Expression of green marketing developing the conception of corporate social responsibility

Abstract

Significant changes of business environment that impact not only the activity of companies but the shift of the basic values and attitudes of the society have been observed recently. The changes within the activity of companies are expressed through the increase of competition within the dynamic market and the change of needs and expectations held by consumers and other stakeholders. It has been noticed that consumers more and more often prefer eco-friendly, safe and "clean" products that do not pollute the environment. The changing attitudes of consumers regarding environmental protection, ecology, social responsibility and the change of consumption habits force enterprises to look for new alternatives of activities, where the main principles of corporate social responsibility would be integrated. Recent theoretical as well as practical scientific studies confirm the importance of the development of the corporate social responsibility conception and of its integration into different areas of company activity. In terms of marketing, such changes determine the need to know the new, so called green, consumer and to adapt marketing decisions to the focus on ascertaining the expectations and satisfying the needs of such a consumer. The article assents to the attitude that it is possible to implement corporate social responsibility in the aspect of satisfaction of consumer needs by applying different marketing theories and conceptions. As an increasing amount of attention is given to the questions of green marketing in scientific literature, this area of marketing theory is chosen as the main research object of the article. Based on this it is stated that seeking to fully satisfy the needs of one of the main stakeholders of an enterprise - consumers, it is purposeful to analyse green marketing priorities, which would resound the essential ideas of corporate social responsibility. The main green marketing priorities of an enterprise, analysed in the article, encompass the recognition of expectations and satisfaction of the needs of green consumers, envisagement of the reaction to green marketing decisions, identification of trust in eco-friendly products and prediction of effectiveness of promotion means. The interpretation of quantitative research results, presented in the article, reveals the expression of marketing priorities based on the example of Lithuanian female consumers of eco-friendly food products. It should be noted that although female consumers of eco-friendly food products are resolved to pay more for an eco-friendly product, they are sensitive to price, believe in the high quality of an eco-friendly product and give priority to the needs of environmental protection. It becomes clear that the reliability of an eco-friendly product is associated with the familiarity of a product brand, with safety and environmental consideration; the safety of an eco-friendly product and positive word-of-mouth recommendations are especially significant for the reliability. Summarizing the priorities of the application of promotion means, it was determined that public relations should be treated as the most effective means of promotion. The performed theoretical and empirical research testifies the necessity of green marketing studies and the need for the identification of its priorities and their inclusion in the development of the corporate social responsibility conception.