Functions of environmental marketing. Environmental marketing: prerequisites for its formation and main characteristics Prerequisites for the emergence of the concept of environmental marketing

The theoretical and practical aspects of introducing environmental marketing into the practice of enterprises are considered. Marketing approaches will contribute to the development of a new environmental and economic direction of socialization of regional production and ensuring the rational use of the assimilation potential of the environment, taking into account the current environmental legislation in the country.

environmental marketing

directions

mechanisms

1. Gelmanova Z.S., Osik Yu.I., Butrin A.G. Environmental management of a metallurgical enterprise: Monograph. – Karaganda: Publishing House of KarSU, 2014. – 116 p.

2. Gelmanova Z.S., Osik Yu.I., Spanova B.Zh. Management of innovation activity in the context of globalization. Study guide. – Karaganda: Publishing and Printing Center of the Kazakhstan-Russian University, 2014. – 168 p.

3. Zhaksybaeva G.Sh., Gelmanova Z.S. Environmental management of an enterprise: theory and practice. Monograph. – Astana: Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2011. – 223 p.

4. Prokopenko O.V., Osik Yu.I. Environmental marketing: Textbook. – Karaganda: Publishing House of KarSU, 2015. – 208 p.

Aspects of environmentally oriented marketing in the global community are associated with the rapid development of technologies and processes that reduce environmental impact, as well as the accelerated formation of a market for environmental services, which naturally requires the corresponding development of marketing controls.

The main marketing directions in this area include: growth, the formation of financial structures to support environmental actions; environmental assessment (audit) of the level of impact on the environment; environmental insurance of companies' actions; changing forms of reporting the activities of manufacturers; new forms of advertising; formation of new principles of trade (for example, sale of environmentally friendly products).

The marketing mechanism for environmental management is based on a typology of market methods. Currently, the following main groups of management methods are known: administrative regulation - the introduction of appropriate regulatory standards and restrictions that manufacturing firms must comply with, as well as the implementation of direct control and licensing of environmental management processes; economic incentives aimed at getting the manufacturing company interested in rational environmental management; a system of payments for pollution; distribution of pollution rights and compensation payments.

These methods must be used at various stages of the marketing process, taking into account the composition of primary resources, the specifics of the production process and the environmental technologies used that generate emissions into the environment.

A special role here is given to payments and taxes for pollution. They represent indirect leverage and are expressed in the establishment of fees for emissions or discharges, for the use of primary resources, final products or technology. The fee must be proportionate to the socio-economic harm from pollution or determined by some other indicator. Payments and taxes provide maximum freedom for the manufacturer to choose a strategy for combining the degree of purification and the charge for residual emissions. If environmental costs are high, the firm will reduce emissions rather than pay the tax. It is assumed that it can reduce them to the optimal level, when the incremental costs of additional treatment become equal to the payment rate.

If we assume that property rights to the environment belong to the whole of society, then polluting firms must bear mandatory responsibility for the harm caused. If a pollution tax or emission fee reflects the marginal harm determined before the act of emission, then in a system of mandatory liability for harm, the fee is calculated for each emission of harmful substances. In other words, the company that caused the damage is obliged to either compensate for it in some way, or clean up the damaged natural object, or pay compensation to the victims, or take other measures. For this purpose, special documents are drawn up that establish obligations to carry out environmental protection activities against the appropriate collateral. This approach is effective if the number of pollutants and their victims is limited, and the size of the pollution and its composition are easy to determine.

It is necessary to distinguish between emergency emissions and restoration of the ecosystem after the implementation of certain activities (land reclamation).

In the first case, the company can predict future harm and take all measures to prevent it. But if damage is caused, the culprit will fully compensate for it. The company's assets, including an insurance policy, can be used as guarantees here.

In the second case, the approximate extent of future harm is known, if we are talking, for example, about mining. The guarantee here is a cash deposit made by the company. If she carries out land reclamation on her own, she will receive her deposit back; if not, then the deposit amount should be enough to carry out reclamation. The polluter can shift his responsibility for harm to the intermediary by paying a fee for pollution at rates corresponding to the economic assessment of the assimilation potential. He pays, including damages, i.e. must settle accounts with the “victim” of pollution.

The system of targeted reservation of funds for waste disposal (deposits) is used to create an incentive for consumers to incur additional costs. At the time of purchase of a product that predetermines possible contamination, a deposit is made, which is returned with interest after disposal of the waste. There are known cases of using this system to stimulate the recovery and recycling of used oils and the recycling of ozone-depleting substances. Information systems that serve to ensure completeness of information and freedom of access to it play a role similar to economic incentives. If firms provide all the information, then consumers or residents of nearby areas are notified of the extent of contamination or harmful substances in the products. Awareness changes the demand for products, reduces pollution, leads to the recycling of appropriate primary resources or changes in technology.

Basic marketing approaches in the field of ecology. A comprehensive system of marketing measures to solve environmental problems includes: commercial and economic mechanism; socio-legal mechanism; marketing and management mechanism; regulatory and technical conditions for product development at the R&D level; information support; structural restructuring of the marketing chain, including production, distribution and consumption; environmental assessment (state, scientific, public, commercial).

