LiveGreenNOW

According to a recent study of 30,000 consumers put forth by Earthsense Eco-Insights, about 75% of the population consistently pops up as participating in at least some green attitudes, knowledge and behaviors. The study shatters five myths that many marketers have long held true about green consumers, and showed that it’s really all about the GREEN:

1. Myth: The environment is #1 concern.
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). *Local business may want to refocus marketing efforts towards economic impacts to get consumers attention, instead of enlisting their help in saving the rainforests.

2. Myth: Greenies are motivated to reduce their energy consumption in order 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.” *Rebuilding green DOES save money, and reduce bills/control costs in a relatively short amount of time. Many options offer tax credits and rebates, but require vendor assistance in sorting through the mounds of paperwork in order to benefit.

3. Myth: Greenies are environmental know-it-alls.
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.” Living green begins with baby steps. Educate consumers at their own level.

4. Myth: There’s only one shade of Green.
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:
1) The Engaged Green Mindset is optimistic, extroverted, with a propensity to try new things — and is more likely to respond to themes of innovation and possibility.
2) 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: 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: Many marketers, as well as their ad agencies, stereotype green consumers 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. Is your green ad campaign turning brown? It may be because the campaign is founded on myth rather than fact.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 31st, 2009 at 12:56 am and is filed under Green Growth, Green Street. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.