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Consumers Skeptical of Environmental Claims

Americans are interested in the facts about a product's environmental claims but have little faith. They are however swayed by certain eco-labels. These findings have important implications for the marketing of sustainability efforts.

When purchasing an environmental product people are increasingly looking beyond the superficial issues. According to the 2011 Cone Green Gap Trend Tracker, almost half (43 percent) of consumers actively seek out environmental information on the products they buy, but an equal number (44 percent) do not trust companies. Eight in ten Americans do not believe companies are addressing all of their environmental impacts, and only 44 percent trust companies.

Although environmental imagery on packaging would sway only 44 percent of consumers, almost twice that number (81 percent) indicated they are likely to be swayed by an ecolabel such as Energy Star or WaterSense.

People are generally interested in knowing more about a products environmental claims. Some 80 percent of respondents indicated they would choose a product if its packaging featured specific detailed information.

The survey indicates that only slightly more than a third (36 percent) of those surveyed said they thought that products labeled “environmentally friendly” have a positive impact on the environment – rather than just being less damaging than non-green products. This represents a 12 percent decrease from 2010 when 48 percent indicated that products labeled green have a positive impact on the environment.

There is also some negative associations regarding the cost and quality of green products. Some 42 percent of Americans have been discouraged from buying a green product because they believed it cost more than the traditional product, and a third believed the environmentally preferred product would not be of equal quality, the survey says.

Skepticism is a real threat to the bottom line as the research suggests that more than three quarters (77 percent) of the people surveyed indicated would be willing to boycott a company if misled.

Transparency is a good way to gain credibility, but this only makes sense as long as company claims are verifiable. To this end independent third party verification may help to build consumer trust.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Don't Count on the Young to Save the Planet

Many believe that the young are more environmentally oriented, but according to new research this is simply not true. A new study suggests that young people are not concerned about the environment. This research has important implications for the planet and for marketers. Not only are younger people unlikely to work towards a more sustainable future they may also be unlikely to use their buying power to invest in that future.

The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology published findings based on two national surveys of high school seniors and college freshmen that have been taken for more than 40 years. Academic analysis of the surveys shows the so-called Millennial Generation (born after 1982) actually is less interested in the environment and conservation than baby boomers and Gen Xers (born 1962–1981) were at the same age.

As reviewed by Bart King, in a Sustainable Brands article, Millennials are not the environmental saviors that many had hoped for.

Fifteen percent of Millennials said they have made no effort to help the environment, compared to 8 percent of Gen Xers and 5 percent of baby boomers. A total of one third (33 percent) of Baby boomers said it was important to become personally involved in programs to clean up the environment, while only a quarter (25 percent) of Gen Xers and even few Millenials (21 percent) shared that view.

In terms of the percentage who said they had made an effort to conserve electricity and fuel used to heat their homes, 78 percent of Baby boomers said they do so, along with 71 percent of Gen Xers. However only 56 percent of Millennials indicated they had made an effort to more efficiently heat their homes.

Jean Twenge, a San Diego State University psychology professor and one of the study's authors told AP that Millennials lack of environmental interest is a reflection of the predominant view of the prevailing culture.

Earlier this year Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited commissioned the Millennial Survey 2011, which found Millennials place greater emphasis on the potential of business to solve some of the greatest societal and environmental challenges.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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