Green marketing
[7] The holistic nature of green also suggests that besides suppliers and retailers new stakeholders be enlisted, including educators, members of the community, regulators, and NGOs.
[8] However, public opinion polls taken 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 environmentally conscious products and companies.
[citation needed] Despite these challenges, green marketing has continued to gain adherents, particularly in light of growing global concern about climate change.
[10][11] The emerging greenhouse gas reduction market can potentially catalyze projects with important local environmental, economic, and quality-of-life benefits.
If the barriers are adequately addressed, greenhouse gas trading can play an important role in supporting activities that benefit people's lives and the environment.
Supporters claim that environmental appeals are actually growing in number–the Energy Star label, for example, now appears on 11,000 different companies'[13] models in 38 product categories, from washing machines and light bulbs to skyscrapers and homes.
Each will have different trigger points that will move them to buy, and for the nongreen audience, marketing effectively usually requires emphasizing product superiority rather than care for the planet.
[15] On the other hand, Roper's Green Gauge shows that a high percentage of consumers (42%)[16] feel that environmental products don't work as well as conventional ones.
New markets emerge for recycled building products, packaging, paper goods, and even sweaters and sneakers, as well as, more efficient appliances lighting, heating, and cooling systems in homes and offices.
The term "greenwashing" refers to all industries that adopt outwardly green acts with an underlying purpose to increase profits.
The primary objective of greenwashing is to provide consumers with the feeling that the organization is taking the necessary steps to responsibly manage its ecological footprint.
In reality, the company may be doing very little that is environmentally beneficial[19] The term greenwashing was first used by environmentalist Jay Westerveld when objecting to hotelier's practice of placing notices in hotel rooms which asked their guests to reuse towels to "save the environment".
"All the corporate executives that we talk to are extremely convinced that being able to make some sort of strong case about the environment is going to work down to their bottom line.
Everett Rogers, communication scholar and author of "Diffusion of Innovations", claims that the following five factors can help determine whether a new idea will be adopted or not, including the idealism of the shift towards "green": LOHAS stands for Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability,[26] and describes an integrated, rapidly growing market for goods and services that appeal to consumers whose sense of environmental and social responsibility influences their purchase decisions.
[31] During the late 1980s, new instruments such as life-cycle assessment (LCA) were invented which allowed ecological considerations to be introduced into marketing decisions.
Growing interest, space, and attention in the architecture sector are directed to environmental issues according to the principles of green building.
The company re-launched the product as "Marathon," underscoring its new "super long life" positioning and promise of saving $26 in energy costs over its five-year lifetime.
[34] Finally, with the U.S. EPA's Energy Star label to add credibility as well as new sensitivity to rising utility costs and electricity shortages, sales climbed 12 percent in an otherwise flat market.
Green market products are previously owned items that have been repaired, refurbished, or recycled by brokers, resellers, or manufacturers, making them suitable for resale as a cost-effective alternative to new goods.
Recycling precious materials like glass, metals, and polymers from used electronics prevents harmful environmental impacts from improper disposal, making it an eco-friendly and cost-effective solution.
