmarketing.Thereasonfortheinterestindoingsostemmedfromtherecentcitizendemandsforchange,whichspurredthepopularityof“greening”themarketplace.GreenConsumerismfollowedthesurgeofmarketing,asittoogainedimportanceinthelate1980s-whennewscoverageofozonedamageandglobalwarmingbegantoappearmoreconsistentlyinthemediaandthepublicationofpopularhandbooksgaveconsumersawaytorespondatapersonallevel.In1988,theGreenConsumerGuidewaspublishedandquicklybecameabestseller.Otherpublicationsfollowed,whichhelpedtoshapedemandformorebenignproductsofallkinds.
Inrecentyearstherehasbeenanunprecedentedchangeinthedynamicsofthemarketplace
asenvironmentalconsiderationshavebecomeaconsistentfactorininstitutionalandbusiness
decisionmaking.Thepublichadstartedtorealizethattheirconsumptionactivitieswere
contributingtoenvironmentalproblemsduetotheemergenceofenvironmentalcampaignsinthe
mediaandlocalcommunities,alongwiththenewGreenMarketingattempts.Manyofthese
problemswerenationaland/orglobalinscopeandweremanifestedinsuchphenomenaasglobal
warmingandacidrain.Consequently,thereappearedtobeagrowingdesiretoprotectthe
environmentasevidencedbyawillingnessofconsumerstoavoidproductsthattheybelieved
contributedtoenvironmentaldegradation.Theemergenceofcomprehensiveenvironmental
regulationsandstandardsarenowplayingacriticalroleinstimulatingthesupplyofsuchproductsandservices,therebyencouraginginnovation.
WhatisGreenMarketing?
Withanincreaseinenvironmentalawareness,themarketplaceisgreenernowthanever
before,basedontheamountof“environmentally-friendly”products,“recycled”productsetcetera,beingplacedontheshelves.Sowhatexactlywasthisso-called“GreenMarketing”thatthemediastartedtotalkabout?
MostpeopletodaybelievethatGreenMarketingreferssolelytothepromotionofadvertisingofproductswithenvironmentalcharacteristics.TermslikePhosphateFree,Recyclable,Refillable,OzoneFriendly,andEnvironmentallyFriendlyaresomeofthethingsconsumersmostoftenassociatewithGreenMarketing.WhilethesetermsareindeedGreenMarketingclaims,greenmarketingisgenerallyamuchbroaderconcept;onethatcanbeappliedtoconsumergoods,industrialgoodsandevenservices.
GreenMarketingincorporatesabroadrangeofactivities,includingproductmodification,
changestotheproductionprocessandpackagingchanges,aswellasmodifyingadvertising.Butwhatisactually“Green”?
Greenproductsaretypicallydurable,nontoxic,madefromrecycledmaterials,orminimallypackaged.OneofthemanyreasonsthatpeoplearegivingintothesurgeofGreenMarketedproductsisthattheyarescaredabouttheirfutures(Ottman,1998).Asinformationwasbeingdeliveredsoshockinglytothepublic,peoplebegantogetscaredaboutthestateoftheirnaturalenvironment.Infact,the20
theanniversarycelebrationofEarthDayin1990attracted100millionparticipantsaroundtheworld(Ottman,1998).Theoverwhelmingnumberofparticipantswasproofenoughthatpeoplewerereadytostartmakingchanges.Inpollafterpoll,consumersclaimedtheywerewillingtochangetheirbuyinghabits-andevenpaymoreforproducts-toprotecttheenvironment(Polonskyetal,1995).
ResponsetoGreenMarketing
Manufacturersgotthemessageandfast.TheMarketingIntelligenceService,whichtracks
newproductintroductions,reportedthatthepercentageofnewpackagedproductsmakingsomekindofgreenclaimmorethandoubledbetween1989and1990,risingfrom4.5%to11.4%ofthetotal
(Polonskyetal,1995).Duringthesameyear,thenumberofgreenadvertisementsappearingon
televisionandinmajorprintoutletsmorethanquadrupled(Polonskyetal,1995).Suddenly
consumer-productcompanieswerebeingconfrontedwithnewlyarousedconsumerconsciences.
Marketersdiscoveredthatcateringtoenvironmentalworriesmightbethehottestsalesstrategysince
advertisingagenciesdiscoveredinthe1950sthatsexsells.
Governmentsrespondedtothis.Forexample,inMaine,asepticjuiceboxesweresweptfrom
groceryshelvesbecausetheywerenotbroadlyrecycled.Topreserveitsmarketsandsafeguardits
reputation,industryquicklygreenedupitsproductsandissuedenvironmentalcommuniquésandadsassertingitscommitmenttoacleanerEarth.Consumersfeltlistenedto!
Theybegantorecycletheirpopcansandaluminumfoil,cutdownondisposablesandtakeotherenvironmentalsteps.Intoday’sworld,environmentalismisacoresocietalvalue.Wefindthatbecausecitizensarerespondingtothenewenvironmentallyresponsibleproductsandmarketingschemes,greenproductsaleshavesoared.
WhyGo“Green”?
Tobe“green”,istobesociallyresponsible,intoday’smoreenvironmentallyawaresociety.
Thereareagreatdealofpersonalrewardsingoing“green”,suchasthesatisfactiongainedfrom
doing“yourpart”fortheearth.Asidefromthat,going“green”aidsnotonlyincleaningupthe
environment,buthelpsinsustaininghumanhealth.“Green”productshavelessharmfulchemicals,andthereforecauselessdamagetothehum