It is important to use market methods that most contribute to the effective solution of environmental problems. These are payments for natural resources and for environmental pollution, environmental taxation, a credit mechanism in the field of natural resources, a system of extra-budgetary environmental funds and banks, and environmental insurance.

Within the framework of the marketing system for generating demand and stimulating sales, there are opportunities to use methods such as economic incentives for environmental protection, as well as licensing and organizing a system of agreements in the field of environmental management.

Pricing for products of nature-exploiting and environmental industries, especially environmentally friendly products and technology, must be provided for as clearly as environmental entrepreneurship. The environmental certification system is closely related to this economic category. Its implementation will make it possible to raise the question of creating a market for environmental work, goods and services.

The need for active implementation of market mechanisms in organizing environmental management is suggested by the experience of the USA, Japan, and Germany, where the so-called bubble principle is applied: not individual elements, such as chimneys, but the enterprise as a whole are taken as a source of environmental pollution. Within a region, it is possible to establish general permissible standards for discharges and emissions of certain pollutants.

Thus, it is assumed that enterprises are located in a single space. When establishing an environmental quality standard for a specific region, enterprises will themselves determine the amount of discharges and emissions from specific sources.

The first regional marketing approach eliminates uniform technical requirements for pollution sources and allows the company to choose different ways to achieve general discharge or emission standards. It stimulates intra-industrial and inter-farm division of labor, taking into account the need to reduce the level of environmental pollution, thereby creating the opportunity to reduce the total costs of pollution control.

Suppose a firm decides to use effective and inexpensive waste control methods and thereby is able to maintain pollutant discharges and emissions below the established regional standard. Other firms, for which waste management costs more, may continue to pollute the environment, but within the general regional limits. As a result, as marketing calculations show, the total costs of achieving regional standards in the future will be less than if firms achieved them on their own.

The second marketing approach to regulation on a regional scale involves direct transactions between firms. It is convenient for new companies or for existing ones undergoing modernization. Before putting them into operation in industrialized regions, it is necessary that entrepreneurs, as compensation for environmental damage, reduce the level of pollution at one of the existing enterprises in an amount equivalent to the new source of pollution being introduced.

This principle of permitting new construction is appropriate when pollution rights are purchased from firms that have managed to achieve a reduction in discharges or emissions in excess of state standards.

If the company bought these excess pollution reductions from some enterprise, it will receive the right to excess discharge or emission of a particular pollutant. The marketing approach makes it possible to transfer market relations to the sphere of environmental management, which corresponds to the general economic strategy of both the country and the regions.

The third marketing approach assumes that firms that avoid installing their own treatment equipment must pay part of the cost of such equipment available at other enterprises and ensuring the level of environmental pollution in a given region within the framework of general standards.

Calculations show that such transactions, covering mainly enterprises of the same associations and companies, make it possible to use intra-company transfer of rights to environmental pollution, which will significantly expand the maneuverability of large firms in the use of investment funds.

All this will give some firms the opportunity to accumulate “surplus” pollution reductions in order to maintain and even expand some “dirty” production within their framework, without violating regional environmental requirements, since not all enterprises are able to reduce pollution levels to the standards.

Marketing approaches to environmental regulation will ultimately allow enterprises to modernize their own environmental management capabilities. This area will provide advanced technologies that are not possible with the command-and-control method, which is based on checking the compliance of each type of production equipment with state and local regulations.

Marketing methods will also contribute to the development of a new environmental and economic direction of socialization of regional production, will allow for division of labor and cooperation within individual enterprises, firms and between them to achieve an acceptable level of environmental pollution in a particular region, as well as division of labor and cooperation in the production of main products and in regarding discharges and emissions.

Foreign experience shows that the effectiveness of marketing approaches to pollution regulation is higher, the greater the ecological and economic socialization of production in the region they lead to. In particular, it turned out that the 65% reduction in air pollution when applying the bubble principle was achieved in half the cost than in the case of traditional control measures for each individual source of pollution. With a marketing approach, i.e. trading pollution tolerances between enterprises, profitability can increase several times. Marketing approaches to regulation inevitably involve differential impacts on businesses.

The development of the domestic market will lead to the fact that the activities of many enterprises will be influenced by environmental and natural resource factors of the regions. We are talking not only about the system of taxes, payments for natural resources, for emissions and discharges of pollutants and waste disposal, about various environmental benefits and sanctions, but also about state and public environmental assessments, which are subject to pre-planning documentation, justification, and feasibility calculations. , proposals for standards, projects, production facilities themselves, their anthropogenic impact on the environment, technologies, equipment, products, waste.

The development and implementation of waste-free and low-waste processes, improvement of existing and creation of new treatment facilities, repurposing and significant changes in infrastructure and part of the existing economic relations of enterprises - all this, naturally, will radically affect such an indicator as cost. It, in turn, affects the entire complex of economic facilities, as well as the economic and social situation in the region.

The results of such impacts should be taken into account both by government agencies and local governments, and by entrepreneurs when locating and developing productive forces in certain regions of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Environmental certification is aimed at stimulating manufacturers to introduce modern technological processes and produce products that will minimally pollute the environment. The principles of international environmental certification were enshrined in the International Standard ISO 14020. The goal of the manufacturer is to award its products an environmental label.

An environmental label is assigned to products that have certain environmental advantages over analogues within a group of similar products. Such labeling is voluntary and may be national, regional or international in scope.

