Description
Companies today are struggling to grow and increase their profits margins. On many occasion the corporate are not able to perform economically due to tough competition and versatile environment. During last decade, lots of companies across the sectors have tried to create competitive advantage by becoming more environmentally responsible. Nowadays, some companies try to green everything from their ground level manufacturing to their top management.
Research Article
June
2014
©2014, I J ERMT All Rights Reserved Page | 56
International Journal of
Emerging Research in Management &Technology
ISSN: 2278-9359 (Volume-3, Issue-6)
Green Marketing Mix Strategies of Consumer Durables with
Reference to Automobile Sector
Mohmed Irfan Dr. C. Sumangala Dr. Lancy D’Souza
Research Scholar Assistant Professor Associate Professor
University of Mysore, UOM UOM, Mysore Psychology Dept.Mysore, UOM, Mysore
Abstract –
Companies today are struggling to grow and increase their profits margins. On many occasion the corporate are not
able to perform economically due to tough competition and versatile environment. During last decade, lots of
companies across the sectors have tried to create competitive advantage by becoming more environmentally
responsible. Nowadays, some companies try to green everything from their ground level manufacturing to their top
management. Green marketing is used today by companies as it deals with all the activities designed to generate and
facilitate any exchanges intended to satisfy human needs and wants, with minimal effect on the natural environment
(Polonsky, 1994). There are different approaches to green marketing where some companies are more
environmentally responsible than others because they employ different type of eco-friendly processes like green I T
(information Technolgy), green marketing, green supply chain management (SCM) and so on. The purpose of the
study is to identify the importance given to physical products in the automobile sector than other marketing mix
elements, to know the relative strength of product related GMMS (Green marketing Mix Strategies) against other
GMMS and to ascertain the relative strength of other (Price, Promotion and Place) GMMS. The respondents for the
study are the marketing/sales managers and executives of two wheeler and four wheelers manufacturing companies
existing in I ndia. 15 marketing professional each from both two wheelers and four wheelers manufacturing
companies have responded to the questionnaire. I t was found that product related GMMS played an important role
than other GMMS, specifically with regard to place and price related GMMS. Product and promotion related GMMS
were not to be statistically significant. Various statements emphasizing product related GMMS were also found to be
statistically significant. I t indicates that product related GMMS play very vital role in marketing of durable goods
especially in the case of automobile sector.
Keywords - Green Marketing Mix, Green Marketing Mix Elements, Green Marketing Mix Strategies, Product, Price,
Place and Promotion, 4P’s of Marketing, Automobile sector.
I. Introduction
There are numerous different definitions of green marketing. McDaniel and Rylander (1993), have coined the term green
marketing to depict marketers efforts to develop strategies targeting the eco-friendly consumer. Polonsky (1994) defines
green marketing as: “Green or Environmental Marketing consists of all activities designed to generate and facilitate any
exchanges intended to satisfy human needs or wants, such that the satisfaction of these needs and wants occurs, with
minimal detrimental impact on the natural environment”. The marketing process is ultimately implemented on consumers
so that the companies make decent profits without causing detrimental impact on environment. In this context, Prakash
(2002) argues that the relationship between the marketing discipline, the public policy process and the natural
environment is of great importance. Further, they identifies several terms used to describe this relationship, such as,
environmental marketing (Coddington, 1993) and greener marketing (Charter & Polonsky, 1999).
Green marketing is associated with the strategy to support products by using environmental aver (claim) either about
their uniqueness or about the system policies and processes that the manufacturing company adopts (Prakash, 2002). The
general public view about green marketing is that it refers only to the endorsement/ advertising/ promotion of products
with environmental characteristics (Polonsky, 1994). However, Polonsky (1994) claims that green marketing contains a
broad range of activities, such as product alteration, amendment to the production process, packaging modifications, as
well as modifying promotional strategies. According to Menon and Menon (1997), green marketing is also a part of the
overall corporate strategy. It requires that companies manipulate the marketing mix, as well as understand public policy
processes (Prakash, 2002).
