Marketing Strategies for Vertical Vegetation in India: A Dissertation

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DISSERTATION
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction....................................................................................................................3
Background of the marketing context..........................................................................................3
Background of the country chosen..............................................................................................3
Research Rationale......................................................................................................................4
Research Aim...............................................................................................................................6
Research Questions......................................................................................................................6
Significance of the research.........................................................................................................6
Chapter 2: Literature review............................................................................................................7
Introduction..................................................................................................................................7
Vertical Vegetation......................................................................................................................7
Current conditions of the country................................................................................................8
Initiatives are taken by the country............................................................................................10
Benefits of the vertical vegetation.............................................................................................12
Marketing and its role................................................................................................................13
Marketing strategies that can be useful.....................................................................................16
Literature Gap............................................................................................................................17
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................18
Chapter 3: Methodology................................................................................................................19
Introduction................................................................................................................................19
Research Philosophy..................................................................................................................20
Research Approach....................................................................................................................21
Research Methods......................................................................................................................22
Research Strategy......................................................................................................................22
Time Horizon.............................................................................................................................23
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Research Design........................................................................................................................23
Sampling....................................................................................................................................23
Sample Size...............................................................................................................................24
Sampling Techniques.................................................................................................................24
Data Collection and Analysis....................................................................................................24
Ethical Considerations...............................................................................................................25
Limitations of Research.............................................................................................................25
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................27
Chapter 4: Data Collection............................................................................................................28
Primary data collection..............................................................................................................28
Qualitative data collection.........................................................................................................29
Quantitative data........................................................................................................................29
Survey....................................................................................................................................29
Sample...................................................................................................................................29
Chapter 5: Data analysis................................................................................................................31
CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.................................................51
CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................51
RECOMMENDATIONS...........................................................................................................53
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................54
Appendix........................................................................................................................................67
Questionnaire.............................................................................................................................67
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Chapter 1: Introduction
Background of the marketing context
In the words of Bisoniya et al. (2015), marketing is one of the most significant activities that play
a vital role in ensuring the success of any business organisation. Marketing is not something that
is associated only with selling, in almost all of the cases; it is associated with the power of
bringing about some of the essential changes in the market as well. Marketing is an effective
conglomeration of all the activities and the concepts that can be used by the organisations for
selling a particular product in the market. There are of course several ideas as well as theories,
which make the overall process of marketing indeed an effective one.
Green Marketing is one of the recent concepts that have taken over the industries. In the words of
Devaraju et al. (2015), in a situation like this, when the environment has been changing, green
marketing is indeed something that has revolutionized the market. As the name suggests, green
marketing is about all of the business activities as well as the strategies that are being adopted
keeping the factors of environmental sustainability in mind. While considering the modern
lifestyle of most of the places, overpopulation, underdevelopment is some of the significant
attributes of the modern population. The range of pollution as well as global warming has
increased significantly in this regard. It is believed that the practise, as well as the
implementation of some of the strategies such as the green population or the vertical population,
is some of the factors that can prove to be useful in this regard.
Background of the country chosen
For understanding the current conditions of the environment and the ways, these are being
affected, the case study of India have been selected. Located in the southeastern parts of the
Asian subcontinent, India ranks itself in the list of the most densely populated countries in the
world. There are some of the factors like deforestation, global warming etc, that have indeed
contributed to the increasing rate of environmental disaster in this country. However, for the past
years, Indians have become aware of these environmental conditions. and are much interested in
taking steps for protecting the environment. But since, India ranks itself as one of the fastest
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developing countries in the contemporary times, hence new and more advanced buildings are
quite common in the country.
In the words of Devaraju et al. (2015), the rate of pollutions has also been on the increasing go.
Hence, it became necessary for the government of the country to develop innovative ideas that
can help the country n coping up with the changes. Research of determining such activities,
which can be useful in coping up with the changes, has always been carried out. It was then, the
concept of green buildings was introduced. In the words of Bisoniya et al. (2015), the concept
was readily agreed upon by the chief architects of the country as this was the perfect combination
of the modernisation as well as the vegetation that was useful in reducing the impacts on the
environment in an effective way.
