Consumers Still Driven to Buy “Green”
A just-released Cone Inc. study finds that consumers are aware and trying to buy in alignment with their environmental values – even in this bad economy. To quote the release:
- 35 percent of Americans have higher interest in the environment today than they did one year ago;
- 35 percent of Americans (37 percent for women surveyed/32 percent for the men) have higher expectations for companies to make and sell environmentally responsible products and services during the economic downturn; and,
- 70 percent of Americans indicate that they are paying attention to what companies are doing with regard to the environment today, even if they cannot buy until the future.
A few more gender breakdown “nuggets” on specific study points that Cone shared with me just now:
“I am paying attention to what companies are doing regarding the environment today, even if I cannot buy until the future”
Total: 70%
Women: 75%
Men: 65%
“I am actively seeking opportunities to buy environmentally responsible products and will do so if it’s within my budget”
Total: 69%
Women: 74%
Men: 63%
Their sample was roughly 1000 people – half male/half female. As you can see - when you look at women alone, the percentages for “higher expectations” go up even more. Hmmm.
So, don’t assume your brand can give up on “green” to ride out these tough times. If your customers are sticking to their environmental ways through thick and thin (or at least trying very hard to so do), they’ll expect you to do the same.