The main purpose of environmental labeling is to distinguish among groups of homogeneous products those products that at all stages of the life cycle have less impact on the environment. At the same time, the product life cycle refers to the entire chain of formation of the finished product, starting with the extraction of raw materials and ending with its sale to the consumer and disposal.

Eco-labeling acts as one of the types of declaration of the product manufacturer. It can take the form of a sign, a graphic image on a product or container, or it can be presented in the form of a text document, a technical bulletin, or an advertisement.

According to the ISO 14020 standard, environmental labels are divided into three types.

1. Type 1 environmental labeling is the assignment of the corresponding mark based on the results of product certification by a third party accredited in the national certification system. This type of marking applies mainly to non-manufactured goods, but there are exceptions, for example, a food product is marked along with its packaging or containers for food products and food raw materials.

In this case, labeling is carried out on the basis of comparing the product (or production process) under study with a similar one, previously accepted as a sample, and subsequent determination of the danger that they can create for the environment.

Type I ecolabels contain labels that are essentially nationally tested and widely accepted internationally, for example (Figure 1). EU certification principles are based on preventive measures, since it is always easier to prevent pollution than to eliminate its consequences. As a result, product safety criteria that determine the effectiveness of certification must exceed in content the assessment parameters that are contained in the standards.

2. Type II labeling is based on a self-declaration of product compliance with certain environmental standards. It relates to product labels and the use of their content in marketing. In this case, texts such as “recyclable” and “ozone-non-depleting” may be used. Some of them may be environmentally significant, others are purely informational, and sometimes may be illusory and even misleading to consumers.

Rice. 1. Eco-labeling signs of type I. 1 - “Blue Angel”; 2 - “White Swan”; 3 - “Flower of Europe”

Rice. 2. Eco-signs indicating the ability to recycle: 1, 2 - Mobius loop; 3 - recycling sign indicating the characteristics of the materials

Rice. 3. Sign “Reusable and reusable packaging”

This situation was created due to difficulties in substantiating texts, since different countries always have differences among themselves in a variety of areas, for example: in technological approaches; in the legislative and regulatory technical framework when determining the environmental suitability of products.

Taking into account the experience of using type II eco-labels in all countries, the European standards organizations and the International Organization for Standardization have defined the boundaries of the use of such marks as manufacturer declarations. They identified three aspects presented in the following standards: ISO 14021 - use of the terms “recyclable” on labels and/or accompanying documents; ISO 14022 - “Möbius loop” - a symbol of recycling, it indicates the possibility of reusing a given product; the standard provides for the possibility of displaying it on labels and advertising; ISO 14023 addresses the variety of test and verification procedures required to confirm the validity of applications.

However, there is a widespread belief on the European continent that this eco-label is used for informational purposes. Thus, within the framework of the EU Council Directives on packaging and the use of packaging waste, among a large number of issues, requirements for the labeling of packaging materials are set out, in particular regarding its identification.

In accordance with these requirements, it is proposed to use the following signs for labeling packages (Fig. 2, 3): possibility of reuse and/or reusable; recyclability; the potential to pose a significant environmental threat.

If it is necessary to identify the material from which the packaging is made, digital or lettered designations corresponding to a particular material are applied to it, which are placed in the center of the recycling loop or below it, for example: 1-19 - plastics; 20-39 - paper and cardboard; 40-49 - metals; 50-59 - wood; 60-69 - textiles; 70-79 - glass.

The Type III ecolabel is designed to avoid the difficulties encountered with Type I certification, which is carried out by a third party based on a number of product-specific indicators. This type of marking does not use special signs, but the label may indicate the organization that carried out the certification.

In practice, there are other types of environmental labeling, for example, calls to take care of the environment as a whole and its individual objects.

Thus, marketing approaches to environmental management are aimed at ensuring the rational use of the assimilation potential of the environment, taking into account the current environmental legislation in the country.

Bibliographic link

Smirnova Elena Valerievna k.e. PhD, Deputy General Director of NP Transparent World, specialist in the field of marketing communications and greening of business

The challenge is not to make standard products green, but to make green products standard.
John Grant

What is “Environmental Marketing”: the company’s environmental policy? environmental responsibility of business? openness of the company and transparency of the production process? environmental advertising? In Russian literature devoted to interdisciplinary problems of ecology and economics, there is no generally accepted definition of environmental marketing. Some authors mean such areas of the company’s activities as environmental policy, environmental responsibility of business, openness of the company and transparency of the production process, environmental labeling. Other experts classify environmental marketing as an environmental management tool. A number of authors include in environmental marketing the formation of financial structures to support environmental actions, environmental audits, environmental insurance of companies’ actions, changes in reporting forms for manufacturers’ activities, new forms of advertising, and the formation of new trading principles (for example, the sale of environmentally friendly products).

We would like to propose the following definition. Environmental marketing is the process of meeting consumer needs by promoting goods and services that cause minimal harm to the environment at all stages of the life cycle and are created using the minimum possible amount of natural (including energy) resources.

Environmental marketing emerged in the 90s as an extension of social and ethical marketing. According to the concept of social and ethical marketing, the objective of the organization should be to identify the needs, wants and interests of target markets and provide the desired satisfaction in more effective and more productive (than competitors) ways while maintaining or enhancing the well-being of the consumer and society as a whole. This concept arose as a result of the conflict between traditional marketing and environmental degradation, scarcity of natural resources, population growth, inflation and the negative state of the social services sector.

