Marketers Warned To Stay Clear Of “Green Trap”

Environmental Leader reports on new research from BBMG into the minds of consumers showing that although eco-friendly words play an important role in shopping practices, consumers are expecting companies to back up claims with environment-specific action.

Here are a few other findings from the BBMG poll:

• Personal Issues Are Most Important—Consumers’ most important issues are the ones that affect their health and wellness most directly, such as safe drinking water (90 percent), clean air (86 percent) and finding cures for diseases like cancer, AIDS and Alzheimers (84 percent). By comparison, only 63 percent describe global warming as the most or a very important issue.
• Greater Than Green—Americans readily self-identify as “conscious consumers” (88 percent well, 37 percent very well), “socially responsible” (88 percent well, 39 percent very well) and “environmentally-friendly” (86 percent well, 34 percent very well). By contrast, fewer respondents self-identify as “green” (65 percent well, 18 percent very well), which is viewed as more exclusive.
• Beyond Convenience—While price (58 percent very important) and quality (66 percent very important) are paramount, convenience (34 percent very important) has been edged out by more socially relevant attributes: where a product is made (44 percent very important), how energy efficient it is (41 percent very important) and its health benefits (36 percent very important) are all integral to consumers’ purchasing decisions.

For more resources on green shopping, visit Earth 911′s Shopping page.