Cynical Segmentation of Environmental Markets: The Product of Marketers' Dispositions or Corporate Demands?

Abstract

ABSTRACT As consumers' environmental concerns have risen over the past decade, many companies have responded with “green” products, processes and public relations. Superficial and even spurious firm responses have resulted in claims that marketers have cynically segmented and exploited green markets in an opportunistic way. However, whether the glibness of marketing managers or overall corporate policy is behind such claims has not been investigated. This paper explores the issue by assessing the personal attitudes, opinions and behaviour of senior marketing executives across a range of firms. The results suggest that the majority of marketers, in their personal lives, do in fact display attitudinal and consumption patterns consistent with environmental concerns. Hence, when the finger of green-market exploitation is pointed, it should perhaps be in the direction of wider corporate objectives and not at beleaguered marketers.