The automobile industry has made remarkable positive contributions to the world economy and people?s mobility, but its
products and processes are a significant source of environmental impact. When the consumer buys consumer durable
Irfan et al., International Journal of Emerging Research in Management &Technology
I SSN: 2278-9359 (Volume-3, I ssue-6)
©2014, I J ERMT All Rights Reserved Page | 57
product, it is evident that the physical nature of product influences the buying decision. Promotion creates awareness
about the product but the buying pattern is primarily influenced by the tangible product followed by the place of
availability and price of the product. This procedure is more evident in consumer durable goods.
II. Literature Review:
Breno and David , (2010) conducted research on title „Green Operations Initiatives in the Automotive Industry? The
purpose of this study is to focus on investigating and benchmarking green operations initiatives in the automotive
industry documented in the environmental reports of selected companies. The investigation roadmaps the main
environmental initiatives taken by the world?s three major car manufacturers and benchmarks them against each other.
The categorization of green operations initiatives that is provided in the paper can also help companies in other sectors to
evaluate their green practices. The findings show that the world?s three major car manufacturers are pursuing various
environmental initiatives like following green operations practices: green buildings, eco-design, green supply chains,
green manufacturing, reverse logistics and innovation.
Patrali, (2009) carried out research on „Green brand extension strategy and online communities? The purpose of this
study was to examine current and prospective consumer perceptions, purchase intent and parent brand evaluation due to
green brand – line and category extensions by marketers of established (non-green) brands for products with high versus
low perceived environmental impact. The results suggest that consumers are more likely to purchase green extensions of
products with high perceived environmental impact and that current consumers prefer green line extensions to green
category extensions. Both have similar reciprocal impact on parent brand evaluation among current consumers.
Gian and Deborah (2010) conducted research on „Green labels and sustainability reporting?, The paper aims to contribute
to the understanding of corporate sustainability reporting strategies and communication tools that are increasingly being
adopted to foster green market outlets, with focus on the building materials supply chain. Focusing on the present Italian
situation and with emphasis on ornamental stones, ceramic tiles, cement and concrete products, the interest and the
response in the building materials supply chain are highlighted, pointing out strengths, weaknesses and future
perspectives.
According to Breno Nums and David Bennett (2010), for the automotive industry, the major global impacts result after
production from vehicle use (Mildenberger and Khare, 2000).However, there are also serious environmental concerns
about the production and final disposal of cars. The use of the automobiles consumes a significant amount of fossil fuels,
and therefore is an important source of pollution. The harmful substances in the car?s exhaust emissions include carbon
dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur and nitrogen oxides, particulate material, ozone, aldehyde compounds and
hydrocarbon particles. During a car?s production, the main negative environmental impact results from solid waste
generation, emission of volatic organic compounds (VOCs), and high levels of energy and water consumption. In
addition, end-of-life cars may contaminate the soil and aquifers if there is irresponsible final disposal and inadequate
management of landfill sites.
III. Objectives:
1. To assess the importance given to physical products than other marketing mix elements in automobile sector.
2. To assess the relative strength of product related GMMS against other GMMS
3. To ascertain the relative strength of other (Price, Promotion and Place) GMMS.
IV. Research Methodology:
a. Sample: The marketing managers of 6 consumer durable manufacturing companies (automobile sector) were
chosen as sample. Out of 6 durable goods manufacturer, 3 were from four wheelers manufacturer and rest were
from two wheelers manufacturer.
b. Sample Size: Totally, six consumer durable products manufacturers were selected and 5 marketing managers of
each of the company were selected as respondents. Totally, 15 respondents from each four wheelers and two
wheelers manufacturers responded to the research tool. The following exhibits the sample size:
Table I: Details about the Sample.
Sl. No. Code name given selected Organisation.
Marketing
Managers
1. Two Wheeler Company „A? 5
2. Two Wheeler Company „B? 5
3. Two Wheeler Company „C? 5
4. Four Wheeler Company „A? 5
5. Four Wheeler Company „B? 5
6. Four Wheeler Company „C? 5
Irfan et al., International Journal of Emerging Research in Management &Technology
I SSN: 2278-9359 (Volume-3, I ssue-6)
©2014, I J ERMT All Rights Reserved Page | 58
c. Sampling: To study the actual perceptions of the marketing managers of the selected organizations a sample of
30 employees was taken using the Stratified random sampling method. The sample consisted of the marketing
manager/ sales managers.