In the early 90s, issues of greening business were raised in connection with government decisions in the field of ecology and environmental management, public concern about the state of the environment, as well as the emergence and growing influence of non-governmental environmental organizations, various consumer associations, and public environmental assessment groups.

The development of environmental marketing has received a “new round” in connection with the growing motivation of citizens for environmentally friendly consumption, by which we mean a set of actions of an individual, a group of people and the population as a whole associated with the consumption of goods and services that cause the least harm to the environment at all stages of life cycle. At what point did this second shift towards green marketing occur? Technorati Charts examined the number of daily searches for "green marketing" on blogs and noted that the number of such searches doubled from 150 per day in 2006 to more than 300 in the second half of 2007. Web searches for "green marketing" also increased throughout 2007, according to Google Trends. Apparently, a significant number of marketers decided at this moment that this was the right time to make their brands more environmentally friendly and, as a result, in demand.

In fact, this is confirmed by the fact that in 2007-2008 there was a growth in environmentally friendly market sectors. For example, the market for consumption of FSC certified paper (Fig. 1). Global consumption of FSC-certified paper is projected to increase 7.3 times in 2012 (compared to 2007).

Rice. 1. Consumption of FSC-certified paper in the world, thousand tons/year

Green marketing or green positioning is no longer “aspirational” but is becoming the norm. This is confirmed by facts from both manufacturers and consumers.

Environmental marketing: efforts of producers or demands of consumers?

If we correctly understand what the consumer wants, our market share and return on assets will take care of themselves.
Paul Allair

The market for environmentally friendly goods and services is worth 230 billion US dollars (of which 76 billion is a sustainable economy, 27 billion is a healthy lifestyle, 30 billion is alternative medicine, 10 billion is personal growth, 81 billion is an environmentally friendly lifestyle), and by 2015 year will increase to 845 billion. This is one of the fastest growing markets. In particular, in the USA, the demand for eco-buildings increases annually by 5-10%, and for ecotourism services - by 5%. The number of green products in the US increased from 100 in 2004 to 1,570 in 2009, and green food consumption is growing at a rate of 5.6% per year. 82% of US consumers purchase eco-friendly products.

What is the attitude towards environmentally friendly products in Russia? Unfortunately, there is very little such data. In this regard, a study conducted in 2008 in St. Petersburg deserves special attention, one of the objectives of which was to identify the peculiarities of city residents’ understanding of the term “environmentally friendly products.” For 48% of St. Petersburg residents, taking care of their health and caring for the environment is the most important factor that guides them when purchasing environmentally friendly products. Interestingly, in the 2006 survey, taking care of your health was identified as the most important factor (Figure 2).

Rice. 2. Analysis of the results of sociological surveys of residents of St. Petersburg conducted in 2005, 2006 and 2008. Question to respondents: “What would be more important for you when purchasing environmentally friendly products?”

73% of respondents are ready to buy environmentally friendly products that are 10% more expensive than untested products, while about 35% of respondents agreed with a price increase of 20%.

According to psychologists, people's inclination towards natural, natural and environmentally friendly goods/services is explained by the desire to better control their lives in a world that is becoming increasingly dynamic, unpredictable, stressful and man-made.

We see that the emergence of the market for environmentally friendly goods and services was influenced by consumer expectations. This is confirmed by a McKinsey study, according to the results of which the main drivers of corporate environmental responsibility are consumers and shareholders. In the first three months of 2008, shareholders of US corporations submitted 110 proposals on global warming, sustainable development and animal welfare - double the number two years earlier. As consumers demonstrate their commitment to green products/services and green companies, every company strives to align its business with their demands and expectations. 60% of Western companies have already integrated environmental projects into their overall development strategy. In Russia, the environmental activities of corporations are in fourth place in terms of relevance (after support for education, healthcare and assistance to those in need).

Deep penetration of environmental marketing into every business is not always possible, but varying degrees of greening a product, service or company are always possible.

Why do companies want to be green?

All that matters is what touches the buyer.
Edgar Woolart

As we showed above, environmental marketing is a response to consumer expectations. The main reasons for greening business are creating a positive image in the eyes of consumers, shareholders and investors, as well as saving material and energy resources. 54% of top managers named the opportunity to build a positive corporate reputation as the main incentive for environmental projects. Environmentally oriented changes to the production process are typically achieved by reducing material and energy consumption per unit of output and are accompanied by cost savings.

The ability to effectively solve environmental problems affects not only the trust of the company's consumers, but also their loyalty. For example, the world's largest retail chain, Wal-Mart, which positions itself as a “green company”, is faced with the fact that customers do not consider its actions environmentally friendly. Consumers are not willing to buy products from Wal-Mart stores that are marketed as environmentally friendly because they believe they are not.

What are companies doing to become more environmentally friendly?

Even if you are on the right road, you will be overtaken if you are just sitting on it.
William Penny Eder Rogers

John Grant, in his famous work “The Green Marketing Manifesto,” built a model for the transition to “true” green business.

