THE IMPORTANCE OF A GREEN MARKETING STRATEGY IN BRAND COMMUNICATION - M. COUTINHO MULTI-BRAND CAR DEALER CASE IN NORTHERN PORTUGAL

Abstract

Today’s consumer is better informed, are very concerned to sustainability and has an enormous power to disseminate information and opinions. This brings to the brands the need of understanding the importance recognized by their customers regarding the adoption of sustainable marketing strategies thinking how to introduce and develop sustainable practices and actions in their marketing strategies. Sustainable Marketing emerges, in this context, as an innovative way to do marketing, creating an approach these new consumer demands. It involves long-term, sustainable strategies that truly add value to society, companies and the environment. This research seeks to understand how M. Coutinho (an important multi-brand car dealer in Northern Portugal) incorporates a sustainable brand communication strategy consistent with the sustainable products they offer. In order to respond to the objective of the research, it was defined as the focus of the investigation to describe the adoption of Green Marketing-Mix techniques and its impact on global marketing strategy for M. Coutinho case. This approach makes it possible to verify if the car dealer is following the sustainable brand concerns required by consumers and how they communicate it. The research developed was essentially exploratory and qualitative. Qualitative research encompasses a variety of methods that can be applied in a flexible way allowing individuals to respond to greater reflection and expression of their views, thus allowing a collection of feelings, experiences and behaviors in their own terms and context and allows the collection of concrete information based on the interviewees' perceptions. In order to obtain the answers to the proposed objectives, the qualitative research technique used the face-to-face semi-structured interview to the marketing director of the chosen company. The present investigation gave important contributes allowing to understand the types of environmental practices adopted, the car dealer sustainable intentions and opportunities such as visibility, proximity to consumers requirements and needs, financial sustainability and sustainable brand identity. It also presents some sustainability risks and the way the brand seeks the approximation to consumer’s demands. Encouraging sustainable behavior and adopting a value sustainability in recruitment the company also encompasses an internal strategy of green marketing. All the marketing mix and brand communication includes a sustainable marketing language considering always its benefits: notoriety, cost reduction, good citizenship, dealer’s promotion and competitive advantage. This article brings a new contribute for literature review on the topic of Green Marketing and brand communication strategy. The scarcity of resources, the pollution and serious health problems caused by overexploitation of natural resources lead to reflection on the concept of sustainable consumption. Green marketing is becoming more and more in fashion and it becomes, therefore, a new paradigm to be considered. Several factors have contributed to the emergence and growth of this concern: global warming, climate change, deforestation, overpopulation and perhaps the most important one, pollution. There is an increasing interest in establishing relationships between marketing and sustainability: it is one of the main trends that shape contemporary marketing. In addition, there are also a greater number of companies committed to the issue of sustainability and the development of a sustainable marketing communication and this article brings an important contribute to this development.

Keywords

• Brand
• Green Marketing
• Strategy
• Sustainability

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