A Quantitative Study on Consumer Awareness of Green Marketing Practices: A Behavioural Perspective

Abstract

With more focus on environmental sustainability, many companies have shifted towards green marketing techniques in order to influence consumers\' behavior and improve brand responsibilities. The purpose of the current paper is to analyze the awareness of consumers towards green marketing and examine its impact from the behavioral perspective. For the present research, the quantitative approach was chosen, and the primary data were gathered using a structured questionnaire distributed among individuals representing different demographics. 110 sample respondents were chosen by applying convenience sampling from the Kannur District of Kerala. Multiple Regression analysis was applied. It can be stated that the consumers demonstrate moderate levels of awareness about green marketing. Moreover, the awareness levels differ greatly depending on the marital status and family type. However, the results have shown that consumer behavior is positively influenced by their perception of environmental responsibility as well as the validity of the marketing campaign. Nevertheless, skepticism concerning greenwashing appears to be a crucial aspect influencing consumer behavior.

Introduction

The text discusses green marketing and its relationship with consumer awareness and behavior in the context of growing environmental concerns like pollution, climate change, and resource depletion. It explains that green marketing involves promoting environmentally friendly products and sustainable business practices, which can improve corporate image and support sustainability goals.

A key focus is that consumer awareness plays an important role in shaping positive attitudes toward green products, but it does not always lead to actual purchasing behavior. This gap is influenced by factors such as trust, price, perceived value, social pressure, and ethical beliefs. A major barrier is greenwashing, where companies make misleading environmental claims, leading to consumer skepticism and reduced trust.

The study highlights a research gap between awareness and actual behavior, emphasizing the need for empirical research. It aims to examine consumer awareness and its impact on purchasing behavior in Kannur District, Kerala, using a quantitative survey of 110 respondents and statistical analysis (multiple regression).

The literature review supports that while green marketing can influence consumer perception and intentions, the attitude–behavior gap remains persistent, especially in developing economies. The methodology and analysis confirm that data assumptions were met, but overall findings stress that awareness alone is insufficient to guarantee sustainable purchasing behavior.

Conclusion

Many consumers are still unclear about what “green” truly means. Awareness campaigns through schools, social media, and public platforms can help people distinguish genuine eco-friendly products from misleading claims. However, this paper shows that even if the level of awareness about green marketing is growing, there is still a considerable discrepancy between awareness and actual purchasing behavior. In addition, various behavioral aspects like attitude towards the product, its value for the customer, trustworthiness, and social influence can strongly impact decisions to buy an eco-friendly product. It turns out that customers have good intentions regarding eco-sustainability and tend to support products that can help to protect the environment. However, certain factors can prevent them from following their initial intention and buying the product, including increased cost, lack of reliable information about the product, and skepticism about green marketing claims. Thus, it is evident that it is necessary to apply special behavioral strategies and promote trust when implementing green marketing programs. Regulatory bodies should enforce stricter guidelines to prevent false or exaggerated environmental claims. Penalties for greenwashing can protect consumers and promote fair competition. Standardized eco-labels make it easier for consumers to identify sustainable products quickly and confidently. In conclusion, for successful implementation of green marketing campaigns, there is a need for collaboration among companies, policymakers, and customers. In particular, businesses should introduce transparent practices, and policymakers should create strict requirements for green marketing. Meanwhile, customers themselves should be educated and make more informed decisions when choosing products.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Dr. V. K. Veerakumar, Mrs. Simmy P V. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.