1. Eco-friendly (level one): a set of new standards. The implementation of this level occurs through communications.
2. Greener (level two): shared responsibility. Implemented through cooperation.
3. Greenest (third, highest level): support for innovation. Implies changes in culture.

The main idea is to move from purely commercial reasons for the existence of a business to environmental and social goals. This happens gradually: from basic compliance through proactive actions to innovation and transformation.

Ways to develop environmental responsibility in business include, in particular, environmental policy and environmental labeling.

Environmental policy (environmental protection policy) is a statement of an enterprise or organization about its intentions and principles related to the overall environmental performance of its activities, which serves as the basis for both actions and the establishment of target and planned environmental indicators. Some companies issue an annual environmental report, conduct excursions, press conferences for interested individuals and organizations, and also publish booklets that reflect the company's environmental policy and actions for its implementation.

The company receives the following economic benefits from the implementation of environmental policy:

It should be noted that according to the results of a survey conducted by the McKinsey agency in 2007, among the factors that have the greatest impact on the company’s shareholder value in the next five years, 48% of business respondents put environmental problems, including climate change, in first place. In second place is the influence of political forces (25%), in third is the social security of employees (24%).

Environmental labeling is a set of environmental information about a product, process or service, which is part of their labeling and (or) accompanying documentation. Eco-labeling serves as a tool for communicating the environmental characteristics of products and the processes of their development, production and use. An eco-label is a sign of environmental friendliness, not a sign of quality or safety, although these aspects are also taken into account. When developing environmental criteria, in close cooperation with all stakeholders, the entire life cycle of the product is taken into account, i.e. these criteria are comprehensive and not limited only to the characteristics of the product itself. Eco-labels are a means for businesses to promote environmentally friendly products on the market.

However, sometimes the true desire for greening is countered only by the demonstration of environmental activity in words, and not in deeds. This practice - environmentally friendly positioning of a company or product/service without a sufficient basis for this - is called "Greenwashing" (from the English. Green-washing, literally - "green laundering"). Society has a negative attitude towards this process. Thus, the majority of Americans believe that environmental advertising is nothing more than a marketing ploy.

According to experts, greenwashing is still rare in Russia. If in other countries it is, as a rule, used to “whiten” reputations, then in Russia it is used to “denigrate” competitors. Thus, in 2001, the “Ecological Movement of Central Russia” arose in Central Russia, the sole purpose of which was to protest against the construction of an oil refinery in Orel by the Severnaya Neft company. The movement stopped being active after the purchase of Severnaya Neft by Rosneft. Among the well-known examples: greenwashing is used by sellers of country real estate, calling for the purchase of a cottage “in a protected area.” However, construction in specially protected natural areas is impossible

As a result of studying this chapter, the student should:

know

• main results of the latest research on environmental marketing issues;
• models of behavior of economic agents and markets;
• basic concepts, methods and tools for quantitative and qualitative analysis of environmental marketing management processes;
• the main elements of the process of developing strategies when implementing environmental marketing at an enterprise;
• basic information technologies for managing business processes in the implementation of environmental marketing at the enterprise and in target markets;

be able to

• carry out analysis and development of the organization's strategy based on modern methods and advanced scientific achievements;
• identify promising areas of scientific research, substantiate the relevance, theoretical and practical significance of the problem under study, formulate hypotheses, conduct empirical and applied research;
• process empirical and experimental data;
• carry out quantitative forecasting and modeling of business process management;

own

• methodology and methodology for conducting scientific research in environmental marketing;
• skills of independent scientific and research work in relation to marketing in the environmental field;
• skills of quantitative and qualitative analysis for making management decisions in the environmental aspect related to the promotion of goods and services;
• methods for constructing organizational and management models of organizations, models for positioning environmental products and segmenting markets;
• information technologies for forecasting and managing business processes, building the necessary distribution channels, and communication policy.

The concept and history of the development of environmental marketing

The development of environmental marketing is determined by the concept of “ecology,” which is interpreted as the science of the connections between living organisms and the environment. Environmental problems are regularly covered in a variety of media; their relevance has increased sharply in recent years and does not raise any doubts among not only scientists and politicians, but also businessmen and the population. On the Internet, thousands of non-commercial sites, blogs, and forums are devoted to environmental problems, which clearly shows that the world community has raised this problem to a qualitatively new level.

Environmental marketing is an integral part of all world politics, which determines the solution of problems associated with pollution of the atmosphere, nature and the surrounding area in general. It must be remembered that ensuring environmental security is the main geopolitical factor and driving force for the well-being of society, which is inextricably linked with a reduction in human life expectancy, as well as problems in the field of nature and ecology arising in connection with international military operations.

There is no unified definition of environmental marketing. This concept is considered from various positions.

Environmental marketing is based on environmental policy, environmental responsibility of organizations and enterprises, and transparency of production and technological processes, including environmental labeling. It is proposed to include in environmental marketing the formation of financial structures to support environmental actions, environmental audits, environmental insurance of companies' actions, changes in manufacturers' reporting forms, new forms of advertising, and the formation of new trading principles (for example, the sale of environmentally friendly products).

The Encyclopedia of Marketing defines it as follows: “Green marketing is marketing that aims to change consumer attitudes, provide a new direction for competition, and achieve market acceptance of innovative solutions to environmental problems.”