Table II: Details about the Sample Selected for the Study.
Variables Frequency Percent
Sectors
Two wheeler 15 50.0
Four wheeler 15 50.0
Age group of the
companies
0-30 Years 05 16.7
30.01 - 60 Years 05 16.7
More than 60.01 Years 20 66.7
Origin
Indian 25 83.3
Foreign 05 16.7
Perception on type of
products produced
Eco-friendly products 16 53.3
Regular products 14 46.7
d. Research tool: As very minimum research work has been done in the area of sustainability in general and green
marketing in specific, no standard data collection tools are available. The questionnaire was developed to elicit
required information from marketing/ sales managers of selected companies. There are 16 statements for
product related GMMS, 08 statements for price related GMMS, 16 statements for promotion related GMMS and
14 statements for Place related GMMS. The responses were obtained through five point Likert scale varying
from strongly agrees to strongly disagree.
e. Procedure: The questionnaire was developed to elicit required information from marketing/ sales managers of
selected companies. The permission from the concerned authorities of organizations was obtained by the
researcher in advance. Few organisations readily obliged the researcher?s request. Few organisations took some
time to accept the request. Further, The Marketing Managers of selected organisations were approached and
explained about the Green Marketing Strategies (GMS) questionnaire. GMS questionnaire was given to the
respondents and they were enlightened that the questionnaire was meant for the assessment of managerial
practices in the area of eco-friendly/ green marketing. The questionnaire consists of several statements that
reveal what the respondents/ marketing managers feel about various types of green marketing strategies
employed. They were promised that the information given by them will be used only for research purpose and
treated strictly confidentially.
V. Data Analysis:
Statistical techniques like Descriptive statistics, Paired sample „t? test, and One sample „t? test were employed to analyze
the data in the present study.
Table III: Mean Scores of Respondents on GMMS and the Result of Paired Sample „t? test.
Green Marketing Mix Strategies Mean SD
„t?
value
„P? value
Pair 1
Product related GMMS 3.85 0.32
8.580 .000
Price related GMMS 3.04 0.40
Pair 2
Product related GMMS 3.85 0.32
0.750 .488
Promotion related GMMS 3.88 0.43
Pair 3
Product related GMMS 3.85 0.32
3.444 .002
Place related GMMS 3.66 0.48
Pair 4
Pricing related GMMS 3.04 0.40
7.758 .000
Promotion related GMMS 3.88 0.43
Pair 5
Pricing related GMMS 3.04 0.40
6.431 .000
Place related GMMS 3.66 0.48
Pair 6
Promotion related GMMS 3.88 0.43
4.663 .000
Place related GMMS 3.66 0.48
N= 30
Irfan et al., International Journal of Emerging Research in Management &Technology
I SSN: 2278-9359 (Volume-3, I ssue-6)
©2014, I J ERMT All Rights Reserved Page | 59
When the responses of product related GMMS were compared with price related GMMS, promotion related GMMS, and
place related GMMS, it was observed that mean scores on Product related GMMS differed significantly with price
related GMMS and place related GMMS, where we find that mean agreement on product related GMMS was
significantly higher than mean scores on price and place related GMMS. However, no such difference was observed
between product related GMMS and promotion related GMMS.
Mean responses on promotion related GMMS were significantly higher compared to mean scores on price and place
related GMMS. Lastly, when promotion related GMMS are compared with place related GMMS, it was found that
promotion related GMMS had higher agreement compared to place related GMMS.
Table IV: Mean Scores of Respondents on Various Product Related GMMS and the Results of One Sample„t? Tests.
(Test value = 3).
Sl. No. Statements Mean S.D „t? value „P? value
S1
Company that adopts product related green marketing
mix strategies (GMMS) are more important.
4.43 0.68 11.789 .000
S2
Product related GMMS play important role than price
related GMMS.
4.17 0.46 14.966 .000
S3
Product related GMMS play important role than
promotion related GMMS.
