Maintaining ecological balance is a major issue confronting the corporate world today. The damage done to the environment has already crossed the threshold and reached alarming limits. Non-replenishable natural resources are getting depleted at a rapid pace. Generation of waste, including biodegradable pollutants, is increasing enormously. All these negative developments have forced mankind to think more seriously about conserving the environment. Green marketing is one such initiative towards environment protection, which is gaining popularity. Many people believe that green marketing refers solely to the promotion or advertising of products with environment-friendly characteristics. Various terms such as recyclable, refillable, ozone-friendly are related to green marketing, however, green marketing is a much broader concept and it can be applied even to the services. Thus, green marketing incorporates a broad range of activities which include but are not limited to product modification, changes to the production process, packaging changes, etc. Different groups of consumers have different levels of environmental concerns and thus different attitudes towards green marketing. The objective of the present study is to identify the factors representing consumers’ attitude towards green marketing in India. The paper also focuses on the review of prior research works done in the area of green marketing and identifies attitudinal dimensions relevant to the Indian context.

Green marketing strategy adopts a proactive approach to waste management and recycling (Marketing Week, November 29, 2007). Conventional marketing has self-centered approach, while green marketing has a social cost-benefit approach inclined towards environmental conservation. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the hazards of the polluted environment. A study conducted among a group of automobile consumers in Hawaii shows that the respondents agreed to purchase hybrid car, leaving traditional gas-fueled car, if the costs are same (Choy and Prizzia, 2010). Marketers see many benefits in green marketing. These include:

Social Responsibility: Many companies believe that it is their social responsibility to do some good to the environment and hence green marketing is the best way to do it. The study conducted by Dalmoro et al. (2009) shows how the social and environmental responsibilities have been integrated into the marketing strategy adopted by Coca-Cola franchises.

Marketing Management Journal, Guest Delight, Hotel Industry, Customer Delight, Customer Loyalty, Customer Satisfaction, Reliable Reservation System, Convenient Payment Method, Hotel Management, Disconfirmation Theory, Data Collection.