Research Rationale
It is a known fact, that with the advent of modernisation and the urge to lead a lifeguarded by the
amenities of all types, it is the living beings on the earth, who have suffered the mot. More
number of trees have been cut down, the air is also polluted just for giving space to these modern
high risers. In the words of Bisoniya et al.(2015), the thirst of leading a modern life is so high,
that the people are even ready to put their own life at risk just for the sake of keeping up with the
modern standards. The statistics regarding the health of the citizens have clearly pointed out that
the rate of illness particularly the respiratory diseases have increased greatly. In the current state,
7 out of every 10 individuals are suffering from some type of the respiratory diseases. In most of
the cases, the children under 7 years are the most affected by these. The issues are identified
particularly in the case of the bigger cities as well, where the green plants have been removed
and replaced with artificial trees made of asphalt and concrete. The problems have increased
more due to these.
As discussed in the above sections, the need of a hybrid technology that can actually solve both
of these, have always been on the market. The expansion of the trend particularly in the big
Indian cities has actually worsened the situation extensively. The WHO has pointed out that the
cutting down of trees as well as the increasing trends of modernisation have indeed proved to be
a devastating one for the health of the citizens of the country. The need of something that can
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actually provide a both side solution to these problem, have always been on the need. It was then
the factors of green vegetation or rather the vertical vegetation came into market.
One of the significant advantages of this type of vegetation is that this helped in solving the
issues of modern life as well as the vegetation in an extensive manner. No space is wasted and
this is one of the reasons, which have contributed towards the increasing popularity of these
types of concepts. In the words of Lawrence and Vandecar (2015), how the individuals have
responded to these changes is of course something that can contribute towards the overwhelming
success of these in the times to come. In most of the cases, the vertical vegetation helps in saving
space, along with providing space for the building as well. So, one can enjoy the modern
amenities as well as a healthy life at the same time.
However, things are always not easy and effective, as it seems. The concept is relatively new in
the market; therefore many of the architects lack an in-depth idea about the topic. Thus in spite
of the immense advantages that are expected to be enjoyed by these, the effects of these have not
been much of an effective one. However, hopes have not yet dawned and as put forward by
Norder et al. (2017), the effects of these are much longer-lasting, so the acceptance of these in
the construction of the buildings in case of India is of course inevitable.
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Research Aim
 The research is aimed towards developing effective marketing strategies that can be
useful by the marketers to successfully implement the ideas of vertical vegetation in the
Indian subcontinent.
 To assess the contribution of the vertical vegetation towards the sustainability
 To identify that there is an economically viable model that helps community and company.
Research Questions
 What can be the business model that can be adopted for vertical vegetation in India?
 Who will be the targeted audience for vertical vegetation?
 What will be the pricing strategy for selling vertical vegetation as a product?
 What isthe intensity of effectiveness of the concepts of vertical vegetation in solving the
issues of the climatic changes in case of the Indian sub-continent ?
Significance of the research
The research is mainly developed to determine the marketing strategies that can prove to be
useful in promoting the concepts of vertical vegetation in the Indian subcontinent. The project
will provide an effective idea as to how the concepts of the vertical vegetation can prove to be
effective for solving the issues of the environment in case of the Indian subcontinent. The project
that will thus be conducted will; of course, prove to be effective in providing an effective idea
about the role of the vertical vegetation in solving the issues of the deteriorating weather
conditions as well as the different advantages that are obtained from it. The effectiveness of these
along with the future of this in modeling up the engineering needs will also be included in the
below research project.
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Chapter 2: Literature review
Introduction
The literature review segment is one of the most effective segments of the research project,
which is thus being conducted. The literature review provides a clear overview of the topic as
well as all of the other related concepts after researching a range of books, journals as well as the
PDFs. The literature review that will be conducted in the below sections will provide an effective
idea as to what is vertical vegetation, the different benefits that can be obtained from it along
with the ability of the concept in restoring the environment. The different marketing strategies
that can prove to be useful in this regard will also be included in the above sections.
