UNDERSTANDING THE EVOLUTION OF GREEN MARKETING AND GREEN WASHING WITH REFERENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Abstract

There has been a rise in consumers and brands aligning themselves with the need of the hour, an environment conscious existence. Extreme global climatic conditions have shifted consumer behavior for the greater good, especially observed in rising economies. To be environmentally mindful has not only become voguish but has also become a diktat. Policymakers, NGOs, activists and government have made it imperative for companies to ride on the wave. This has also opened opportunities in the science of marketing. The paper traces progression in strategies and tools that are used by businesses to communicate green issue, subsequently making both green marketing and green washing gain a stronger momentum. The demand for transparency in brand communication has resulted in companies adapting an ecologically sustainable system. However, it has also been observed that the ability to question what we buy as consumers has simultaneously also led to the deceiving practices of Green Washing. The paper tries to identify both approaches with examples of important brands that we value and interact with, which instantaneously influence our purchasing behavior. This paper aims to explore the shift in communication strategy by brands to position themselves in ways that sync with that of the environment. The paper investigates the marketing approach employed for this purpose. It identifies the changing landscape in the key green issues referred to by the companies. Message and images used for marketing are critically examined to understand if it can create any long-term impact in bringing about a transformative change to the ever-deteriorating climatic conditions