77  Trends in marketing: Social marketing; Online marketing; Green marketing; Direct marketing; Rural marketing; CRM

77.1 Marketing in a Changing World

Marketing has moved from the traditional 4 Ps to a customer-centric, digital, purpose-driven and data-led discipline. Six trends dominate current syllabus and PYQs: Social marketing, Online (digital) marketing, Green marketing, Direct marketing, Rural marketing, and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) — together they capture the society, technology, environment and customer-data shifts that re-shape how value is created and delivered.

77.2 Social Marketing

Social marketing is “the use of marketing principles and techniques to influence behaviour for the benefit of individuals, communities, or society at large” (Kotler & Zaltman 1971).

TipSocial Marketing Examples (India)
  • Pulse Polio — eradicated polio (declared polio-free 2014).
  • Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (2014).
  • Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (2015).
  • Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan.
  • Anti-tobacco campaigns — COTPA 2003.
  • Mission Indradhanush — immunisation.
  • Save the Tiger / Project Tiger — WWF & GoI.
  • #MeToo, climate action, mental-health awareness.

Tools: research, message development, channel selection, evaluation. Includes demarketing — discouraging consumption (e.g. tobacco, alcohol).

77.3 Online / Digital Marketing

Definition: “marketing of products or services using digital channels to reach consumers, including search engines, social, email, mobile, websites, and apps”.

77.3.1 5 D’s of Digital Marketing (Chaffey)

Digital Devices, Digital platforms, Digital media, Digital data, Digital technology.

77.3.2 Major Digital Marketing Channels

TipDigital Marketing Channels
  • Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) — organic ranking.
  • Search Engine Marketing (SEM) / PPC — Google Ads.
  • Display ads / Programmatic.
  • Social media marketing — Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest.
  • Content marketing & blogs.
  • Email marketing.
  • Video marketing — YouTube, OTT.
  • Mobile and app marketing.
  • Influencer marketing.
  • Affiliate marketing.
  • Marketing automation — HubSpot, Marketo.
  • Voice and conversational AI marketing.

77.3.3 Marketing 5.0 (Kotler 2021)

Building on Marketing 4.0 (digital), Kotler’s Marketing 5.0 — Technology for Humanity integrates AI, NLP, robotics, sensors, AR/VR, IoT and blockchain into the marketing process.

77.4 Green Marketing

Green marketing = “the marketing of products and services that are presumed to be environmentally safe — covering product modification, changes to production process, sustainable packaging, and modifying advertising” (AMA).

TipThree Levels of Green Marketing
  • Strategic greening — fundamental business change.
  • Quasi-strategic greening — substantial shifts in business practice.
  • Tactical greening — surface-level changes (eco-labels, packaging).

77.4.1 Green Marketing 4 Ps

Eco-Product, Fair Price, Sustainable Place, Greener Promotion.

TipGreen Marketing in India — Examples
  • Eco-mark scheme (1991) — BIS certified.
  • Khadi; Fabindia.
  • Tata Power Solar; Mahindra Electric; Tata EV.
  • ITC’s Wow! Forest, Filter Coffee.
  • Patanjali, Forest Essentials.
  • Greenply, Pidilite VOC-free.
  • Star labelling — BEE (refrigerators, ACs).
  • Carbon-neutral pledges — Infosys, ITC, Mahindra.

77.4.2 Greenwashing

Practice of making misleading green claims; tackled by CCPA Greenwashing Guidelines 2024 in India.

77.5 Direct Marketing

Direct marketing is “direct communication with carefully targeted individual consumers to obtain an immediate response and cultivate lasting customer relationships” (Kotler). Forms:

TipDirect Marketing Channels
  • Direct mail; catalogue; telemarketing; direct-response TV (DRTV).
  • Kiosk; vending; home shopping (TV); door-to-door.
  • Email, SMS, push notification, WhatsApp.
  • Social DM, retargeting ads.
  • Network/MLM — Amway, Tupperware (regulated by Direct Selling Rules 2021).

77.6 Rural Marketing

Rural India has 65 % population, ~ 47 % of FMCG sales, and very high heterogeneity.

77.6.1 The Four As — Rural Marketing Framework (Anil Khanna, Pradeep Kashyap)

TipFour As of Rural Marketing
  • Availability — distribution to interior areas.
  • Affordability — small packs, low unit-price.
  • Acceptability — adapt product to rural taste/culture.
  • Awareness — vernacular media, demonstrations, melas.

77.6.2 Challenges

TipRural Marketing Challenges
  • Vast geography, low population density.
  • Low literacy and income; high heterogeneity.
  • Logistics, electricity, refrigeration.
  • Channel reach — Project Shakti (HUL), Hariyali Kisaan Bazaars (DCM), Mahindra Samriddhi.

