ECO-MARKETING AND ECO-LABELLING: DOES IT ENSURE ...

D.Grundey 177 ISSN 1648 - 4460
Conclusions
Researching Customer Loyalty in Lithuania
Implementing a philosophy of sustainability in the practice of marketing would
require businesses to become more sensitive to the efficient use of all resources over a longer
period. Marketers should be encouraged to assess the cost of new laws and regulafions, the
cost of endless lifigafion, and the potential loss of competitive position(s) as integral and
critical components of an ecological approach, which is broadly discussed and substantiated
in this article.
A broad scope of evidence brought to the reader from European and American
countries prove that eco-marketing and eco-labelling is a natural process, which is not only
broadly discussed by the scholars but also is broadly applied in the practice by businesses.
The application of ecological standards in growing crops and raising animals, as well as the
production process might be considerably costly and economically not viable, but consumers'
preferences for safer and ecologically-produced substances arc growing, which leaves modem
business aspiring for a more profitable future.
The adoption of ISO standards in foodstuffs' producfion and farming pracfices is the
code of good practice, which is world-wide acceptable in various business sectors, starting
with food industry and finishing with services, such as hotel and tourism industry, etc. A mini
case of Lithuania also indicates that the country has adopted the eco-labelling policy,
following the EU directives and national inifiatives.
Accoridng to the survey, performed in 2007-2008, the Lithuanian respondents have
summarised that the most influential factors for their loyalty towards eco-products in the
country are:
1) increase of personal income;
2) lower prices for eco-products anf eco-processed foods;
3) informing and educating the society;
4) more advertising.
Lithuanian respondents, as opposed to consumers of the EU countries, the USA and
Canada, did not mention that their purchasing decisions of eco-products could be influenced
by fad, growing popularity and propaganda. The main de-motivators of buying eco-products
in Lithuania are: a) high prices; b) low availability and c) doubts about the authenticity of ecocertification.
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