4.10 0.48 12.234 .000
S4
Product related GMMS play important role than
distribution related GMMS.
4.33 0.66 12.042 .000
S5
As product is tangible, it plays important role in framing
green marketing strategies.
4.30 0.53 13.310 .000
S6
Product related GMMS have more scope than price,
promotion and distribution related GMMS.
4.07 0.83 6.952 .000
When mean responses of various statements on product related GMMS was compared with a standard value of 3.0 using
one sample t tests, it was found that all the time obtained responses were significantly higher than the expected standards.
It was found that the overall agreements were significantly higher than the expected ones. Highest levels of agreement
was observed for „Company that adopts product related green marketing mix strategies (GMMS)?, followed by Product
related GMMS play important role than distribution related GMMS? and „As product is tangible, it plays important role
in framing green marketing strategies?.
VI. Main findings:
? The marketing/ sales managers opine that the product related GMMS is important because the product is
tangible aspect which has „touch and feel? concept. The respondents believe that, consumers while making
purchase decision of durable products (two wheeler and four wheeler) will spend extra penny or shall travel to
long distance to buy the durable product which he/she would like to purchase as the purchase of durable product
is not done on regular basis.
? It is important to note that, awareness of green product is as important as green product itself. The promotion
related GMMS plays an important role in creating awareness about the product and other related green aspects
of the durable products. If the green product benefits are clearly and convincingly communicated to the
customers/ consumers, then price and place of marketing mix will not play a major role during purchase of two
and four wheeler.
? The respondents opine that the name, aesthetics and service provided by the dealer (place related GMMS) play
an important role than pricing strategy. As the product is worth lakhs of rupees, the consumer shall not think/
rethink on spending few more thousands if the place of purchase is trustworthy.
?
VII. Conclusions:
4Ps of marketing mix delimits four separate, well-defined and independent management processes. Despite the consistent
effort by many physical businesses to deal with the 4P in an integrated manner, the drafting and mainly the
implementation of the P policies remains largely the task of various departments and persons within the organisation.
Even more significant thought is the fact that the customer is typically experiencing the individual effects of each of the
4Ps in diverse occasions, times and places, even in case that some companies take great pains to fully integrate their
marketing. Integrated marketing services (IMS) are important, the grading among the 4P?s is necessary based on the
preference given by the consumers. If it is noticed through the lenses expenditure pattern, product acquires the major
share followed by promotion and place. As product is tangible the green aspect of it are witnessed by the consumers. The
eco-friendly efforts done towards other P?s of marketing mix except product is not clearly seen by the ultimate users
(specifically in India). Indian consumers are becoming more aware of the products in terms of it life cycle cost too, which
is making the chances of product related green marketing to be more brighter than other marketing mix.
Irfan et al., International Journal of Emerging Research in Management &Technology
I SSN: 2278-9359 (Volume-3, I ssue-6)
©2014, I J ERMT All Rights Reserved Page | 60
References:
[1] Breno Nums & David Bennett (2010), Green Operations initiatives in the automotive industry, Benchmarking:
an international journal, 17 (3), 396-420.
[2] Charter, M. & Polonsky, M.J. (1999). Greener Marketing: a Global Perspective on Greening Marketing
Practice (2nd ed.). Sheffield: Greenleaf
[3] Coddington, W. (1993). Environmental Marketing: Positive Strategies for Reaching the Green Consumer. New
York: McGraw-Hill.
[4] McDaniel, S., & Rylander, D. (1993). Strategic Green Marketing. The Journal of Consumer Marketing, 10(3),
4-10.
[5] Menon A, & Menon A. (1997), Enviropreneurial marketing strategy: the emergence of corporate
environmentalism as a markt strategy, Journal of Marketing, 61, 51-67.
[6] Mildenberger, U. & Khare, A. (2000), “Planning for an environment-friendly car”, Technovation, 20, 205-214.
[7] Patrali Chatterjee ,(2009), „Green brand extension strategy and online communities?, Journal of Systems and
Information Technology, Vol. 11 No. 4, pp. 367-384.
