How does cause or corporate societal marketing affect your personal consumer behavior? Do you ever buy or not buy any products or services from a company because of its environmental policies or programs? Why or why not?
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Question asked by ganesh_shrestha
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Societal Marketing is a marketing concept that focuses the "social consciousness" as their marketing plan while the company doesn’t just keep consumer and company in mind rather puts the long term well-being of society into consideration (Hose, 2016). The companies under societal marketing consider the social and ethical consideration in their marketing plan. Here, the company produces a better product, not only for consumer satisfaction but rather for the benefit of the society.
Corporate Societal Marketing creates a special value of the products in mind of the customers. According to Kotler, Keller, Koshy, & Jha (2009, p. 28), when the goods are more commoditized and on the other hand, consumers grow more socially conscious, some companies add a cause or social responsibility to get differentiated amidst their competitor which in turn helps in building consumer preference, increase sales and profit. Undoubtedly some companies are doing well due to their involvement in social causes.
(Hose, 2016), has categorized three different areas of societal marketing
Consumer Health
Marketing campaigns that emphasize consumer health. Dhara and Saffola cooking oil emphasis on lot of health issues while other cooking oil has been talking about food taste. The Body Shop uses plant based extracts in its products and is against animal testing. Patanjali has advocated that white enriched flour /Maida is bad for health and has been using whole flour /grain flour/atta in its food products. Chipotle has been using healthy products and process to its menu (Albin, 2015), which is tells how a fast food also has been striving to make its menu healthy.
Eco-Friendly Marketing
Companies that place an emphasis on recycled products and organic products. Many companies have used recycled product and use a portion of its packages from such wastes
Supporting Farms and Local Business
Companies that don’t import raw materials practice. Amul co-operative is a biggest company which works as a cooperative of local farmers. Starbucks has been supporting the local farmers through economic and social development in local communities, while also caring for the environment.
I have found my purchase decisions been influenced by Societal Marketing many-a-times. In support of “Hamri bahini”'s bag, I had made purchase decision. I don’t buy much of the bottled drinks as it contains BPA and also am against use of plastic bags. Similarly, when it comes to buying noodles I prefer Wai-Wai noodles as it funds the rural students’s education but I would rank Mayos as better than Wai-Wai as it doesn’t contain MSG.Buying noodles is yet a difficult job for me as I cannot determine which cause is better. Even buying a refrigerator, I chose one that said CFC free refrigerator. To sum up, my buying decisions are largely influenced by Societal Marketing Concerns
References
Albin, D. (2015, May 28). Chipotle undertstands final products are only as good as their raw materials . Retrieved from International Pro-standars: insta-pro.com/en/2015/05/28/chipot...
Hose, C. (2016). Examples of Societal Marketing . Retrieved from Chron: smallbusiness.chron.com/examples-s...
Kotler, P., Keller, K. L., Koshy, A., & Jha, M. (2009). Marketing Management: A South Asian Perspective (13 ed.). Noida: Pearson Prentice Hall.