77.6.3 Major Rural-Marketing Successes

ITC e-Choupal (2000), HUL Project Shakti (2001), Mahindra Tractors, Tata Swach water filter, Chotukool, Patanjali, Amul (cooperative model).

77.7 Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

CRM is the process of carefully managing detailed information about individual customers and “touchpoints” to maximise customer loyalty (Kotler).

TipCRM Three Levels
  • Operational CRM — sales-force automation, marketing automation, service automation.
  • Analytical CRM — data mining, segmentation, CLTV.
  • Collaborative CRM — multi-channel integration, partner-customer interaction.

77.7.1 Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV / CLV)

Net present value of expected future profits from a customer relationship. Drives marketing budgets.

77.7.2 CRM Tools

Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, Oracle CRM, Zoho, HubSpot, SAP CRM, Freshworks (Indian SaaS).

77.7.3 Customer Equity (Rust, Lemon, Zeithaml)

Three drivers: Value equity, Brand equity, Relationship equity.

77.8 Other Emerging Trends

TipOther Modern Marketing Concepts
  • Experiential marketing.
  • Buzz / viral marketing.
  • Cause-related marketing — Tata Tea’s “Jaago Re”.
  • Guerrilla marketing.
  • Neuromarketing.
  • Personalisation & 1-to-1 marketing.
  • Permission marketing — Seth Godin.
  • Omnichannel and Phygital marketing.
  • Conversational / Chatbot marketing.
  • Influencer marketing — Mega/Macro/Micro/Nano.
  • Subscription economy — Netflix, Amazon Prime.

flowchart TB
  T[Modern Marketing Trends] --> S[Social Marketing<br/>Pulse Polio · Swachh Bharat]
  T --> O[Digital / Online<br/>5 D's · Marketing 5.0]
  T --> G[Green Marketing<br/>3 levels · 4 Ps · Eco-Mark]
  T --> D[Direct Marketing<br/>Mail · TV · Telecom · MLM]
  T --> R[Rural Marketing<br/>4 As]
  T --> C[CRM<br/>Operational · Analytical · Collaborative]
    classDef default fill:#003366,color:#ffffff,stroke:#ffcc00,stroke-width:3px,rx:10px,ry:10px;

NoteDistractor warning

PYQ trap: Social marketing — Kotler & Zaltman 1971. 5 Ds of digital — Chaffey. Four As of rural — Pradeep Kashyap / Anil Khanna. CRM 3 types — Operational / Analytical / Collaborative.

77.9 Practice Questions

Q 01SocialEasy

Social marketing concept was given by:

  • AKotler & Zaltman (1971)
  • BMcCarthy
  • CDrucker
  • DPorter
View solution
Correct Option: A
**Kotler & Zaltman 1971**.
Q 02DemarketingMedium

Anti-tobacco campaigns illustrate:

  • AAggressive marketing
  • BDemarketing
  • CDirect marketing
  • DInfluencer marketing
View solution
Correct Option: B
**Demarketing** — discourage consumption.
Q 035 DsMedium

Which is NOT among the 5 Ds of digital marketing?

  • ADigital devices
  • BDigital platforms
  • CDigital media
  • DDigital demography
View solution
Correct Option: D
5 Ds: Devices, Platforms, Media, Data, Technology.
Q 04GreenMedium

India's Eco-Mark scheme started in:

  • A1985
  • B1991
  • C2000
  • D2010
View solution
Correct Option: B
**Eco-Mark 1991**, by BIS.
Q 054 AsMedium

The 4 As of rural marketing are:

  • AAvailability, Affordability, Acceptability, Awareness
  • BAction, Awareness, Approach, Adoption
  • CAudit, Action, Approach, Audience
  • DAgriculture, Awareness, Acceptance, Adoption
View solution
Correct Option: A
**Pradeep Kashyap framework**.
Q 06ShaktiHard

Project Shakti is launched by:

  • AITC
  • BHUL
  • CAmul
  • DTata
View solution
Correct Option: B
**HUL Project Shakti 2001** — rural women entrepreneur network.
Q 07e-ChoupalHard

e-Choupal is associated with:

  • AHUL
  • BITC
  • CTata
  • DMahindra
View solution
Correct Option: B
**ITC e-Choupal 2000** — agri-portal.
Q 08CRMMedium

CRM categories are:

  • AOperational, Analytical, Collaborative
  • BFront, Back, Middle
  • CB2B, B2C, C2C
  • DService, Sales, Production
View solution
Correct Option: A
**Operational, Analytical, Collaborative**.
Q 09CLTVMedium

CLTV stands for:

  • ACustomer Loyalty Total Value
  • BCustomer Lifetime Value
  • CCumulative List Total Value
  • DChannel Listing Time Value
View solution
Correct Option: B
**Customer Lifetime Value** — NPV of customer profits.
Q 10DirectMedium

Amway uses which marketing form?

