DOES GREEN MARKETING WORKS WITH CONSUMERS

Abstract: Green and going green is a confused concept in the business sector since, many are going by alternative names such as sustainable marketing, environmental marketing, Eco marketing, organic marketing, etc. Green marketing, also otherwise identified as environmental marketing and sustainable marketing, refers to an organization's efforts at scheming, stimulating, valuing and allocating products that will not damage the environment. Green marketing is essentially a way to brand marketing message in orGHUWRFDSWXUHPRUHRIWKHPDUNHWE\DSSHDOLQJWRSHRSOH¶VGHVLUHWRFKRRVHSURGXFWVDQGservices that are better for the environment. It is hypothesized in this research that through green marketing it is possible for a company to enhance their brand value on their product to the customers, but may have less chance to influence on consumer purchasing behavior. This study was conducted among 389 customers in Kaula-Lumpur and Penang area Malaysia. The study applied statistical tools like correlation and regression to arrive at the findings. The findings indicate that the companies green marketing campaigns well correlated with brand perception of and buying behavior of consumers. The study provides insight into the dynamic nature of consumer buying behavior. Key Terms: Green, Green Marketing, Brand, Brand Perception, Buying Behavior, Retail shops 1. Introduction The green awareness began in between of the 1960s and early 1970s with increasing concern about the negative impact of consumption pattern, impact of economic and population growth on the environment (Cohen, 2001). But, a serious concern of green marketing appeared in the late 1980s with a rapid increase in the consumer awareness for greener products. The increasing awareness in environment friendly products, their willingness to pay for these products, increased concern for these products which encouraged companies to show interest in the green marketing (Peattie and Crane, 2005). Green marketing has been an important academic research topic for at least three decades (Kassarjian, 1971; Kinnear et al., 1974; Coddington, 1993; Meffert Kirchgeorg, 1993; Hopfenbeck, 1993; Ottman, 1994; Peattie, 1995; Polonsky and Mintu-Wimsatt, 1995; Schlegelmilch et al., 1996; %LJQH)XOOHU.DODIDWLVHWDO&DORPDUGH)UDMDQG0DUWOQH] .