AVOIDING GREEN MARKETING MYOPIA. (cover story)

GREEN marketing; GREEN products; CONSUMER goods; MARKETING research; COST effectiveness; PRODUCT bundling

Green marketing, the process of marketing environmentally preferable products, is defined and discussed. In order to be effective, products must meet certain criteria without sacrificing consumer appeal. Highlighting consumer preferred attributes such as efficiency and cost-effectiveness, health and safety, product performance, symbolism and status ("green chic"), and convenience can increase product popularity. Successful green product marketing adhered to three important principles: consumer value positioning, calibration of consumer knowledge, and credibility of product claims. Examples of past successful and unsuccessful marketing strategies are given. INSET: SUMMARY OF GUIDEPOSTS FOR THE "THREE C'S".