LBS Journal of Management & Research

The study was undertaken to find out the different marketing strategies being used by the companies operating under five different industry verticals, for marketing of their socially responsible products. Primary data was collected from 400 and more companies trough self constructed and field tested research questionnaires. Collected data was analysed by using appropriate statistical tools.

With the enactment of the Companies Act 2013 (Section 135 and Schedule VII), which made provision for companies having at least Rs. 5 crore net profit or Rs. 1, 000 crore turnover or Rs. 500 crore net worth to spend 2 per cent of their 3-year average annual net profit on corporate social responsibility activities in each financial year. Through its various policy support initiatives/measures, State is aggressively promoting production, sales and marketing of socially responsible products primarily for arresting the fast-degrading ecosystem. Companies across different industry verticals invariably use various sorts of marketing messages and channels, creative routes and approaches, punch lines, sales tools/techniques, sales strategies/tactics/promotion offers, customers’ database and company's website and others for marketing of their eco-friendly socially responsible products. The present investigation has made a modest attempt to study whether these marketing and sales methodologies in respect of socially responsible products differ from company to company operating various industry verticals. This cross-industry vertical study has found that there is no statistically significant difference in the marketing and sales methodologies used by the companies operating under various industry verticals in respect of marketing of their socially responsible products.