Abstract: Although environmental issues has influenced all activities but very few academic disciplines have inculcated

green issues into their literature. Even till dated it has not been inculcated a must be taught subject in all most all management and related higher education level but one business area where environment issues have received a great deal of importance is marketing. Smart business houses have accepted green marketing as a part oftheir strategy. Though our understanding about green marketing still in the stage of infancy, in this paper the author is trying to identify key ideas in relation to promote green product that may be most relevant to both scholars and the practitioners of green marketing. This paper will attempt to introduce the terms and concept of green-marketing; about the importance of green marketing; examine some reasons that make the organizations interested to adoptgreen marketing philosophy; it also highlights some problems that organization may face to implement green marketing and its managerial implications along with few case points. Last but not the least the paperGreen Marketing A Changing Concept In Changing Times, is a conceptual paper on green marketing, which is an emerging area of interest. There is a need of paradigm shift in the way the management institutes and business- houses think about their role in attaining sustainable development. 1. Introduction 1.1 What is Green Marketing? Environmental issues have gained importance in business as well as in public life through out the world. It is not like that a few leaders of different countries or few big renowned business houses are concerned about the day to day deterioration of oxygen level in our atmosphere but every common citizen of our country and the world is concerned about this common threat of global warming. So in this scenario of global concern, corporate houses has taken green-marketing as a part of their strategy to promote products by employing environmental claims either about their attributes or about the systems, policies and processes of the firms that manufacture or sell them. Clearly green marketing is part and parcel of over all corporate strategy; along with manipulating the traditional marketing mix(product, price, promotion and place) , it require an understanding of public policy process. So we can say green

marketing covers a broad range of activities. Different writers has given different definition about green marketing which tried to cover all major components of green marketing According to Polonsky(1994)- green or environmental marketing consists of all activities, designed to generate and facilitate any exchange indented to satisfy human needs and wants, such that the satisfaction of these needs and wants occur with minimum detrimental impact on the natural environment. Mintu and Lozada(1993) defined green marketing as the application of marketing tools to facilitate exchanges that satisfy organizational and individual goals in such a way that the preservation, protection and conservation of the physical environment is upheld. According to Stanton and Futrell(1987)-all activities designed to generate and facilitate any exchanges intended to satisfy human needs and wants; therefore it ensures that the interest of the organization and all it consumers are protected, as voluntary exchange will not take place unless the buyers and sellers are mutually benefited. The definition also includes the protection of natural environment by attempting to minimize the detrimental impact, this exchange has on the environment. This second point is very important for human consumption by its very nature is destructive to the natural environment. To be more accurate products making green claims should state they are less environmentally harmful rather than environmental friendly. Thus green marketing should look at minimizing environmental harm, not necessarily eliminating it. The industrial houses has recognised that the entire system of production and

consumption determines environmental quality. Environmental impacts are a function of the way services are provided and the way goods are produced, delivered, used and disposed off. Production and consumption are considered together because gains made by controlling, reducing or minimizing pollution from production can be soon overshadowed by the impactsfrom concurrent increases in the scale of demand for those services and goods from growing consumer base. 4 So we can see that green marketing encompasses a broad range ofactivities including product modification, change to production process, packaging change as well as modifying advertising. 1.2 Importance Of Green Marketing: Since early 1990s, a major concern on ecological impact of industrial house on environment has been surfaced on marketplace. Not only the relation between human, organization and natural environment being redefined ,but the implication thereof are being interpreted; because of these, new perceptions are being formed or re-evaluated on issues like environmental friendly products, recycle ability, waste-reduction, the cost associated with pollution and the price value relationship of environmentalism. Pressure from various stakeholders, Govt., environmentalists, NGOs, consumers is placed on businesses, which in turn keeps them under constant and relentless watch in their daily operations. A direct result can be seen in developed and developing countries where Govt. became more strict in imposing regulations to protect environment; at the same time, the consumers of these countries are being more and more outspoken regarding

their needs for environmentally friendly products, even though questions remain on their willingness to pay a higher premium for such products! So in this era where consumers determine thefate of a company, green marketing imparts a proactive strategy for these companies to cater the market by imparting naturefriendly products/ services which otherwise reduce or minimize any detrimental impact on environment.