  • AMass advertising
  • BMulti-level marketing (Direct selling)
  • CWholesaling
  • DTrade exhibition
View solution
Correct Option: B
**MLM** — regulated by Direct Selling Rules 2021 in India.
Q 11Marketing 5Hard

Marketing 5.0 (Kotler 2021) is about:

  • AProduct orientation
  • BTechnology for humanity
  • CSelling orientation
  • DProduction efficiency
View solution
Correct Option: B
**Marketing 5.0** — AI, NLP, AR/VR, IoT for humanity.
Q 12GreenwashMedium

Greenwashing means:

  • AGenuine green marketing
  • BMisleading environmental claims
  • CBrand activism
  • DCause marketing
View solution
Correct Option: B
**Greenwashing** — false eco claims; CCPA guidelines 2024.
Q 13PermissionHard

"Permission marketing" was given by:

  • AKotler
  • BSeth Godin
  • CChaffey
  • DSchultz
View solution
Correct Option: B
**Seth Godin 1999**.
Q 14SEMMedium

Google Ads is:

  • ASEO
  • BSEM / PPC
  • CPR
  • DPublic service
View solution
Correct Option: B
**Paid search marketing**.
Q 15CauseMedium

Tata Tea "Jaago Re" is an example of:

  • ADirect marketing
  • BCause-related marketing
  • CGreen marketing
  • DGuerrilla marketing
View solution
Correct Option: B
**Cause-related** — link brand to social cause.
Q 16Pulse polioMedium

India was declared polio-free in:

  • A2010
  • B2014
  • C2018
  • D2020
View solution
Correct Option: B
**WHO 2014** — polio-free certification.
Q 17DRTVMedium

"Call now and order" telemarketing ad is:

  • APublic relations
  • BDirect-response TV (DRTV)
  • CSales promotion
  • DPersonal selling
View solution
Correct Option: B
**DRTV** — direct-response television.
Q 18EquityHard

Customer equity drivers (Rust, Lemon, Zeithaml):

  • AValue, Brand, Relationship
  • BSales, Service, Loyalty
  • CCost, Quality, Time
  • DAwareness, Image, Loyalty
View solution
Correct Option: A
**Value, Brand, Relationship equity**.
Q 19InfluencerMedium

A "nano-influencer" typically has followers:

  • A< 10,000
  • B10K-100K
  • C100K-1M
  • D> 1M
View solution
Correct Option: A
**Nano** < 10K; Micro 10-100K; Macro 100K-1M; Mega > 1M.
Q 20MatchMedium

Match concept with originator:

Concept Person
(i) Social marketing (a) Seth Godin
(ii) 5 Ds of Digital (b) Kotler & Zaltman
(iii) Permission marketing (c) Chaffey
(iv) 4 As of Rural (d) Pradeep Kashyap
  • A(i)-(b), (ii)-(c), (iii)-(a), (iv)-(d)
  • B(i)-(a), (ii)-(b), (iii)-(c), (iv)-(d)
  • C(i)-(c), (ii)-(d), (iii)-(b), (iv)-(a)
  • D(i)-(d), (ii)-(a), (iii)-(c), (iv)-(b)
View solution
Correct Option: A
Direct mapping.

77.10 Quick Recall

ImportantQuick recall
  • Social marketing — Kotler & Zaltman 1971; demarketing.
  • Digital — 5 Ds (Chaffey): Devices, Platforms, Media, Data, Technology. Marketing 5.0 — Tech for Humanity.
  • Green marketing — 3 levels (strategic / quasi / tactical); Eco-Mark 1991 (BIS); greenwashing — CCPA Guidelines 2024.
  • Direct marketing — Direct mail, DRTV, telemarketing, SMS, MLM (Direct Selling Rules 2021).
  • Rural — 4 As: Availability, Affordability, Acceptability, Awareness. ITC e-Choupal, HUL Project Shakti, Amul.
  • CRM — Operational / Analytical / Collaborative; CLTV; Customer Equity = Value + Brand + Relationship (Rust-Lemon-Zeithaml).
  • Other trends — Experiential, Cause (Tata Tea Jaago Re), Guerrilla, Neuromarketing, Permission (Godin), Omnichannel.