Vertical Vegetation
According to Rutten et al. (2015) in this research paper the author says that the structure of the
vegetation gives the structure to the environment. The vegetation aids biodiversity and runs the
cycle of ecosystem, thus the vegetation structure are responsible for management and organising
the ecosystem of the earth (Vetter et al., 2011).
Vertical vegetation is the type of plantation that can be grown not on the ground but walls. The
aim is to make green walls and grow as many trees as possible to increase the oxygen level of the
planet (Deák et al., 2014). The vertical vegetation is in variety of forms, there are vertical
gardens, polar moss, reindeer moss etc. thus not only through growing the vegetation in vertical
pots but also the whole wall can be made out of plants or vegetation (Lindberg et al., 2012).
These structures of vegetation are also termed as the indicators of the whole ecosystem that tells
the condition of the ecosystem (Sun et al., 2011).
To grow these vegetation structure labors and expert knowledge is needed to grow the vegetation
in a proper and fruitful manner. In this research there were various structural measures used
which are consistent with the analysis gradient of above 850 m above the sea level (Chow et al.,
2011). The man-made habitats were also evaluated like maze fields, grasslands, fields for
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growing for commercial purpose, these were evaluated with the natural habitats of wildlife and
the impact of the manmade vegetation on the wildlife (Erten et al., 2015).
The differences between the horizontal and vertical vegetation were made to determine the
sustainability and the impact of this respective vegetation structure on the habitats of wildlife
(Wu et al., 2012). Both types of vegetation structure have some respective complexities and
differences like horizontal vegetation requires a lot of space over the land and under the soil also
the vertical vegetation has the complexity that big trees and plants that yield fruits cannot be
grown vertically (Ferger et al., 2014).
The vertical vegetation structure was evaluated based on number, each plants width, the density
of the plants, maximum height, number of vegetation layers, leaf index (Hindle, 2012). This
evaluation showed that the vertical vegetation has a unimodal i.e. same model in all types of
vertical vegetation (Zhao et al., 2016).
The horizontal vegetation was also evaluated on the vegetation layers, width, height and the leaf
index but the horizontal structure was lower at some layers whereas the vertical structure was
overall very lower in all the parameters in the manmade structures than the natural habitats
created by nature (Ussyshkin et al., 2011). The horizontal structure was different in different
parameters in terms of manmade and natural habitat as the respective habitat type of different
needs and requirements (Hall et al., 2011). This study was focused on how the vertical vegetation
and horizontal vegetation can be used for supporting the ecosystem and natural habitats in the
tropical regions (Wu et al., 2016). The study defined the vertical vegetation is also able to
contribute to the sustainability of the natural environment of the earth and how it is different
from the horizontal vegetation that is made naturally within nature (Wilson et al., 2013).
Current conditions of the country
India ranks itself in the 3rd position among the most populated countries in the world. With an
overall population of more than 1.3 billion, it is an obvious fact, that space is one of the most
significant issues that are faced by the Indian. Inspire of having the most number of populations
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in the world, the country is indeed bundled with several issues particularly in the environmental
genre. However, India has been successful enough in participating in the race if being the most
economically stable countries, similar efforts are not identified, when it comes to preserving the
environment. It is quite an avid fact, that neglecting the environment as well as its degradation
can of course cause some of the significant and long-lasting damages to the country.
