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A new national study of green consumers is busting the stereotypes about them: The environment is not their top concern, their kids are not influencing them to be green, and while many know what they should do to save the planet, they often don’t do it. As a result, messages aimed at them often fall on deaf ears ...
Our Green Living Pulse study published last week, and our PR team has done such a good job of boiling down a few of the key findings, that I’m literally stealing from their press release here.
First, though, a bit of context. Shelton Group conducts four national consumer studies a year to keep our finger on the pulse of shifting attitudes and behaviors around energy and the environment. We use these insights to fuel the development of our advertising and communications work for our clients.
We’ve noticed that about 3/4 of the population consistently pops up as participating in at least some green attitudes and behaviors, and the Earthsense Eco-Insights study confirmed this.
So we reached out to the 77 percent of the population identified as green buyers in the most recent Eco-Insights study of 30,000 consumers and probed deeper on knowledge vs. behaviors, attitudes and messaging responsiveness. Through the course of our study, we busted six big myths that marketers have long held true about green consumers:
1. Myth: Green consumers’ top concern is the environment.
When asked to identify their top concern, the economy, by far, is No. 1 (with 59 percent calling it their top concern) and the environment falls far behind (8 percent).
2. Myth: Green consumers’ main motivation when reducing their energy use is to save the planet.
When asked the most important reason to reduce energy consumption, 73 percent chose “to reduce my bills/control costs” and only 26 percent chose “to lessen my impact on the environment.”
3. Myth: Green consumers are all-knowledgeable about environmental issues.
For example, the survey asked, “From what you have read or heard about CO2 (carbon dioxide) please place a check beside any of the following statements you think are true.” Almost half (49 percent) chose the incorrect answer, “It depletes the ozone layer.”
4. Myth: Green consumers fall into a simple demographic profile.
While the study detected some demographic tendencies, it found that green consumers aren’t easily defined by their age, income or ethnicity. Instead, the survey found that green consumers generally share one of two mindsets. The Engaged Green Mindset is marked by optimism, extroversion, and a propensity to try new things -- and is more likely to respond to themes of innovation and possibility. The Mainstream Green Mindset is more pessimistic, introverted and apt to like things known and tried -- responding to themes of security and reliability.
5. Myth: Children play a big part in influencing their parents to be green.
Only 20 percent of respondents with children said their kids encouraged them to be greener -- promoting recycling and turning off the lights, for example.
6. Myth: If people just knew the facts they’d make greener choices.
Green Living Pulse shows that knowledge does not always lead to behavior. Individuals who answered all of the science questions correctly did report participating in a significantly higher average number of green activities -- such as driving a fuel-efficient car or lowering their thermostat. However, the 25-34 age group consistently answered the question correctly, yet, on average, their green activity levels were lower than those of older respondents.
The moral of the story is this: Many marketers and, frankly, advertising agencies, are stereotyping green consumers and embracing many of these myths as fact. If green messages were simply better targeted, more people would be buying green products, conserving electricity and doing more to save the planet. If you’ve got a green ad campaign in the market now and you don’t feel like it’s driving inquiries the way it should, it’s a good bet it’s because the campaign is founded on myth rather than fact.
Suzanne C. Shelton is founder, president and CEO of Shelton Group, an advertising agency focused exclusively on motivating mainstream consumers to make sustainable choices. She writes a blog at http://www.sheltongroupinc.com/blog/, where this piece originally appeared.
Image CC licensed by Flickr user AMagill.
No surprise - these aren't really all "green" consumers
The so-called "green consumer" practices referenced are things consumer are likely doing to benefit themselves first and foremost, and that happen to have an environmental benefit. Saving energy saves money. Recycling reduces personal guilt and trash costs. Intention and willingness to invest must be considered in classifying green consumers, as well as awareness of and concern about environmental impacts past the individual. The bar line here seems too low, including many consumers who may not be considering the environmental at all. The lack of awareness about climate change, for example, clearly indicates this.
This study would also do well to incorporate segmentation to tease out the various shades of green, given the huge population variance involved, since one must market/communicate to them differently. Consumers who are taking the first steps out of self-interest need education on the environmental issues and benefits if they are to change their thinking and consumption to align with more truly green practices (including buying less, indeed). Those who put the environment first are likely more outward focused and want to know about benefits past themselves (which all consumers would do well to understand, if they really want to make sound purchasing choices).
Short Term View - it's the human way
I think it's VERY natural to think in such short term time spans. Humans are only around for a few short years and during that time we're busy doing seemingly inconsequential things in the eyes of the planet.