A green- marketing approach in the product areapromotes the integration of environmental issues into all aspects of the corporate activities; from strategy formulation, planning, re-engineering in production process and dealing with consumers. So to remain competitive within the challenge thrown by the environment protectionists , the companies will have to find answer through their marketing strategies, product& service redesign, customer handling etc. in this endeavour the companies may go for new technologies for handling waste, sewage and air pollution; it can go for product standardization to ensure environmentally safe products; by providing truly natural products. In this regard the companies should be concerned with what happens to a product during and after its useful life. Companies may manifest this concern through experimentation with ways to reassess and redesign the product life stages. Life cycle reassessment focuses on environmental consideration in product development and design, including energy and material inputs and out-puts in production, consumption and disposal of products. We would than be able to manage the life stages of a product in an environmental friendly and eco- efficient manner. Eco-efficient refers to the proper thinking for the use or consumption of natural resource so that nature is afforded an opportunity to renew itself.

. Why Are Firms Using Green Marketing? Firms may choose to green their systems, policies and products due to economic and noneconomic pressures from their consumers, business partners, regulators, citizen groups and other stakeholders(non market environment).some other reasons may includes:

#1.Some scholar claim that green policies/products are profitable: green policies can reduce costs; green firms can shape future regulations and reap first mover advantage. #2. Now a days firms are becoming more concerned about their social responsibilities (S.R). They have taken S.R as a good strategic move to build up an image in the heart of consumers. Even the socially responsible firms are getting leverage, whenever they intend to enter into foreign countries. There are example of firms like ITC, HLL(Surfexcel) who are heavily promoting them as an environmentally concerned firms, where as there is example offirms who are working in this direction in a silence manner like cocacola, who have invested corersofmoney in various recycling activities, as well as having modified their packaging to minimize its environmental impact. While being concerned about the environment coke has not use their concern as a marketing tool. Another big organization who is also working in this field without claiming any credit is Walt Disney World (WDW). So we can see that firms in this situation have taken two perspectives: (1) they are using green marketing as marketing tool; (2) they are working in this field without promoting the fact. Change in customers attitude: with increasing concern about environment, consumers attitude towards firms having green policies or green products are becoming motivating factor. # 4 . Governmental pressure: in all most all civilized countries Govt. has the law to protect the consumers and the environment from the harmful goods or byproducts and ensure through law that all types of consumers have the ability to evaluate the environmental composition of goods. Govt. established several regulations to control the amount of hazardous waste produced by firms and many by-products of production are controlled through the issuing ofvarious environmental licenses, thus shaping the behaviour of organization towards more socially responsible one. In some countries govt.

has designed guidelines in such a way that consumer would have appropriate information which would enable them to evaluate organisations environmental claims. #5 . Competitive pressure: competition is the integral part of business; and you can not over-look any competitive action taken by your competitor. So to be in the market you have to have a vigil over your competitors move for marketing its products. Some firms ahs taken green-marketing as a strategy to build up its image rather than inculcate it as a part of the policy and work silence. In some instances this competitive pressure has caused an entire industry to modify and thus reduce its detrimental environmental behaviour. #6. Cost or profit issue: firms may also use green-marketing in an attempt to have an control over the cost associated with waste disposal. therefore firms that would able to 10 introduce green-marketing by not inculcating or lesser use of harmful ingredients would able to reduce its operating cost to an considerable extend. In other case the firm may attempt to find end-of pipe solution, instead of minimizing waste. Take the example of China and Denmark; InChina organic waste from thousands of small straw pulp mills is used as agricultural fertilizer. InKa lund bo rg , Denmark, a coal-fired power station, an oil refinery , a plastic boardfactory, a pharmaceutical plant and the municipality have created an industrialsymbiosis by exploiting each others waste streams. 3 Some Problems With Going Green: #1. No matter how noble the objective is; the firms working in the direction of green marketing, have to have encounter a number of problems. First of all the firms mustensure that their move in this direction will not create any confusion in the mind ofconsumers or industry

and do not break any of the regulations or laws dealing withenvironmental-marketing. Companies green marketing claims mustclearly state environmental benefits; explain environmental characteristics; explain how benefits are achieved; ensure comparative differences are justified; ensure negative factors are taken into consideration; only use meaningful terms and pictures. 11 #2 Another problem the firm may face is that,those who modify their products due to increase customers concern must aware about the fact that customers perceptions are some time not correct. Take the example when paper pack and jute bag were replaced by the synthetic pack for the sake of saving the trees the result became more environmental fatal. #3. When firms attempt to become socially responsible, they may face the risk that the environmentally responsible action of today will be found to be harmful in near future. For example some companies manufacturing refrigerators, air-conditioning machine have replaced environmentally harmful CFCs(chlorofluorocarbon) with HFCs (hydro fluorocarbon) which in later revealed is also a green-house gas. Some firms now shifted to DME(dimethyl ether), which may also harm the ozone layer. So we can see that with the limited scientific knowledge at any point in time, it may be impossible for a firm to be certained they have made the correct environmental decision.