[8] Polonsky, M.J (1994). An Introduction To Green Marketing. Electronic Green Journal, 1(2), 1-10.
[9] Prakash, A. (2002). Green marketing, public policy and managerial strategies. Business Strategy and the
Environment, 11, 285-297.
Mohmed Irfan - Research Scholar and corresponding author, University of Mysore, Mysore Contact No. +91-96114-
68045, email: [email protected].
Dr. Sumangala C - Assistant Professor, Maharaja?s College, University of Mysore, Mysore. Contact No. +91 98448-
29733.
Dr. Lancy D?Souza - Associate Professor, Maharaja?s College, University of Mysore, Mysore. Contact No. +91
99863-32616.
doc_940658473.pdf
Companies today are struggling to grow and increase their profits margins. On many occasion the corporate are not able to perform economically due to tough competition and versatile environment. During last decade, lots of companies across the sectors have tried to create competitive advantage by becoming more environmentally responsible. Nowadays, some companies try to green everything from their ground level manufacturing to their top management.
Research Article
June
2014
©2014, I J ERMT All Rights Reserved Page | 56
International Journal of
Emerging Research in Management &Technology
ISSN: 2278-9359 (Volume-3, Issue-6)
Green Marketing Mix Strategies of Consumer Durables with
Reference to Automobile Sector
Mohmed Irfan Dr. C. Sumangala Dr. Lancy D’Souza
Research Scholar Assistant Professor Associate Professor
University of Mysore, UOM UOM, Mysore Psychology Dept.Mysore, UOM, Mysore
Abstract –
Companies today are struggling to grow and increase their profits margins. On many occasion the corporate are not
able to perform economically due to tough competition and versatile environment. During last decade, lots of
companies across the sectors have tried to create competitive advantage by becoming more environmentally
responsible. Nowadays, some companies try to green everything from their ground level manufacturing to their top
management. Green marketing is used today by companies as it deals with all the activities designed to generate and
facilitate any exchanges intended to satisfy human needs and wants, with minimal effect on the natural environment
(Polonsky, 1994). There are different approaches to green marketing where some companies are more
environmentally responsible than others because they employ different type of eco-friendly processes like green I T
(information Technolgy), green marketing, green supply chain management (SCM) and so on. The purpose of the
study is to identify the importance given to physical products in the automobile sector than other marketing mix
elements, to know the relative strength of product related GMMS (Green marketing Mix Strategies) against other
GMMS and to ascertain the relative strength of other (Price, Promotion and Place) GMMS. The respondents for the
study are the marketing/sales managers and executives of two wheeler and four wheelers manufacturing companies
existing in I ndia. 15 marketing professional each from both two wheelers and four wheelers manufacturing
companies have responded to the questionnaire. I t was found that product related GMMS played an important role
than other GMMS, specifically with regard to place and price related GMMS. Product and promotion related GMMS
were not to be statistically significant. Various statements emphasizing product related GMMS were also found to be
statistically significant. I t indicates that product related GMMS play very vital role in marketing of durable goods
especially in the case of automobile sector.
Keywords - Green Marketing Mix, Green Marketing Mix Elements, Green Marketing Mix Strategies, Product, Price,
Place and Promotion, 4P’s of Marketing, Automobile sector.
I. Introduction
There are numerous different definitions of green marketing. McDaniel and Rylander (1993), have coined the term green
marketing to depict marketers efforts to develop strategies targeting the eco-friendly consumer. Polonsky (1994) defines
green marketing as: “Green or Environmental Marketing consists of all activities designed to generate and facilitate any
exchanges intended to satisfy human needs or wants, such that the satisfaction of these needs and wants occurs, with
minimal detrimental impact on the natural environment”. The marketing process is ultimately implemented on consumers
so that the companies make decent profits without causing detrimental impact on environment. In this context, Prakash
(2002) argues that the relationship between the marketing discipline, the public policy process and the natural
environment is of great importance. Further, they identifies several terms used to describe this relationship, such as,
environmental marketing (Coddington, 1993) and greener marketing (Charter & Polonsky, 1999).