Trouble is that there are 6+ BILLION of us doing that same thing and that's just too much. The only way, reading this survey simply, to change that behavior is via laws/policies that price the green options cheaper than the 'less green' options.
Will that happen over time via capitalism and markets? Sure.
Trouble is that markets don't respond to the environmental needs of the planet (and by extension; humanity), only the short term human needs.
Each of us can make some small changes and influence the equation, but it'll take more than that... Leaving this one up to capitalism will deplete the planet and THEN figure out a cheaper way when the deletion actually occurs. Not before then... We all get blinded by the short term money.
Green Artist, since 1983 and Hand Painted EcOrnaments
Christmas and artistry seem to bring out the best in all green folk, whilst separating the compost from authentic green. People are especially candid with their true opinions when conversing with an artist, I find. Ms. Shelton's research is timely and brave. Wanted all to know that many, many consumers would expand their green practices and purchases if they didn't loose quality.
I have converted numerous online customers to, at the very least, consideration of a green lifestyle switch simply by the meticulous amount of detail painting I offer. Viewers see the exquisite beauty in Nature, rendered in a form that even the biggest Scrooge can relate to. They are inspired that green can be more than folksy. I have a decent amount of repeat business and am thrilled to report, 75-90% tell me they've increased their green practices from the previous year(s).
The wider the variety of green services, the more broad the appeal.
Mark Venaglia
Green Building Products Consumer
I work for an architecture firm as a sustainable design coordinator and one of my daily tasks is to scrutinize the sample products that we receive with green claims. I find it all too common that marketers use only their USGBC membership as a proof that their product is sustainable or a single line of text that says that it is eco-friendly. According to this study, apparently that works on a good deal of consumers.
I echo Jack Coleman's observation to tailor your message to your audience and that, if you are going to send a material to a firm's green building specialist, you expect them to scrutinize the authenticity of your project's claims.
I also wish that marketers would market their product's typical recyclable contents up front and their locations of their materials' harvest/procurement and manufacture to make the documentation process a little more streamlined and make us enjoy doing business with them on green projects.
Great Grist
Fascinating to see how closely your conclusions based on market research align with my experience as a green-product purveyor who has been on the "front lines". Just couple of observations:
1. Tailor your message to your audience. You can appeal to the "engaged user" or to the "mainstream user", but you must discern the difference and shape your message accordingly. To the Engaged user, prove that you are the most sustainable, and to the Mainstream user, that you are the most energy-efficient (I agree that the word "green" may have to be jettisoned here.)
2. Is it possible that the dichotomy between these groups correlates to political posture? Don't your descriptions of 'innovative' vs. 'pessimistic' remind you strongly of two political parties?
3. Taking that further, there are wild differences geographically. My experience so far is that acceptance on the West Coast (Blue region) is diametrically opposed to pessimism of the Midwest (largely Red).
So it's good to remember that the word "Green" has political connotations that can be counterproductive.
Jack Coleman
What is 'green'?
First off I think we must classify who is a 'green' consumer. I can tell you after reading the responses by those who answered the survey, they aren't anywhere close to 'green'. Anyone who cares about the economy first and environment last is not a green consumer. Economic growth isn't sustainable, therefore isn't green. This survey provides no aid to companies looking to market to green consumers. What companies need to understand is how consumers value products. Green or anything like it is just one aspect of how and why consumers purchase.
What the survey did show is that the word 'green' needs to go. It is so vague and cannot be used to classify any group of people, product, or lifestyle. It's so watered down now.
Truly environmentally aware consumers are more educated, and make decisions almost entirely differently than what the 'survey' showed.
no surprise
Maybe it's me, but not much in this report is a surprise. I think that 20% of kids asking their parents to change behavior is a HUGE number. I remember asking my mom to quit smoking, but do we think kids ever were involved in much positive behavior change conversations before this topic? (I say positive because I know I asked my parents to let me eat sugar cereal, and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone).
Of course the environment isn't the FIRST thing on their minds when making a purchase. Chances are, if it was, they wouldn't make that purchase. The idea is to arm consumers with the best information available about their choices- price, quality, style AND environmental impact, and then let them decide. Environment will likely rarely, but at least they will be able to make choices based on the information.
So while many of these were myths to you before, the fact is, the only negative in your findings is that people haven't learned more about an issue that will have more effect on them then any down economy. So we all need to focus on education in a way that consumers will listen.
thanks,
craig flax
ceo
good things green