Green Marketing: Role of Information Technology in Green Marketing

Rose Mary Thomas. V1 and Munnu Prasad. V2

St. Josephs College of Commerce (Autonomous)
163, Brigade Road, Bangalore 560 025.

Introduction
Human activities are influenced by environmental issues. Green marketing is the process of
marketing environmentally safe products also is the promotion of various types of goods and
services that are considered to be environmentally safe. The idea in arrears green marketing is to
find methods to associate consumers who want to live a lifestyle that as ecologically accountable
as possible. This contains identifying the proper mediums to influence those consumers.
Marketing the product with eco-friendliness is green marketing. It also includes structuring,
developing, modifying, packaging and delivering the products and services. It is a new marketing
approach. It is updating the traditional marketing practise with challenging the environmental
appeals. Green marketing asking entrepreneurs to develop environmentally responsible products
which has less negative impact towards environment than competitors.
Benefits from Green Marketing
Going green is essential in this 21 century. Green marketing is covering the whole activities of
traditional marketing. Following are some of the benefits from green marketing.
1. It is having a broader concept.
Companies will be open to new markets with developing improved and environmentally safe
products. So, companies are responsible with moral obligation.
2. Companies can save money/capital
By developing green marketing companies can save energy cost. Ex: Cost of installing solar
energy will reduce the future energy cost.
1

Rose Mary Thomas. V, Lecturer Information Technology, St. Josephs College of Commerce,
Bangalore
2
Munnu Prasad. V, 2nd M.Com, St. Josephs College of Commerce, Bangalore

3. Products can be recycled/reused

With the help of Green Marketing effective utilization of all resources is possible. Recycled
products are one of the best alternatives that can benefit the environment.
Ex: Housing Materials can be recycled from broccoli boxes.
4. Companies can reduce operational costs
Resource (gasoline/water) utilization in an efficient manner is possible. Compared with
conventional printers, waterless printers use less water.
5. Reduced packaging cost
Introducing paper cover instead of polystyrene reduces packaging costs for the companies.
6. Improved Quality
Green marketing promotes improved quality. Organic butchers promote added quality with
added taste and tenderness.
7. Benefits towards promotion activities.
The location and place that is, where and when to manufacture a product is differentiating you
from your competitors. It also includes the in store promotion, visually appealing displays and
reusable materials to emphasise the environmental benefits.
Information Technology
Information Technology is a combination of computer hardware, software, internet, electronics
and telecommunication equipments used to store information, retrieve information, transmit
information, manipulate information and protect information .We are living in an information
age, so Information Technology is also plays a very important role in everyday life. Information
Technology is playing a major role in the employment.
Role of Information Technology in Marketing
Information Technology is used for planning, promotion and sale of existing product in an
existing market and a new market and also planning, promotion and sale of a new product in a

market. Information Technology is providing increased efficiency and higher level of customer
satisfaction.
Information Technology is providing interactive marketing techniques. Interactive Marketing is a
customer focused marketing based on the network. Here, Information Technology is a way to
attract and retain the customers by adopting two way communications while creating, developing
and improving the products. Companies are adopting social network, Internet chat, Email
Correspondence, discussion groups or questionnaires for gathering information from customers.
Information Technology thus provides faster communication and enhanced customer services.
Information Technology is an important tool in developing and promoting the companys
products. It helps for targeted marketing. Mainly in five different ways Information Technology
is targeting the customers. Community, Content, Context, Demographic/ Psychographic, and
online behaviour. Information Technology is helpful for segmentation, forecasting, better and
faster communication to the sales force.
Information Technology is the basic for sales force automation. Here, sales force is outfitted with
notebook computers, web browsers and sales contact management software. Information
Technology helps to speed up the processing, analysing and processing of data and present it to
the sales persons in a convenient way. So that the sales persons can do customers profile analysis
and sales route planning in an efficient way. This leads to carry out the internal functions also in
an easy manner.
Information Technology is enhancing the operating efficiency also. There are various sales
statistics tools which are available and with the help of those companies can do sales forecasting,
budgeting, pricing decisions, and competitive analysis in a better way.

Role of Information Technology in Green Marketing

1. Raising Energy Cost

Companies can produce eco-friendly power that is with the help of sunlight or wind mill.
This renewable energy sources helps to reduce the use of carbon foot print to a large extent.

While adopting Green Technology, companies can reduce the use of carbon foot prints,
wastage and pollution.
Ex: Proper Server utilisation helps to bring down the average energy cost. So, it increases
the overall server utilisation and reduces the idle time.
The average annual server cost is approximately $1200, which is also equally proportional to
the energy and cooling cost. At peak levels, an idle server is using 30% of energy
approximately. This can be reduced by proper power management solutions. Ex: Turning off
unused Information Technology assets like desktops, monitor, IP Phones.
2. Improved decision making
Green marketing challenges Information Technology heads and teams with regard to power,
space and resource allocation. Going for energy efficient servers or high efficiency power
supplies will reduce the energy consumption. It promotes the Information Technology heads
to go for star(*) certified servers ,which improves the efficiency.
3. Reduces Health Risks
In order to reduce the e-waste select the electronics which does not contains environmentally
sensitive materials. Thus, e-waste has to be disposed properly.
4.

Improves energy efficiency.

Optimising the software codes with faster and efficient algorithms will drive better energy
efficiency. The data is transmitted in the form of packets in the network. This actually taking
a lot of energy. Efficient algorithms and optimised codes can find the best shortest route to
reach the destination.

5. Reduces Commuting Costs

Video conferencing and telecommuting will reduce the commuting costs. It also helps to
reduce the use of fossil fuels and help us to Go Green.

6. Reduced Paper Consumption

7. Energy saving by using LED lights.
8. Increase Product Life Cycle
Recycle and reduced e-waste by stretching the Information Technology product will
increase the product life cycle.

Findings

A study founded that the role of Information Technology helping to the Green Marketing in
todays modern consumer behavior. The Secondary data explained that the use of Green
Marketing with the help of Information Technology is high in Foreign Market, but when we look
in the Indian Marketing the share of Green Marketing is very little.
The usage of renewable source energy from the companies will lead to reduction in the
consumption of power cost, operating cost, etc. where a proper a Lean Management is achieved.
Conclusion
To the conclude that:
1. The role of Information Technology is benefiting to the Green Marketing.
2. A Proper Lean Management is achieved with proper utilisation of the Companys
resources.
3. The usage Information Technology in Green Marketing will attract the youths
Suggestions
Green Marketing challenges Management with regard to Space, Energy and other resource
allocations.
A proper full pledged awareness for employees and the supporting externals of the firm.
A Short and Long term planning will help to go proper implementation of the Information
Technology role in Green Marketing. The effective re-cycle of the e-waste can be done with
proper planning and implementation locally.
References
1. Management Information Systems. Managing Information Technology in the E-Business
Enterprise. Fifth Edition, James A. OBrien
2. http://www.itnext.in/green-it.htm
3. http://www.saibottechnologies.com/marketing/green-marketing/
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_marketing