Holistic marketing: modeling the behavior of consumers of fair-trade products

Abstract

Introduction. Social inequalities and climate change influence people's perception of society and the situation of the planet, generating a change of attitude oriented towards the rational use of resources, healthy eating and respect for the environment, which leads to Fair Trade. In this context, the Escuela Superior Polytechnical del Chimborazo (ESPOCH) proposes a plan to position itself as a Latin American Fair-Trade Polytechnic, establishing several strategic fronts considered from holistic marketing, brand design and ICTs, as tools for behavior modeling of consumers. Objective. Search for alternative solutions to the problem of creating a market for FT products with the potential use of holistic marketing, proposing alternative solutions to socioeconomic and environmental problems for sustainable development. Methodology. It is based on a bibliographic analysis that reveals the controversial essence of holistic marketing, and determines the mechanisms to apply it to the management of promotion and sales of Fair-Trade products in conjunction with the design and dissemination of the brand in social networks using ICT tools. Results. In a survey of 2,208 polytechnic students, consumer behavior is explored and strategies are determined to position the brand of ESPOCH, Latin American Fair-Trade Polytechnic. Conclusions. The research proposes the use of holistic marketing in symbiosis with the design of the brand and promotion in social networks, as tools for the improvement of consumption criteria, and to have the necessary inputs to develop a correct training program.