Environmental marketing is a set of means and methods of a company to satisfy the various interests of consumers through more intensive promotion of relevant goods and services with minimal harm to the environment at all stages of development.

Life cycle represents interconnected and sequential periods of the production cycle from the receipt of the necessary natural resources and raw materials to their subsequent final use and their placement in the environment. In this case, not only the stages or stages of production of the final product, but also the extraction of natural resources, auxiliary production, transportation, and compliance with environmental standards for waste disposal should be seriously considered.

Social-ethical marketing, which identified the needs and interests of target markets, the objectives and requirements of any company to provide a more efficient and more economical way of production than competitors, while enhancing the well-being of the consumer and society, ultimately gave rise to the emergence of environmental marketing. A number of other reasons for traditional marketing led to this, primarily related to the lack of natural resources, environmental degradation, population growth, and deterioration in the sphere of social services. Among the positive factors of that time, one can note the influence of non-governmental environmental organizations, public concern about the state and even deterioration of the environment, the emergence of various associations, organizations, and public environmental assessment groups.

There are several stages in the development of environmental marketing.

Stage I (1960-1970s) involves international cooperation (including mega-levels) in the development of national legislative acts and in the financing of environmental activities. International cooperation in the field of ecology began in 1972. This stage was based on the report “The Limits to Growth”, prepared by an international team of authors led by D. Meadows, and the materials of the First International Conference of the PLO on Environmental Problems.

Ethan II (1980-1990s) is associated with aspects of global environmental security. The basis was the International Commission on Environment and Development, created in 1983, and the scientific report “Our Common Future” (1987), which laid the foundation for the concept of sustainable development. This stage can be called the stage of sustainable development, which allows us to control the needs of generations and preserve the nature of the future nation. The UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, at which the “Declaration on Environment and Development” and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change were agreed upon and adopted, was of decisive importance for the formation of this situation. Convention on Biological Diversity, Principles of Forestry.

Stage III (1997 - present) is associated with the development and unification of states in the area of ​​specific obligations in the areas of water supply, energy, agriculture, and conservation of the biological system. A huge role in this process can be given to the Kyoto Protocol, signed in 1997 and ratified by 192 countries.

Environmental marketing has begun to have a legislative basis in many countries. The environmental component of social development has become a new factor influencing business in general and marketing. Consumers tend to buy natural, environmentally friendly products in an effort to control their lifestyle. The drivers of corporate environmental responsibility are primarily consumers and shareholders of the company. Consumers purchase environmental products and services from companies that strive to conduct their business in accordance with their requirements and expectations.

Among the concepts of enterprise development, the concept of social and ethical marketing. This concept is driven by the concept of sustainable development. The concept is based on respecting the interests of producers - in terms of making profits, consumers - in terms of meeting the needs and society - in terms of sustainable environmental, socio-economic development.

Green Marketing Concept is an integral part of the concept of social and ethical marketing. It is focused on meeting the needs and requests of consumers for environmental products, as well as stimulating the demand for organic products and raw materials,

including environmental safety of production. The categories of environmental marketing include environmental needs and environmental products.

Environmental needs aimed at meeting consumer demands in the field of environmental safety.

Ecological products - products that meet three criteria: efficiency, environmental friendliness and safety.

Ecological products are divided into environmentally neutral and environmentally oriented products. Environmentally neutral are goods, the production and consumption of which do not destroy the environment, but environmentally oriented - the production and consumption of which have a positive impact on the environment.

The production of environmental goods includes such areas as the manufacture, installation and operation of environmental protection (purification) structures, the development and implementation of environmentally friendly technologies, processing, transportation and disposal of waste, the elimination of toxic waste, trade in environmental technologies, products and waste, energy saving, conservation land resources, production of organic food, environmental audit and environmental examination, water, air control, environmental lending and insurance, environmental propaganda and education, ecotourism, environmental medicine and professional safety, information technology, life protection systems, maintaining the balance of ecosystems.

The concept of “ecological products” on the Russian market for domestic producers is associated with an innovative product. In most cases this is a misconception. They can be considered innovative if their development is based on the achievements of science and technology or they are the result of fundamental research and discoveries that previously simply had no analogues for the following reasons:

• a) the needs and demands of consumers, to satisfy which new products are intended, were previously satisfied in a completely different way (the first type of fundamentally new innovations);
• b) the needs that new products are intended to satisfy simply did not exist before (the second type of fundamentally new innovations).

first type speakers:

• industrial products that have a negative impact on nature and the environment;
• consumer goods that are an assistant for the consumer.

Products of environmental innovations second type can serve:

• industrial goods - technology, metal products with memory effect;
• consumer goods - packaging made from bioorganic raw materials, decomposing without harming the environment.

The following methods are used to search for ideas in the field of environmental innovation:

• forecasting consumer demands and their future needs;
• modeling of consumer behavior (situational and simulation);
• analysis of the dynamics of development of all trends in society (scientific and technological progress, politics, economics, culture, ecology).

In a modern market economy, the motivation of consumers to purchase new environmental products is more significant when manufacturers focus their activities on meeting the needs of consumers and when consumers have greater freedom of choice.

In promoting products, advertising, sales promotion, propaganda (publicity), public relations, personal selling play an important role. something that can be classified as a marketing incentive package.

