ABSTRACT
Marketing analysts have long been aware of the ostensible contradiction between environmentalism and mass consumption. This reflects the basic conflict between the anti-materialist values that have traditionally animated the green movement and the material definition of success prevailing in many consumerist societies. Since one of the main goals of any marketing effort is to implant in consumers’ minds the idea that a business shares their values, companies necessarily struggle when marketing green business to consumers who are oblivious to environmentalism. Some consumer segments appear naturally more inclined to proactively demand green solutions. Green products’ generally higher point-of-sale price partially reflects the fact that many companies take advantage of the items’ novelty value to impose premium pricing. Back in the early 1990s, as more and more companies began promoting their green credentials, expressions like “bio-degradable” and even “recyclable” or “refillable” were relatively new and would often be overused and/or misused by companies.