Green marketing is associated with the strategy to support products by using environmental aver (claim) either about
their uniqueness or about the system policies and processes that the manufacturing company adopts (Prakash, 2002). The
general public view about green marketing is that it refers only to the endorsement/ advertising/ promotion of products
with environmental characteristics (Polonsky, 1994). However, Polonsky (1994) claims that green marketing contains a
broad range of activities, such as product alteration, amendment to the production process, packaging modifications, as
well as modifying promotional strategies. According to Menon and Menon (1997), green marketing is also a part of the
overall corporate strategy. It requires that companies manipulate the marketing mix, as well as understand public policy
processes (Prakash, 2002).
The automobile industry has made remarkable positive contributions to the world economy and people?s mobility, but its
products and processes are a significant source of environmental impact. When the consumer buys consumer durable
Irfan et al., International Journal of Emerging Research in Management &Technology
I SSN: 2278-9359 (Volume-3, I ssue-6)
©2014, I J ERMT All Rights Reserved Page | 57
product, it is evident that the physical nature of product influences the buying decision. Promotion creates awareness
about the product but the buying pattern is primarily influenced by the tangible product followed by the place of
availability and price of the product. This procedure is more evident in consumer durable goods.
II. Literature Review:
Breno and David , (2010) conducted research on title „Green Operations Initiatives in the Automotive Industry? The
purpose of this study is to focus on investigating and benchmarking green operations initiatives in the automotive
industry documented in the environmental reports of selected companies. The investigation roadmaps the main
environmental initiatives taken by the world?s three major car manufacturers and benchmarks them against each other.
The categorization of green operations initiatives that is provided in the paper can also help companies in other sectors to
evaluate their green practices. The findings show that the world?s three major car manufacturers are pursuing various
environmental initiatives like following green operations practices: green buildings, eco-design, green supply chains,
green manufacturing, reverse logistics and innovation.
Patrali, (2009) carried out research on „Green brand extension strategy and online communities? The purpose of this
study was to examine current and prospective consumer perceptions, purchase intent and parent brand evaluation due to
green brand – line and category extensions by marketers of established (non-green) brands for products with high versus
low perceived environmental impact. The results suggest that consumers are more likely to purchase green extensions of
products with high perceived environmental impact and that current consumers prefer green line extensions to green
category extensions. Both have similar reciprocal impact on parent brand evaluation among current consumers.
Gian and Deborah (2010) conducted research on „Green labels and sustainability reporting?, The paper aims to contribute
to the understanding of corporate sustainability reporting strategies and communication tools that are increasingly being
adopted to foster green market outlets, with focus on the building materials supply chain. Focusing on the present Italian
situation and with emphasis on ornamental stones, ceramic tiles, cement and concrete products, the interest and the
response in the building materials supply chain are highlighted, pointing out strengths, weaknesses and future
perspectives.
According to Breno Nums and David Bennett (2010), for the automotive industry, the major global impacts result after
production from vehicle use (Mildenberger and Khare, 2000).However, there are also serious environmental concerns
about the production and final disposal of cars. The use of the automobiles consumes a significant amount of fossil fuels,
and therefore is an important source of pollution. The harmful substances in the car?s exhaust emissions include carbon
dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur and nitrogen oxides, particulate material, ozone, aldehyde compounds and
hydrocarbon particles. During a car?s production, the main negative environmental impact results from solid waste
generation, emission of volatic organic compounds (VOCs), and high levels of energy and water consumption. In
addition, end-of-life cars may contaminate the soil and aquifers if there is irresponsible final disposal and inadequate
management of landfill sites.
III. Objectives:
1. To assess the importance given to physical products than other marketing mix elements in automobile sector.
2. To assess the relative strength of product related GMMS against other GMMS
3. To ascertain the relative strength of other (Price, Promotion and Place) GMMS.
IV. Research Methodology:
a. Sample: The marketing managers of 6 consumer durable manufacturing companies (automobile sector) were
chosen as sample. Out of 6 durable goods manufacturer, 3 were from four wheelers manufacturer and rest were
from two wheelers manufacturer.
b. Sample Size: Totally, six consumer durable products manufacturers were selected and 5 marketing managers of
each of the company were selected as respondents. Totally, 15 respondents from each four wheelers and two
wheelers manufacturers responded to the research tool. The following exhibits the sample size:
Table I: Details about the Sample.
