To Hay Discuss the Domestic Studies on Green Marketing

To Hay Discuss the Domestic Studies on Green MarketingHe Peixu1，Su Jianfeng21.College of Business Administration，Hunan University，Changsha (410082)2.College of Foreign Languages，Central South University，Changsha (410083)E-mail：lingjianxiaohe@，hanpingyong@AbstractAiming at giving a simple appraisal, this paper summarized the current situation of domestic studies on green marketing. At the same time, it figures out the weak points of domestic studies and put forward some fields to study on in the future.Keywords：green marketing，green products，green consumption，current situation and issues，policy studyCIP: F2741. IntroductionIn a 1990 survey, 75% of Americans, 67% of the Dutch and 80% of Germans in buying merchandise to consider environmental issues, 40% of Europeans are buying green food. Currently, the green is sweeping the globe. In many countries, consumers are willing to green consumption. With pollution has been increasing, people's environmental awareness is growing. And in the world, a trend of pursuiting green products and green consumption was set off. Under this circumstance, a majority of experts, scholars, managers of enterprises and government departments have launched a green marketing research. Wan Hou-fen’s "green marketing" (Beijing : Higher Education Press, 2001) is one of the representatives in this area. So far, in the domestic research of green marketing, a lot of achievements has been made. But studies have yet to be further deepened, standard has to be further improved. Based on the above, this paper will summarize the results of the domestic research from the connotations of green marketing, the causes and significance of green marketing, the problems and challenges of green marketing enterprises facing with, green marketing strategy and several other aspects. And it will also give the evaluation of the results of research, point out the existing shortcomings. Finally, this article will show some methods to improve the studies.2. Green marketing connotationsChun-xiang Hu pointed out, the "green marketing" refers to marketing activities that meet with customer needs, the interests of the community and natural sustainable. Its feature is to meet the immediate needs of the customers and focus on meeting customer’s futural needs at the same time[1]. Fen-fei Tian belives, green marketing is a kind of marketing process, which requires enterprises to balance their own interests, the interests of consumers and environmental interests, rationally use resources and minimize or even avoid the environmental and ecological pollution and destruction in the production and operation, and provide consumers with clean, safe and pollution-free, reasonable prices consistent with the needs of the consumers of goods and services. Zhou Xiaonong figured out, green marketing is the innovation and development of traditional marketing.It more fully, long-term and more openly pursuits the interests of the community in the pursuiting of the uniform of the interests of consumers, business interests and the interests of society, focus on macro-social contribution, to give due attention to resource conservation and environmental protection, to meet consumers’ demand for green, so as to achieve the enterprise's goals and sustainable development [2]. Chu Ai-hong pointed out that, the so-called green marketing refers to a marketing idea which puts emphsize on the community and enterprises’ discovering and creating market opportunities based on the increasing of consumers’ awareness of environmental protection and the needs of pollution-free type of cleaning products. Satisfying the consumers and adapt to the development needs of the ecological environment througha series of marketing rational means.Green marketing, as a guide sustainable development and sustainable management of the process, its ultimate aim is to achieve corporate profits and consumer satisfaction at the same time, to reach harmony between people and the natural [3].The several scholars on the above focus on two aspects : First, the green marketing responsives to the needs of the consumers. Secondly, it emphasizes that green marketing setd the interests of consumers, business interests and the interests of society in one.Zhang Hongshan implies, the green marketing is a prerequisite for consumer awareness of green awakening and the emergence of green consumption, and its goal is to achieve social and human’s sustainable development; Green marketing’s operational characteristics lie on enterprises’ pursuit of the integration of nature and development to achieve the goal of "Nature and Humanity" through imitating the nature’s coordination mechanism, based on the concerted efforts of market mechanism, government and the community; Green marketing emphasis on the corporation among consumer, community's immediate and long-term interests, breakes the national and regional boundaries and pays attention to the global environment [3]. Wang Mingxing indicated that the "green marketing" focuses on various market-oriented social organizations (including the government, consumers, enterprises, intermediary organizations), researching various green marketing organizations’ activities and principles[4].They stressed on understanding green marketing from the aspect of the participation of the green marketing, and thought that green marketing is no more than the collective name for green activities through which some individuals and organizations pursuiting for the common