• informing consumers about the existence of environmental products on the market;
• justification of the high level of prices of environmental goods by comparing and contrasting conventional goods and environmental ones. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the economic feasibility of consuming environmental goods and the side effects associated with the production of goods and waste disposal, maintaining the health of consumers and improving the quality of life.

Sales promotion includes a set of activities aimed at the consumer or seller (intermediary), which are applicable to stimulate demand for environmental products.

Propaganda (publicity) provides, for example, the involvement of celebrities in order to increase consumer confidence.

Public relations is the ecological development of society. Implementation should be carried out through environmental programs and forums of international importance.

Considering the turnover of the global market for eco-products, there is a noticeable increase of 20%, or 4 billion euros, annually, according to RBC. The global market for eco-products is least susceptible to crisis, therefore, over the period from 2000-2010. The market has increased significantly - from 18 to 60 billion dollars. The leading markets are the USA, Great Britain, Germany and France.

Based on the analysis of this market, according to the company NBC Universal , in 2010, all consumers of eco-products in the United States were divided into groups:

• 1. Dark green , or alpha-ecos. They are concerned about environmental issues (nature conservation, global warming issues). They occupy a significant share in the consumption of eco-products. The number of such consumers is 43 million people.
• 2. Ecocentrics, or ecocentrics. Their interests are connected only with individual consumption of eco-products; they pay for products that

exclusively benefit their health. They are not interested in environmental problems. Number - 34 million people.

• 3. Eco-fashionist , or ecochics. This group includes the young population, not preoccupied with anything, who considers it fashionable to be in the “green” trend. They occupy the largest segment - about 60 million people.
• 4. Eco-economists , or economically ecos. This segment of 53 million people is concerned with saving money in the future by purchasing environmentally friendly products in the present.
• 5. Eco moms, or ecomoms. This group is interested in environmentally friendly products for children and is concerned about the state of nature and the health of future descendants.

In Russia, interest in useful environmental products is increasing every year. Correct positioning of eco-products is the key to the company’s promotion in the Russian market.

According to research conducted by the Romir Research Holding in November 2012, Russians are willing to pay for environmentally friendly products. Most buyers, when purchasing food products, first of all pay attention to the composition (ingredients) and price.

In Russia, all potential consumers of eco-products were divided into the following groups.

The most widespread are people who travel a lot, are quite mobile, set priorities in life and are well aware of the benefits of organic products.

The forced group is people suffering from an allergic reaction to chemical additives.

The fashion group is an analogue of eco-fashionists (ecochics) - people who believe that it is fashionable to be consumers of organic products and classify themselves as part of the “luxury” segment.

Conducted company research International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements showed that the Russian organic food market accounts for 0.1% of the total food market. In 2010, sales in the eco-products market amounted to $80 million, due to imports from Germany.

Green marketing is marketing aimed at dealing with environmentally friendly products and services, as well as a company's overall concern for the environment. Every day it becomes more and more popular due to the growth of environmental problems that people have to face and, as a result, decide in favor of caring for nature.

Environmental marketing can include many components, such as: creating products according to environmental standards using safe packaging; working on marketing techniques in accordance with the behavior of this consumer group, studying environmental marketing trends and much more.

This type of marketing requires large expenses, but can also bring corresponding profits. This is due to the active growth of the market. According to analytics, the possibility of growth in the consumption of environmental goods and services can cover up to 70% of the total mass of consumers.

For example, production located in North America will be much more expensive for a business than in China. However, the constant transportation of goods by air can have a detrimental effect on the ozone layer due to aircraft emissions and thereby greatly harm the environment. Eco-consumers appreciate this choice of production location and prefer products purchased from this company. Thus, the benefits of the environmental direction are fully justified for the business, despite the constant high costs.

LOHAS people

The category of buyers who prefer to buy environmentally friendly and safe products, despite their high price tag, is called LOHAS. This category of people advocates a healthy lifestyle and monitors their impact on the environment. Here's what Wikipedia says about it:

“LOHAS is a huge, fast-growing marketplace of goods and services for people whose sense of environmental and social responsibility influences their purchasing decisions.”

This type of consumer is pro-health and health-conscious and prefers to buy products that are made in an environmentally and ethical manner. Typically, such people are able to influence other consumers through their desires to live in harmony with the environment.

Environmental marketing methods for business

There are many ways to incorporate environmental marketing into your company. Here are some of them:

• Use environmentally friendly paper for printing and related components;
• Completely switch to working online, leaving no need to use paper and other materials;
• Have your own, environmentally acceptable waste disposal facility;
• Package goods only in eco-friendly materials;
• Introduce environmental concerns into the delivery methods of goods;
• Use environmentally friendly types of energy;
• Take measures to reduce the impact of the enterprise on the environment.

"Green Camouflage"

Some marketers are using the growing popularity of eco-related trends to their advantage and incorporating environmental marketing into their work, but the products may have nothing to do with the concept of eco. They present their products as the best choice for the environment, but they are not. An example is very simple: a company packages its products in green bags, which consumers are instinctively accustomed to consider environmentally correct. In addition, the word "Green" may be written. Although the product itself has nothing to do with environmental production, just like the packaging itself. But this acts subconsciously on the purchase decision. The green camouflage method not only directly deceives consumers, but also ruins the company's reputation. This must always be taken into account and not resort to such fraud.

