Significant growth in the economy and welfare of humanity was achieved against the background of the degradation of flora and fauna and global climate change. If they are not addressed, these problems will lead to a significant deterioration in the conditions of existence for future generations on our planet.
The consumption of energy and raw materials is increasing every year, and their production is unable to meet the growing needs of the world market, which negatively affects the price of the final product. In addition, the cost of goods and services is affected by the amount and nature of waste generated, as environmental standards are tightened year by year.
In the 2000s, US companies were spending more than $80 billion annually on green law compliance, which corresponded to about 1.5% of US GDP2. It means that production technologies that generate a large amount of waste are becoming increasingly unprofitable. Promising technologies use energy and resources as economically as possible and minimize the resulting debris, i.etechnologies whose negative impact on the environment are reduced (from the website: https://royalcraftwood.com/).
However, survival in the modern market requires the modernization of the technological process and clever marketing. It should be noted that technology change is a costly process associated with significant capital costs, which means that products manufactured using “green” technologies will cost more than their “non-environmentally friendly” counterparts. The marketing task is to orient the consumer specifically towards “green” goods produced using environmentally friendly technologies, appealing to his social responsibility. Such marketing is called “green.”
Marketing of “green” technologies – an element of “green” marketing
As International Marketing defines, green marketing is the marketing of environmentally friendly products. “Green” marketing includes a set of measures, such as modification of the product itself, its production process (technology), as well as packaging5.
Marketing of this kind is gaining more and more supporters every year due to global concern about environmental pollution. Companies one after another declare their intentions to reduce the harmful burden on the biosphere, which, of course, is reflected both in their products and in the services provided6.
An analysis of public opinion conducted since the 1980s has shown that a significant percentage of consumers in various countries declare their readiness to choose products that are safe for the environment7. This segment of consumers is called “green” because they want to buy products in harmony with nature and fit their lifestyle.
According to a market analysis in 2021, about 18% of US consumers can be classified as “true green,” buying green products constantly, another 74% can be classified as “moderately green.” (“light green”), who believe “green” products only occasionally – 8.
The definition follows that “green” marketing is a fairly broad concept. This article concretizes and considers its part relating to the technology of production of goods and services – marketing of “green” technologies, which is the most complex part of the concept of “green” marketing. After all, we are talking about a complete change or a significant modernization of production technology, which is often much more complex and more expensive than modifying a product or its packaging.
In addition to the transition to environmentally friendly technology, the company needs to convey that its products do not harm the environment. By choosing them, the consumer demonstrates his social responsibility.
Examples of companies promoting specific green technologies
Chemistry
A few years ago, Dow Chemical developed a polymer – NatureWorks based on lactic acid – that is entirely biodegradable and does not harm living organisms.
Nippon Oil, Toyota Motors, Hino Motors (Nippon Oil, Toyota motors, Hino motors), and the Tokyo government have launched a joint program to convert public transport (buses) to biodiesel obtained by hydrogenating palm other types of vegetable oils.
The MKD company (MKD – Michelle Kaufmann Designs) specializes in constructing 100% environmentally friendly housing. In 2007, at the international construction exhibition, the house built by this design bureau took center stage in the exposition.
Examples of Firms Explicitly Using Green Technology Marketing
Energy
Shell created a charitable foundation in 1997 called the Shell Foundation and bearing the Shell emblem. One of the fund’s objectives is to promote “green” technologies in various areas of human activity related to the use of energy.
Chemistry
Basf has developed the “Eco-efficiency” logo to label its products produced using environmentally friendly technologies. The peculiarity is that Basf only places such an emblem on those products that successfully passed the eco-efficiency analysis adopted by the company in 1996.
IT industry
Intel is an industry leader in using green energy to power its administrative and manufacturing facilities. A whole section is devoted to this fact on the company’s website.
Asus has developed the GreenASUS corporate program. All of the company’s divisions have been certified according to international environmental standards. In support of environmental initiatives, the company has created the GreenASUS logo, designed to protect the environment.
Hospitality and event industry
Marriott has released short videos detailing the green technologies the company is implementing in both its hospitality and events operations.
Hyatt launched the Hyatt Earth program as part of its sustainability vision. This program provides for the placement of information stands in hotels, which provide information on global environmental problems and ways to solve them and demonstrate Hyatt’s contribution to environmental protection.
The transition to “green” technologies is the most effective way to keep the Earth’s ecology in a state suitable for future generations. This is understood by both international organizations (such as the UN) and the governments of developed countries and ordinary companies. The challenge is to make this transition more profitable for both individual producers and consumers, and marketing of “green” technologies is designed to solve this problem. Thanks to the modern marketing approach, everyone will benefit from the introduction of “green” technologies: companies – profits, customers – quality goods, and society – an improvement in the environmental situation.
The flagship in the process of transition to “green” technologies in the United States (most of the world’s large companies that have adopted “green” technologies are located there), then we can name Japan and the countries of Western Europe.