It has been identified that the population of the country increases by a percentage of more than
15% every year and everyone needs space for living. In the words of Norder et al. (2017), the
land boundaries of the country are not increasing at any cost, no matter how much space is
needed. There is no solution than to cut down the trees and make space for the individuals. The
research that has been carried out in this regard have pointed out that more than 40 lakh trees
have been cut down in almost every year in the name of modernisation. It has also been
identified that till now more than 1 million hectares of trees have been cut down in the country
till date just to make way for the new standards of living. In most of the cases, the trees are also
cut illegally in the forests. The most important effect of these types of artificial deforestation is
on the air of the country and the reports that have been published in this regard have also pointed
out towards a similar story. In the past years, the rate of air pollution has increased by more than
15% yearly and is also expected to increase more in the upcoming years. The rate of airborne
diseases has also increased alarmingly owing to this. It has been identified that three out of every
five individuals have been affected by the airborne diseases of some type or the other.
In the words of Bisoniya et al (2015), when it comes to India, it has been identified that the
degradation of the forests and hence the degradation of the land are some of the major reasons
that have contributed to this. The research that has been carried out in this regard have pointed
out towards the burning of the forest fuels as the most significant sources of pollutions that have
contributed to these. Among the different pollutions that are caused due to these, air pollution is
considered as the worst in the lot. In a report that has been provided by IEA ( International
Energy Agency) it has been identified that within the air 2040, it is estimated that there will be
more than 9 lakh of premature death in the country just because of the deforestation. It has also
been identified that the average life expectancies on the next 10 years are expected to reduce by
more than 15 months on an average basis in the years to come.
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The air pollutions of the country are increasing greatly and the country currently holds 141st
rank among the top 180 most air polluted countries in the world. But there has been no such
awareness in case of the Indian citizen regarding this (My India., 2016).
Initiatives are taken by the country
However, in recent times, there have been several initiatives that have been adopted by the
Indian government in both the national as well as the state levels. In the words of Haule et al
(2016) many cities of the Indian sub-continent have been developing strategies and programs for
planting trees with the sole aim of protecting the environment. In the words of Norder et al
(2017), it needs to be understood that planting trees is not only beneficial for the environment,
but it also helps in enhancing the physical as well as the mental state of the individuals. Planting
trees has manifold effects on the Indian subcontinent, this also helps in reducing the air as well as
the water pollutions extensively, and it reduces the impacts of the climate change extensively.
Considering the fact, that the world is getting more and more urbanized in the passing years, the
need for housing and the transport needs have also increased alarmingly.
As part of the initiatives, the TeanagakuHarita Haram (TKHH) program – an initiative by the
government of the state of Telangana in the southern part of India deserves a special mention in
this list. For addressing the extreme heatwaves in the southern part of the country, the
government of the country came up with this initiative in the year 2015 intending to plant more
than 2.3 billion trees within the year 2019. The program started with an initial budget of INR
5500 crores that convert to 795 million USD. The main aim of t TKHH was to increase the forest
cover of the state by 33% in the year 2019. The primary objective of the program was to
rejuvenate as well as reforest the different degraded forests of the place and protect the forests
against the incidents of fire, grazing as well as encroachment.
A range of local and national bodies, as well as the NGOs, came together for ensuring the
success of the program. The program received huge positive responses from almost all sections
of society. Several departments were involved in these and the roles and the responsibilities of
each of them were planned and divided among the departments.
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Figure 1: The effectiveness of TeanagakuHarita Haram in Telangana
(Source: Linkedin.com.2019)
The above figure provides a clear idea regarding the effectiveness of the program in fulfilling the
needs and the demands for which it was designed. It can be clearly understood that in the year
2015 only 2.90 billion trees were planted, that increase to 181.56 billion in the year 2016. The
growth in the graph is indeed rapid and this points out towards the increasing motivation as well
as the participation of the enthusiasts in the entire process. The graph witnessed further growth in
the years 2017 and 2018. At the end of 2018, the number rose to more than 675 million of
plantations, thus accounting for more than 29% of the overall target, that has been decided
(Linkedin.com. ,2019). In fact for ensuring the safety and the protection of the saplings, a proper
protection committee was also designed. The committee aimed to ensure that the saplings that
are planted are safe and are not harmed in any way. The committee also ensures that the saplings
are getting food and water and they are also growing up properly.
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