This study aims to explore different motivating factors of social media encouraging users to adopt environmental friendly behavior. Social media is a powerful tool enabling users to entice themselves with entrainment and to widen the horizon of their knowledge by paying attention to information related contents. Study focuses on determining the usage level of social media

PurposeOver the last few decades, there has been a substantial increase in environmentally conscious consumers' willingness to switch their preferences from mainstream products to green products. Hence, it becomes essential for academicians and marketers to understand the notion, attributes and a comprehensive profile of green consumers. Since consumer attitude towards green products is not widely studied in developing countries, the present study aims at exploring the profile of green consumers in India (Punjab State) based on the same in the Indian context.Design/methodology/approachThe study used the survey method, and a sample of 400 respondents was selected from the Punjab State of India. Initially, principal component analysis was employed to reduce the dimensions. Following this, cluster analysis was applied to segment consumer market in distinctive segments. Results of cluster analysis were validated with discriminant analysis and finally, differences amongst the segments of green and non-green consumers were examined to build on the profile of green consumers.FindingsThe study segmented the consumer market based on consumer attitude towards green products. Results of the study revealed four distinct segments. “Dynamic Green”, the largest cluster, presents truly green consumers who exhibit a positive attitude towards green products. Finally, the study highlighted the attitudinal profile of green and non-green consumers and differences amongst the segments were explained.Research limitations/implicationsSimilar study should be conducted in other developing/developed countries. Furthermore, cross-cultural studies can be undertaken to contrast consumer attitude towards green products. The study may also be extended to probe the connection between consumers' attitude and actual behaviour towards green products.Originality/valueThe study examined the role of consumer attitude towards green products in identifying the distinct segment of green consumers and determining different configurations of consumer characteristics to build on the profile of green consumers.

Television commercials have been the main medium for advertising products/services/ideas to the masses. However, the use of controversial advertisements has shown a manyfold increase in the recent past. Controversial advertisements can be beneficial or harmful for the product; depending on how the target audience perceives them. Even though such advertisements may cause offense to a certain consumer group(s), but advertisers still don’t refrain from using such advertisements to market their or their clients’ product offerings in different segments namely products/services/ideas. Although the majority of research on consumer’s behaviour towards controversial advertisements has been reported from Western countries, very little is known in Asian perspective. In the present study, we attempted to analyze the Indian perspective of consumer’s attitude towards controversial television advertisements based on a survey of 609 respondents (312 males and 297 females). The results obtained indicated ‘political advertisements’ as the most controversial offering to be advertised on television. Consumers were found to be more offended with advertisements where ‘nudity’ was used as the main execution technique. Attitude of consumers towards controversial advertisements and their effect on purchasing behaviour were found clearly correlated to demographic variables including age, education and gender.

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