This may explain why some firms, like coca-cola and Walt Disney World(WDW), are working as a socially responsible company without publicizing their endeavour, as it has been mentioned earlier in this article. #4. Reacting to competitive pressure can cause all followers to make the same mistake as the leader. Example is Mobil, world renounced engine-oil manufacturing company, claims for it biodegradable plastic garbage bags. But the condition under which it become biodegradable is not allowed by natural processes. For this Mobil was sued by several US

states for using misleading advertising claims. Thus blindly following the competitors can have costly ramifications. #5. Though Govt. has formulated several laws and regulations to give consumers the opportunity to make better decisions or motivate them to be more environmentallyresponsible, there is always a difficulty in establishing policy that would cover allenvironmental issues. #6. The Menace of Greenwashing: according to oxford dictionary greenwashing is defined as disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image. The greenwashing index was announced at the 2007 UN Climate change conference held at Bali, Indonesia with an objective to eradicate bad environmental marketing claims and at the same time shine a positive light on companies making measurablereduction in carbon emissions related to climate change. Experts urged the consumers and the industries to be ever vigilant in preventing greenwashing. they believed that one of the major factors that led to greenwashing was the absence of a central agency to certify the green credentials of a firm. This allowed companies, even those with questionable green credentials to step forward and call

themselves green. #7 Lack of proper knowledge of consumers about environmental issues, some time causes problem for companies to represent their products in market place as high percentage of customers still feel that environmental products do not work as well as 13 conventional one; some time though the consumers are well aware about a particular issue, they are not willing to pay a premium price for a green product. It appears that consumers are not overly committed to improve their environment and may be looking to lay too much responsibility on industries and govt. according to an American survey it has been found that more than 50% of American adults say they would do more for environment if only they come to know how? So education is crucial for a green-marketing firm. Does your product save water or energy? Does it helps cut down waste? Does it contain fewer toxics that can harm children or wild life? Let your customers know these.

CONCLUSION: Our understanding to green marketing is still in its infancy, perhaps due to the multidisciplinary nature of the enterprises. Marketing scholars focus on a host of business-strategy and public policy issues, including eco-level and market segmentation and the role of structural factors and economic incentives in influencing consumer behaviour. For environmental economists, green marketing signifies a broader trend in the evolution of environmental policies that focus on information disclosure.

Political economists focus on collective action dilemmas inherent in green marketing at the consumer and producer level. 21 Clearly there are many lesion to be learned to avoid confusion i.e what you can say as Green Marketing Myopia. The green marketers must understand the fact that they have to satisfy two objectives: improved environmental quality and customer satisfaction. Misjudging either or overemphasizing the former at the expenses of the latter may cause a fatal result for companies. Research indicates that many green products have failed because of green marketing myopia; marketers myopic focus on their products greenness over the broader expectations of consumers. For exampleWhirlpoo l(in1994) launched the Energy Wise refrigerator, the first CFC free cooler and one that was 30% more efficient than the U. S. Department of Energys highest standard. For its innovation Whirlpool won the prestigious Golden Carrot, a $30 million award package. Unfortunately, Energy Wises sales languished because the CFC-free benefit and energy saving did not off set its $100 to $150 price premium and the refrigerator did not offer additional features or new styles that consumers desired. Roper ASWs 2002 Green Gauge Report finds that the top reasons consumers do not buy green products included beliefs that they require sacrifices- inconvenience, higher cost, lower performance- without significant environmental benefits. The effective green marketing requires applying good marketing principles to make green products desirable for consumers. Now the question that remains, however, is, what is the future of green marketing? Historically green marketing has been a misunderstood

concept. Business scholars have viewed it as a fringe topic, given that environmentalism acceptance of limits and conservation does not mesh well with marketings traditional axioms of give customers what they want and sell as much as you can.In practice 22 green marketing myopia has led to ineffective products and consumers reluctance. Sustainability, however, will dominate the 21st century commerce. The rising price, growingpollution and resource consumption in Asia and political pressure to address climate change are driving innovation toward healthier, more-efficient, high performance products. In shorts all marketing will incorporate elements of green marketing. At the same time to avoid green marketing myopia, the future success of product dematerialization i.e shift from sales of goods to the sales of services, and more sustainable services will depend on credibly communicating and delivering consumerdesired value in the market place. Only then,product dematerialization will steer business on to a more sustainable path.O