INTEGRATING SUSTAINABILITY INTO MARKETING STRATEGIES: A STUDY OF PACKAGED FOOD BRANDS IN INDIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69980/gra24q10Keywords:
Sustainability marketing, Packaged food brands, Consumer trust, Green communicationAbstract
Sustainability has become a strategic concern for packaged food brands as consumers, regulators, and stakeholders increasingly expect firms to reduce environmental impact while maintaining product value and market competitiveness. This study examines how sustainability is integrated into the marketing strategies of packaged food brands in India and evaluates its influence on consumer trust, brand loyalty, and purchase intention. The study adopts a mixed-method research design, combining qualitative insights from in-depth interviews with 10 marketing managers and quantitative data collected through structured questionnaires from 200 urban consumers. Sustainability integration is examined across key marketing dimensions, including sustainable product design, eco-friendly packaging, sustainable distribution, and green marketing communication. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, regression analysis, and structural equation modelling. The findings indicate that sustainability-oriented marketing practices positively influence consumer responses, particularly when they are visible, credible, and clearly communicated. Sustainable packaging showed the strongest correlation with brand loyalty (r = 0.62), followed by green communication (r = 0.59), suggesting that consumers respond more favorably to sustainability practices that are directly observable and supported by transparent claims. The results also indicate that price sensitivity and perceived greenwashing moderate the effectiveness of sustainability marketing, especially in a price-conscious emerging market such as India. The study contributes to sustainability marketing literature by providing empirical evidence from the Indian packaged food sector and by highlighting the importance of integrating sustainability across the marketing mix. The findings offer practical guidance for managers seeking to develop authentic, affordable, and transparent sustainability-driven marketing strategies.
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