If consumers want to make sure their purchase is environmentally friendly, it's worth paying attention to the certification marks on the back of the product: environmentally conscious companies take great pride in their choices and place all possible certifications on their products.

World-famous brands support environmental movements and animal protection funds. What benefits do companies pursue and do investments in good causes pay off? Let's look at specific examples.

The importance of co-marketing of major corporations with environmental organizations for nature conservation

One of the world leaders in the production of soft drinks, the Coca-Cola company has been implementing various initiatives to protect the environment for many years. The global giant's priorities include caring for fresh water supplies, recycling waste and packaging, as well as energy saving issues. Every year, Coca-Cola organizes various environmental projects, providing targeted grants to support environmental organizations.

Coca-Cola joins the Bear Patrol

In 2008, the Coca-Cola company became a partner in a unique project - the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Bear Patrol. The goal of the program was to preserve the polar bear population on the Arctic coast of the Russian Federation, where about a third of all polar bears from around the world live.

As part of a joint project with WWF, Coca-Cola funded the work of bear patrols. Proceeds from the famous brand were used to pay employees, purchase snowmobiles, provide communications equipment and other needs. An environmental marketing program has saved the lives of dozens of polar bears. But, in addition, a campaign was carried out calling for more responsible behavior by the people themselves.

The campaign was memorable for many, since the polar bear has long been a symbol of Coca-Cola. This and many other company projects find responses among millions of brand followers (see), so we can say with confidence that joint projects with environmentalists and environmental marketing are an excellent chance for the company to improve its image and strengthen its reputation.

Promotion against the background of a symbol is a good idea, which was also used in the digital campaign of the Singaporean beer brand Tiger and WWF. Project 3890Tigers is an attempt to draw public attention to the problem of the disappearance of tigers. That's exactly how many - 3890 representatives of this wonderful species there are in the wild.

World-famous artists of various styles and trends were invited to participate in the project. They created unique filters, using which an ordinary user selfie turns into a real work of art. According to the organizers, in a joint project they sought to combine modern technology, art and the problem of extermination of tigers. And they succeeded perfectly!

The beer company’s collaboration with a leading organization in the field of environmental protection has opened up new opportunities for brand positioning. Fans of a particular brand of beer had the opportunity to join a high mission and become participants in the environmental movement. In addition, to express their position, they were not required to pay any fees or donations according to the company's environmental marketing concept.

Corporations are tackling the problem of plastic packaging pollution on the planet

The problem of containers and packaging is becoming increasingly important for large manufacturers. Recycling and recycling are key areas of many companies' eco-strategies, but not everyone can do it alone. In this regard, combining efforts will optimize costs and create more efficient production.

This co-branding strategy formed the basis for cooperation between the Danone group of companies and a division of the Swiss company Nestlé - Nestlé Waters. The company set out to reduce the production of plastic containers, which is one of the most powerful and widespread pollutants. Production is planned to be organized on the basis of a startup Origin Materials— a company developing technology that will make it possible to abandon unsafe plastic and thus implement an environmental marketing strategy.

Projects in the field of ecology and environmental marketing have a positive impact on the image of any company. By attracting the attention of consumers who are not indifferent to environmental issues and the disappearance of rare species, you can attract a specific audience. Co-marketing with an environmental organization is one of the most noble and at the same time effective ways to increase customer loyalty, create a profitable reputation and stimulate sales growth.

But no matter what benefits and goals the company pursues, the main thing is that those who need help receive the attention and support of the strong and successful.

Expert opinion -

Are corporations saving nature or destroying it?

Alena August, coordinator of the public environmental project “Children of the Kremlin Christmas tree”

In the course of analyzing data to form an environmental rating of regions, the public organization “Green Patrol” often has to deal with a clearly negative attitude towards corporations that in one way or another influence the environmental balance. But negative assessments do not always correspond to the true state of affairs. The bottom line is that a huge number of industries located in Russia are trying to move to a new level of environmental safety on their own, but... we would be glad to go to heaven, but technical re-equipment costs a lot of money and takes time.

The story is that it is essentially easier to demolish the plant and build anew. But who would decide to do this? Nevertheless, work on re-equipment is underway, and in some places manufacturers need purely reputational support - we need to work with public opinion, because sometimes negative myths about environmental harm are not based on anything, but are nevertheless very tenacious. The “Green Certificate” project aims to work in this direction, when production undergoes an independent expert assessment in the environmental area, and based on its results they receive (or not) a “green certificate”. Moreover, it can also be awarded in the position “Re-equipment under the control of environmentalists,” which motivates both entrepreneurs and the public to make positive changes.

It is also important not only to pay attention to corporations, but to radically change the position of society from consumer-user to civic-responsible. And we are working on educating a young, responsible generation in the project “Children of the Kreslev Christmas Tree” - where children independently raise the children of the real Kremlin Christmas tree, with which they celebrated the New Year 2017 on the Kremlin’s Cathedral Square - from seed to tree. In this way, they gain a living experience of understanding that nature works every day on the world we live in, and they also develop an attitude towards ecology as a new fashion in the relationship between man and nature. Children exchange photographs of their wards Christmas trees, germination experiences and tips in groups on social networks.

The article was prepared by specialists from the Russian Co-Marketing Association.