Providing a Strategic Model for Green Branding: A Meta Synthesis- Study

Abstract
Today, having a commitment to nature and the principles of sustainability and emphasis on environmental protection is part of the business strategy. Creating a strong and lasting relationship between the consumer and the green brand requires a clear set of features and benefits related to reducing the environmental effects of the product. Developing a green-consumer brand relationship is a difficult task due to the complexities of the specific "green" sector. In this regard, this study tries to identify the indicators that are effective in the formation of green brand in dairy products by using the meta-synthesis method while paying integrated attention to all dimensions of the green brand. In this study, the results and findings of previous researchers were analyzed and by performing seven steps of this method, the final pattern for creating a green brand was identified. In order to extract data from texts, according to the extensive study of green brand literature and also using the opinions of professors and experts in marketing and sales of the dairy industry, initial coding and extraction of concepts and categories were performed. A total of 130 initial codes and 6 final categories were identified.
Introduction
Today, one of the most important parameters of industrial processes is green production, and the inclusion of the green brand to producers shows the importance of these industries in their responsibility to protect the environment and creates competitiveness at the level of reputable global organizations. Environmental strategy, which is influenced by stimuli such as social responsibility, environmental values ​​and concerns, and competitive pressures, is part of corporate business strategies. Pro-environmental consumer behaviors are different from general shopping behaviors. Public purchasing behavior is based on an assessment of their benefits and costs. In contrast, environmentally friendly behavior is unlikely to be based on profit or enjoyment, but is more forward-looking, and this behavior is in the interest of society, resulting in greater environmental awareness and a desire to purchase environmentally friendly products and services. Interest in environmental business has increased (Kaufmann et al., 2012). Consumer environmental concerns also increase the value of a product / service and can lead to consumer green brand preferences (Bashir et al., 2020). The trend of consumer protection market for green products has led to a significant increase in the number of products advertised as environmentally friendly and sales growth of such brands (Chen, 2010; Lin et al., 2017). Most consumers buy green goods because they are environmentally friendly and have more environmental benefits than other products. Also, green marketers need to emphasize quality, price and advertising to increase demand for green products (Thoo et al., 2019).
In this research, the researcher intends to study, identify and recognize the factors affecting the environmental orientations of the company, green marketing strategy and green brand to explain and design a model in Iran that can meet the future needs of the dairy community Be green. In this regard, this study tries to identify the indicators that play a role in the formation of the green brand in dairy products, while paying integrated attention to all aspects of the green brand. The question that this research seeks to answer is what factors and components does the green brand model for dairy products include?
Case study
This study includes dairy companies operating in Tehran province.
Materials and Methods
The main purpose of this research is to design a pattern for creating a green brand, so based on the purpose, this research is fundamental. And in terms of data collection, according to the nature of research, it is qualitative. To achieve the research objectives, the research process begins with the meta- Synthesis method with the seven-step approach of Sandolski and Barroso from the literature related to the green brand.
Discussion and Results
The most important achievement of this research can be considered as identifying the precedents of creating a green brand in the form of a model of causal, contextual, intervening factors and its consequences in a comprehensive and specific way in the dairy industry. Identifying and explaining the dimensions and elements of creating a green brand increases the possibility of making better decisions to offer environmentally friendly products and thus helps to achieve the goals of green marketing strategy at the level of customer engagement. Decisions on each of these dimensions must be made in relation to each other and based on organizational policies and actions, psychological and behavioral factors of consumers, and the characteristics of green products.
Conclusion
Although the results of this study in some respects are consistent with the results of previous studies on causal conditions (including three main categories; corporate factors, product factors and customer factors), but each of the previous studies identified only a few of these factors. They were scattered, as factors affecting the creation of green brands in various industries and did not have a comprehensive look at this issue. For example, Chi Tu et al. (2016) cite organizational culture, green supply chain, green services, and green brand success factors. The results of Garzilla and Fiorentina (2014) study also emphasize the role of green landscape, green innovation and green creativity in green management. Papista and Sergius (2019) on environmental awareness, commitment and self-perception, which is in line with the findings of this study. Managers of dairy companies should invest in strengthening psychological factors (level of environmental awareness, self-perception and commitment to the green brand) among consumers, because such investments increase the green benefits perceived by consumers and develop customer relationships. Identifying a new element of green machinery in explaining the creation of a green brand in the dairy industry is another achievement of this study.