benefits.Li Qingman said the so-called green marketing is the business for enterprises to realize their own and the society’s sustainable development, based on the green standards system, through the production of green products, comprehensive use of green marketing mix strategy, the implementation of green products from design to the clean production up to guide the operation of green consumption and sales activities to meet customer demand for green consumption, discharging their social responsibility and environmental obligations. Zhu Li-long held that green marketing should include at least the following four aspects : First, the green marketing is to satisfy our customers’ various demands for the green, to provide green products or green service customers satisfied; Secondly, launching green marketing needs to develop green marketing mix strategy, research and develope green products or green services, put the price of green, start green marketing activities, build a sound green distribution channel; Third, the green marketing pursuits for the harmony and unity of individuals, groups and social’s interests; Fourth, the purpose of green marketing is to protect, cherish and care for natural resources, and to safeguard the long-term interests of human society and its long-term development [5]. Chen Lei said that green marketing refers to discovering, creating, choosing market opportunities and achieving sustainable development through a series of rational marketing means to satisfy the requirements of the development of consumers and ecological, on the basis of the social and enterprises in fully aware of the increasing environmental awareness of consumers and the resulting production of the needs of pollution-free goods. Its core thought is to select and determine marketing mix strategy based on environmental protection and ecological principles. It is a kind of operation modes that response to the ecological concerns of human, besing on green technology, green market, and the green economy. Its ultimate goals are to access business opportunities in the process of resolving environmental crisis, and to reach the harmony and coexistence between human and the nature as well as to achiev enterprise profits and consumer satisfaction[3].The three scholars on the above have given a good summary on the interpretations of green marketing. It can be seen as a comprehensive and objective expression of the connotation of green marketing, which highlights the following points : consumers’ green demands, the enterprises’ green marketing mix strategy, the harmony and unity of three interests (individuals’ interests, groups’ interests, social interests), human community's long-term development.Some scholars believe that the so-called green marketing refers to a kind of marketing strategy to sought to meet consumers’ demands for green consumption, which means enterprises to take the concept of environmental protection as a part of its business, to take green culture as their concepts of values, and to take consumers’ demands for green consumption as the center and the starting point. Some other scholars proposed that green marketing refers to a new kind of marketing concepts and marketing strategies by creating and exploring market opportunities, and taking appropriate marketing means to make profits and seek to develop. The basis of this viewpoint is enterprises taking the conceptof environmental protection as a part of their management philosophy, taking green culture as their values concepts, taking eliminating and reducing the damage of the ecological environment of the earthas the key business, taking meeting consumers’ green consumption as a starting point.These scholars have contributed to the introduction of the concept of green culture to green marketing on the basis of other scholars, and as a result the connotations of green marketing become more colorful.Through the above analysis, one can easily discover that Chinese scholars put emphasize on different fields on understanding the meanings of green marketing, and there are not lack of academicswho give us a more comprehensive summary of green marketing. Although the results of these studiesare not yet perfect and mature, they can will largelly contribute to the upgrade of the entire society's understanding of green marketing, and help enterprises establish a correct concept of green marketing.3. The problems and challenges of green marketing enterprises facing withIn China, green marketing still has a long way to go, there are still many issues that must be resolved. Chinese enterprises started green marketing too late, the overall level of green marketing isstill too low, lacking of content. Compared with the developed countries there is still a big gap, popularizing and promoting green marketing still exist many problems. These problems include demands for green products are not enough, the national's overall quality is not that good, environmental awareness is not strong, economic infrastructure inadequate, and environmental technology backward, environmental protection laws need to be improved. A vast number of enterprises are plaguing by such a series of problems.Table 1 Problems Enterprises Face With on Green MarketingScholars Main StandpointsYan Hong, Wang Feng, Enterprises do not combinate the interests of consumers, businessesPeng Chao-lin, Yang Nan and environment; Lacking of considerations on long-term interestsYang Yongbin, Hu Yong, Enterprises don’t own real concepts of green marketingMa Li, Hou