Sl. No. Code name given selected Organisation.
Marketing
Managers
1. Two Wheeler Company „A? 5
2. Two Wheeler Company „B? 5
3. Two Wheeler Company „C? 5
4. Four Wheeler Company „A? 5
5. Four Wheeler Company „B? 5
6. Four Wheeler Company „C? 5
Irfan et al., International Journal of Emerging Research in Management &Technology
I SSN: 2278-9359 (Volume-3, I ssue-6)
©2014, I J ERMT All Rights Reserved Page | 58
c. Sampling: To study the actual perceptions of the marketing managers of the selected organizations a sample of
30 employees was taken using the Stratified random sampling method. The sample consisted of the marketing
manager/ sales managers.
Table II: Details about the Sample Selected for the Study.
Variables Frequency Percent
Sectors
Two wheeler 15 50.0
Four wheeler 15 50.0
Age group of the
companies
0-30 Years 05 16.7
30.01 - 60 Years 05 16.7
More than 60.01 Years 20 66.7
Origin
Indian 25 83.3
Foreign 05 16.7
Perception on type of
products produced
Eco-friendly products 16 53.3
Regular products 14 46.7
d. Research tool: As very minimum research work has been done in the area of sustainability in general and green
marketing in specific, no standard data collection tools are available. The questionnaire was developed to elicit
required information from marketing/ sales managers of selected companies. There are 16 statements for
product related GMMS, 08 statements for price related GMMS, 16 statements for promotion related GMMS and
14 statements for Place related GMMS. The responses were obtained through five point Likert scale varying
from strongly agrees to strongly disagree.
e. Procedure: The questionnaire was developed to elicit required information from marketing/ sales managers of
selected companies. The permission from the concerned authorities of organizations was obtained by the
researcher in advance. Few organisations readily obliged the researcher?s request. Few organisations took some
time to accept the request. Further, The Marketing Managers of selected organisations were approached and
explained about the Green Marketing Strategies (GMS) questionnaire. GMS questionnaire was given to the
respondents and they were enlightened that the questionnaire was meant for the assessment of managerial
practices in the area of eco-friendly/ green marketing. The questionnaire consists of several statements that
reveal what the respondents/ marketing managers feel about various types of green marketing strategies
employed. They were promised that the information given by them will be used only for research purpose and
treated strictly confidentially.
V. Data Analysis:
Statistical techniques like Descriptive statistics, Paired sample „t? test, and One sample „t? test were employed to analyze
the data in the present study.
Table III: Mean Scores of Respondents on GMMS and the Result of Paired Sample „t? test.
Green Marketing Mix Strategies Mean SD
„t?
value
„P? value
Pair 1
Product related GMMS 3.85 0.32
8.580 .000
Price related GMMS 3.04 0.40
Pair 2
Product related GMMS 3.85 0.32
0.750 .488
Promotion related GMMS 3.88 0.43
Pair 3
Product related GMMS 3.85 0.32
3.444 .002
Place related GMMS 3.66 0.48
Pair 4
Pricing related GMMS 3.04 0.40
7.758 .000
Promotion related GMMS 3.88 0.43
Pair 5
Pricing related GMMS 3.04 0.40
6.431 .000
Place related GMMS 3.66 0.48
Pair 6
Promotion related GMMS 3.88 0.43
4.663 .000
Place related GMMS 3.66 0.48
N= 30
Irfan et al., International Journal of Emerging Research in Management &Technology
I SSN: 2278-9359 (Volume-3, I ssue-6)
©2014, I J ERMT All Rights Reserved Page | 59
When the responses of product related GMMS were compared with price related GMMS, promotion related GMMS, and
place related GMMS, it was observed that mean scores on Product related GMMS differed significantly with price
related GMMS and place related GMMS, where we find that mean agreement on product related GMMS was
significantly higher than mean scores on price and place related GMMS. However, no such difference was observed
between product related GMMS and promotion related GMMS.
