Title: Green marketing applications: internet usage on public perceptions of hydraulic fracturing within the oil and gas industry

Authors: Alan D. Smith

Addresses: Department of Marketing, Robert Morris University, Pittsburgh, PA 15219-3099, USA

Abstract: As the oil and gas industry explodes in the Appalachian region, the internet has become publicly engaged with a multitude of ad campaigns and informational websites - created both by industry representatives as well as non-industry related groups - dedicated to swaying the public in regard to controversial oil and gas drilling techniques, such as hydraulic fracturing. Based on the negative superiority effect, the negative propaganda geared toward undermining the oil and gas industry's operations will have a more persuasive effect on public perception and will lead to an overall negative opinion of oil and gas industry operatives. Based on an empirical study, it was suggested that the industry mount educational campaigns to counter the enormous amount of negative blogs and web-based materials found on hydraulic fracking and other oil and gas procedures.

Keywords: big oil; eco-friendly strategies; green marketing; hydraulic fracturing; fracking; Marcellus Shale; negative superiority effect; internet usage; public perceptions; oil and gas industry; educational campaigns; blogs; social media.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPMB.2015.070815

International Journal of Process Management and Benchmarking, 2015 Vol.5 No.3, pp.247 - 279

Received: 26 Aug 2014
Accepted: 08 Sep 2014

Published online: 28 Jul 2015 *

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