Juanjuan, Peng Pan The government is ineffective, and the law is not perfect Peng Pan, etc. Green technology innovation capacity is limited;Green marketing is lack of effective technical supports Yang Nan, Yang Yongbin People have not yet put enough emphsize on green marketing,and as a result there are not enough demands ofgreen consumption throughout the socialThe ways of management are not that advanced,and marketing mix strategies are not suitable（Source of the above materials: generated by the author）From the table, it can be found, researchers mainly demonstrat the problems and challenges of green marketing from three perspectives--enterprises, the government and the community, covering ideology, production techniques and management practices, etc., which can be said to have bettersummed up the plight of green marketing. If there is an addition of cultural explanation, economic explanation and other explanations, it would undoubtedly be even more perfect.4. The analysis of tactics on green marketingFor the enterprises in home, there are many constraints to achieve sustainable development strategic goals by using green marketing [6]. Good green marketing strategy is indispensable condition for enterprises to be successful in green marketing activities. It can effectively guide enterprises to overcome the problems and challenges in green marketing activities. If a modern enterprise wants to stand in the fierce market competition, to develop and grow, taking a series of effective green marketing strategy in the course of business is required.Xu Jing-wei proposed that the green marketing mix can be "1P +8 R" strategy. 1P refers to products – Green products, including products that directly improve the ecological environment, products that can reduce actual or potential harm to human society and the environment, are important symbol of enterprises’ green marketing. 8R refers to, during the green marketing process, enterprises should also focus on the following eight strategies when they concern green products : reduce, reuse, recycling, referral , relevancy, reaction, relation and reward [6].Chun-xiang Hu pointed out that should construct the green marketing mix strategy with 4P (roduction, price, place, promotion) and 4C (customer, cost, convenience, communication), namely : strategy that meets consumers’ demand for green product, green pricing strategies accepted by customers, green channel strategy facilitate consumers to buy and green marketing strategy which enables enterprises to achieve effective communication with customers. The construction of green marketing mix strategy, must serve the enterprise's strategic objective, must adjust to the products’ characteristics and the actual situation of social needs. It should highlight green features, build green brand image, and adjust the combination of changes in market rates timely, ensuring the continued competitiveness of enterprises and achieving the strategic objectives of sustainable development[1].Li Mo-yu believes that, in the 21st century, the green marketing’ fundamental strategy is: Base in China, face to the world, broaden our thinking, build a platform, establish enterprises’ green marketing strategy that match environmental protection and marketing goals, with the overall development strategy coordinated, with "green marketing" development trends and to adapt to the sustainable development in 21st century. It will promote the company's rapid and sustainable development.With the match, we can take corresponding countermeasures from the macro and micro levels to protect enterprises in China in the 21st Century and achieve green marketing strategies.At macro level, we should foster sustainable development as the goal, emphasize the green marketing concept of pay attention to economic and ecological development at the same time, establish a green marketing strategic planning mechanism, create a green marketing management system. While, at micro level, we should strengthen the extensive collection of information about green marketing, innovatively use green marketing mix strategy (carefully create green products, accurately formulate prices, strictly select green channels, vigorously do green marketing). Meanwhile, we must actively cultivate green culture [7].Liu Guangshen, Li Ruying point out that, changing the concepts of operations and nurturing enterprise’ green cultures are the two key measures of green marketing. While, HU Yong, Xu Jianzhong, He Xuanhe, Yao Xuechao, Sun Caixia, etc. stressed that the government should play an important role [3]. Pang Chao-lin proposed the "six-steps" for Chinese enterprises on green marketing strategy: green products -- green packaging (engine of green marketing) -- green communication (improving visibility) -- green prices (foster an image of high quality green products) – choose channels on selling green products -- ISO14000 certification and the environmental mark ("green card" to the international market).As the several strategies on the above, enterprises can use them individually, and can also use them in combination, but no matter which method they choose, enterprises should seriously study the environment surrounding marketing, in light of its own characteristics and strengths before they make a decision on the green marketing strategy. In short, the green marketing is a new marketing model, which will have a good performance in the 21st century. As one of the rare good marketing modes in the new century, it is the natural choice of modern enterprises[8].At