The right shade of green: A review of recent research on green marketing, green communications and green advertising during 2009-2019

Abstract

This literature review focuses to determine the findings of academic literature on the subject of green marketing, green communications and green advertising during 2009-2019. Since climate change is the defining issue of our time and companies are expected to embrace green marketing practices, it is crucial and valuable to understand the effects green marketing practices have on consumers.

A collection of approximately 100 articles on the subject was identified and the most reputable and relevant articles were used as a base for this literature review. The purpose of this literature review is to establish the recent development in the field of green marketing, green communications and green advertising. Key articles are compared to identify the key themes and theories that lie behind the academic research on the subject.

In order to collect accurate and current information on the subject, the scope of the study is limited to the previous ten years. This paper provides a systematic analysis and categorization of green marketing, green advertising and green communications by analyzing the effects they have on consumers and the factors determining their success.

The findings of this study establish that academic research has been focusing largely on the different effects green advertising appeals have on consumers and the different consumer behavior theories that lie behind the effects. In addition, the key authors establish some consumer characteristics that moderate consumers’ green consumption and consumer response to green marketing. This literature review introduces the key factors affecting green consumption and green marketing responses.