Green Marketing

People recycle. People use less water. People use less electricity to save energy. People even drive more fuel efficient cars. These are some of the actions people do just to go green. Why do people choose to go green? It is simply because consumers are realizing that the products they buy and the things they do are negatively affecting the environment. In the article “Cultivating the Green Consumer,” a 2007 McKinsey & Company global survey of 7,751 consumers in eight major economies showed that “a full 87% of these consumers are concerned about the environmental and social impacts of the products they buy.” Even organizations of all types from around the world are launching green campaigns. For instance, automobiles from London’s Congestion Charge, organic foods from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and construction of LEED green buildings from University of Texas. However, even though consumers showed concerns about the products they purchase affect the environment, only 33% of them actually purchase green goods. (Bonini & Oppenheim) According to this article, the reason for this to happen is because they expect businesses to take the lead in dealing with the issue of climate change. Consumers expect the businesses to develop more and better Earth-friendly products and do a good job marketing them. Over the years, businesses from almost every industry have increasingly become more socially responsible. They begun to integrate environmental concerns into their product and service development. The businesses also realized that they must be prepared to provide their consumers with information on the environmental impact of their products and manufacturing processes. (Ginsberg & Bloom) According to “Choosing the Right Green Marketing Strategy,” it states that on every company’s website one can find corporate social responsibility reports with titles such as “Corporate Citizenship”, “Environmental Health and Safety,” or “Sustainability Report.”