present, domestic experts, scholars and businessmen have done a great deal of fruitful research on green marketing. There are not only some very interesting ideas and methods, but also the construction of green marketing mix strategy which plays a certain effect. However, it should also be noted, in the country, rarely people has been able to put forward a combination of green marketing strategy that owns a strong theoretical support and withstand the test of practice system. Therefore, the current study will remain in a lower level, to make far-reaching influence, or even a world-class system of the theory, needs further efforts.5. Future studies directions5.1 The scope of industries can be further promotedAfter the promotion of green marketing concept, it has been accepted by people with a strong interest. A large number of scholars have studied the use of green marketing in a specific industry, and made a lot of achievements, came up with a series of new concepts, such as "Green Hotel", "Green Ecological Residential District", "Green Building Materials", "Green Home Appliances," "Green Food" and "Green Home" and so on. Green marketing in these sectors have been initially used. However, the green marketing is a wide range of applications, the benefits are obvious, its value is even more staggering. So in future studies, we should expand the green marketing to a wider field of industries and formate unique green marketing systems in different industries and areas.5.2 The factors which have impact on green marketing should be integratedSome scholars have pointed out that green marketing is the development of a systems engineering, which needs the joint efforts of the government, enterprises and the society. It indicates that green marketing is affected by many factors. However, at present, these factors have not been very good attributed, and a system which reflect the mechanism of interaction between these factors should be studied and established by us.5.3 Strengthen the comparation between domestic and foreign studyies, absorb and learn from the advancesAccording to the survey of the author, there is no scholars who do systematic comparative studies on domestic and foreign green marketing research. Chinese scholars are often simply quoting foreign scholars’ views and research results. Or just make brief comments on the domestic and foreign research results from one aspect, which is lacking of a systematic comparative study. Therefore, I believe the future studies should do more work in this area, identify the gaps, absorb the advances of foreign reseach.5.4 By quantitative analysis and empirical researchHuang Xi (Management School of Tianjin University) published an article entitled "The External Analysis and Countermeasures of Green Marketing" in the "Journal of Harbin University of Commercial (Social Science Edition)". This paper uses economic theory to do a quantitative analysis on the external effects of green marketing and has got fairly good results. Taking a panoramic view of the current domestic green marketing research, we can easily find that, almost all the researches arequalitative researches, lacking of convincing quantitative research. Therefore, in subsequent studies, we should pay more attention to quantitative analysis, empirical research, for example, using SPSS software for research.6. SummaryThe 21st century is the century of economic globalization and green economy. The production and consumption concepts will undergo substantial changes in the entire society.Sustainable development mode will instead of the old economic growth and consumption patterns.Enterprises can invincible in the long-term development, only by correctly handling the protection of the environment, to meet consumer demand and access to business interests in marketing activities[9].Along with the environmental issues growing, green marketing is bound to become the mainstream in the 21st century. Green Marketing is the launch of the harmony between man and nature development, as well as to achieve sustainable development of China's national economy, improve our products’ competitiveness in the international market in the future. Therefore, we should conscientiously sum up the results and inadequacies of domestic green marketing research, identify the gap, study abroad green marketing, improved the research methods, identify new research directions, in order to promote the domestic research in this area. And finally contribute to the national economic construction and business development.REFERENCES[1] Hu Chunxiang. Green Marketing Strategies Research, Economic Issues, 2006 (1).[2] Tian Fenfei. Green Marketing Evolution of the Logic of the Market With a Push Model, Business Studies, 2006 (1).[3] Li Wenwei. On the Green Marketing Research Summary, Economic Record, 2006 (12).[4] Wang Mingxing. Green Marketing Research Toward Its Development, Journal of Shanxi University of Finance (higher education edition), 2003 (3).[5] Zhu Lilong. Green Marketing Game Concept, Productivity Reseach, 2002 (5).[6] Xu Jingwei. “1P +8 R”--Green Marketing Mix Strategy Research, Modern Hopping Malls, Three Mid-2006, Section 461 total.[7] Li Moyu. “Green Marketing” Strategy Research on Enterprises in China in the 21st Century, Journal of Harbin University of Business (Social Science Edition) , 2004 (6).[8] Feng Weihong. Interpretation of Green Marketing, Chinese Enterprises Reported that on July 9, 2002.[9] Lin Song, Ma Zongguo. On the Marketing of Green and Countermeasures, Commercial Era, 2004 (3).。