Societal Marketing Delivers Goods and Services

Question: Discuss bout the Societal Marketing for Delivers Goods and Services. Answer: Introduction Marketing is one of the key functions of any company that delivers goods and services, as this function directly reaches to the targeted customer base and makes the market aware of the products and services being sold (Hair, 2014). Marketing has been given a significant importance by every company (Perreault, 2013). However, the approach to marketing has changed over the years. With the rising ecological concern and the need to be social responsible several companies around the world have taken up societal marketing as a key technique to penetrate into the market and make their stand (Sheth, 2015). Societal marketing can be understood as a function that ensures that the goods and services delivered not only satisfy the needs and wants of a customer but also enhance their lives and the society as a whole (Melanthiou, 2016). Several companies though directly do not participate in societal marketing, they have adopted this technique in to their corporate social responsibility (Shanbhag, 2015). On the other side there are several other companies that has put customer and society first over their own interests of revenue generation. The below report discusses about two such companies that currently work in Australia. Oxfam Australia Oxfam Australia, is a not-for-profit organization that believes in community aid and development. The company is an affiliate of Oxfam international. However, the organization works as an independent entity in Australia (Besley, 2016). The company took in origins from the concern of Gerard Kennedy Tucker in the early 50s when the Asia countries had major setbacks due to the Second World War. Local groups have been formed for community aid first in Melbourne and later in Perth and Sydney. The company then started providing trade opportunities between Australia and other developing countries with handicrafts as the key product. By 2005 the company had 17 stores worldwide that took up mail orders as well. The company sells products belonging to home dcor, kitchenware, food and beverage etc. They have a website where all these products are available online. The beauty of Oxfam products are that all these are procured from countries that are rich in resources but have most of their population below the poverty line (Moolman, 2016). They sell products that not only add value to the customer but also the local communities that produce these products. Every transaction done in Oxfam shop is a way in which the customer directly helps the communities, given a lot of satisfaction to every product purchased. Oxfam generates most of its income from donation funds. These funds are gain used for advocacy programs, fundraising, promotion and administration work. The website of the company has an option where customers can donate to the organization. The key idea from a marketing point of view is to help the customer with the hidden need to help others. There are several people around the world, who would like to contribute to the society in one way or another. However, they may not know the right way, or have the time to participate in such programs. However, the conscious need to make a difference is present. Oxfam gives them this opportunity. Every product purchased at Oxfam directly effects several local communities. Every product description in the Oxfam website gives a clear input of the community that has produced the good. The producers of these products are listed as well. All these producers are paid through a fair trade policy and any profit made in again invested back into the community itself. The products are on ethically traded. It is a common perception that such products are highly priced. However, that is not the case of Oxfam products. The price of the products reflects the quality of the product, the skill to make such products and a way to keep the traditional techniques alive (Australia, 2015). Most of these products are handmade and come from African countries and other poor Asian countries. The companys marketing technique is that every dollar spent at Oxfam shop makes a difference on the lives who create the product, make the product or grow the product. It shows how powerful a consumer can be if the right kind of investment is made. They let their customers know that every dollar spent at Oxfam is a way to shape the world. Eco Store It was in the early 90s that Malcom Rands and his wife Melaine discovered that despite all their efforts of living in an eco-village and following organic techniques in gardening they were still being exposed to harmful chemicals that were effecting their lives. It was then they discovered that one of the many reasons for this was the number chemicals used in every day products such as cleaning and bath products. As simple check on the ingredient list made them aware just about how many chemicals are used. This was the reason behind the establishment of Eco store that manufactures cleaning and bath products that use only plant based and mineral based ingredients and almost zero chemicals (Rands, 2013). All their products are tested by Environmental Working Group. The company has a dedicated team of researchers lead by Sir Ray Every who are in the quest to replace all the chemicals used in the bathing and cleaning products by ecofriendly products. The investment in research is what lead them to be one of the most reputed company in Australia. The motto of Eco store is health first and all the products are designed keeping the customers health in mind. Eco store has several customers who have wrote testimonials stating that issues related to skin and asthma have reduced drastically or vanished. The effect that was usually aggravated by the chemicals in the regular products were circumcised just be replacing them. Eco store believes in letting people know everything about a product they purchase. Hence every product of Eco store comes with a list of ingredients. An ingredient index is provided on their website letting the consumers know how to effects the health and environment, where it is used and the EWA rating of it thereby letting the customer aware of how these effect their lives. The company also has a great affection towards the environment and hence had made sure that not just the products but also the bottles and containers that the product comes in are ecofriendly. For example their laundry boxes is NZ PEFC board produced from sustainable grown forests. Their laundry scoops are post grind plastic and their auto dish wash boxes are 85% recyclable (Leung, 2015). Actually almost all the containers are recyclable. The company also invests in closed loop recycling where trucks move to communities to collect containers of Eco store products and the same are recycled to produce new bottles , scoops and caps. The company uses a clear societal marketing concept keeping the health of the customer and the well-being of the environment as their key aim rather than aiming at revenue generative methods. Conclusion With the growing concern of the environment and the enabling a customer-centric goods and service production the concept of societal marketing has seen light where importance is placed not on selling a product but on satisfying the needs and wants of customers by enhancing the value of the product. Several companies today follow these techniques while Oxfam Shop and Eco Store has set examples in Australia. References Australia, O., 2014. 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