Mean responses on promotion related GMMS were significantly higher compared to mean scores on price and place
related GMMS. Lastly, when promotion related GMMS are compared with place related GMMS, it was found that
promotion related GMMS had higher agreement compared to place related GMMS.
Table IV: Mean Scores of Respondents on Various Product Related GMMS and the Results of One Sample„t? Tests.
(Test value = 3).
Sl. No. Statements Mean S.D „t? value „P? value
S1
Company that adopts product related green marketing
mix strategies (GMMS) are more important.
4.43 0.68 11.789 .000
S2
Product related GMMS play important role than price
related GMMS.
4.17 0.46 14.966 .000
S3
Product related GMMS play important role than
promotion related GMMS.
4.10 0.48 12.234 .000
S4
Product related GMMS play important role than
distribution related GMMS.
4.33 0.66 12.042 .000
S5
As product is tangible, it plays important role in framing
green marketing strategies.
4.30 0.53 13.310 .000
S6
Product related GMMS have more scope than price,
promotion and distribution related GMMS.
4.07 0.83 6.952 .000
When mean responses of various statements on product related GMMS was compared with a standard value of 3.0 using
one sample t tests, it was found that all the time obtained responses were significantly higher than the expected standards.
It was found that the overall agreements were significantly higher than the expected ones. Highest levels of agreement
was observed for „Company that adopts product related green marketing mix strategies (GMMS)?, followed by Product
related GMMS play important role than distribution related GMMS? and „As product is tangible, it plays important role
in framing green marketing strategies?.
VI. Main findings:
? The marketing/ sales managers opine that the product related GMMS is important because the product is
tangible aspect which has „touch and feel? concept. The respondents believe that, consumers while making
purchase decision of durable products (two wheeler and four wheeler) will spend extra penny or shall travel to
long distance to buy the durable product which he/she would like to purchase as the purchase of durable product
is not done on regular basis.
? It is important to note that, awareness of green product is as important as green product itself. The promotion
related GMMS plays an important role in creating awareness about the product and other related green aspects
of the durable products. If the green product benefits are clearly and convincingly communicated to the
customers/ consumers, then price and place of marketing mix will not play a major role during purchase of two
and four wheeler.
? The respondents opine that the name, aesthetics and service provided by the dealer (place related GMMS) play
an important role than pricing strategy. As the product is worth lakhs of rupees, the consumer shall not think/
rethink on spending few more thousands if the place of purchase is trustworthy.
?
VII. Conclusions:
4Ps of marketing mix delimits four separate, well-defined and independent management processes. Despite the consistent
effort by many physical businesses to deal with the 4P in an integrated manner, the drafting and mainly the
implementation of the P policies remains largely the task of various departments and persons within the organisation.
Even more significant thought is the fact that the customer is typically experiencing the individual effects of each of the
4Ps in diverse occasions, times and places, even in case that some companies take great pains to fully integrate their
marketing. Integrated marketing services (IMS) are important, the grading among the 4P?s is necessary based on the
preference given by the consumers. If it is noticed through the lenses expenditure pattern, product acquires the major
share followed by promotion and place. As product is tangible the green aspect of it are witnessed by the consumers. The
eco-friendly efforts done towards other P?s of marketing mix except product is not clearly seen by the ultimate users
(specifically in India). Indian consumers are becoming more aware of the products in terms of it life cycle cost too, which
is making the chances of product related green marketing to be more brighter than other marketing mix.
Irfan et al., International Journal of Emerging Research in Management &Technology
I SSN: 2278-9359 (Volume-3, I ssue-6)
©2014, I J ERMT All Rights Reserved Page | 60
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Mohmed Irfan - Research Scholar and corresponding author, University of Mysore, Mysore Contact No. +91-96114-
68045, email: [email protected].
Dr. Sumangala C - Assistant Professor, Maharaja?s College, University of Mysore, Mysore. Contact No. +91 98448-
29733.
Dr. Lancy D?Souza - Associate Professor, Maharaja?s College, University of Mysore, Mysore. Contact No. +91
99863-32616.
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