Individuals taking baby steps to reduce ecological footprints
Almost three-quarters (72 percent) of U.S. adults believe their personal actions are significant on the environment, while just over one in five adults (22 percent) believe their actions are not significant. Women are much more likely than men (77 percent versus 67 percent) to believe that their actions are significant. In fact, 35 percent of women believe their actions are very significant on the environment, compared to 21 percent of men who believe the same, according to a survey conducted by Rochester, N.Y., research company Harris Interactive. Republicans are less likely to say their personal actions on the environment are significant (63 percent versus 78 percent for Democrats and 77 percent for Independents). More than half of U.S. adults have made changes in their lives that they believe will help sustain the environment. When it comes to making changes, Independents are the most likely to have done so (63 percent), followed by Democrats (57 percent) and Republicans (44 percent).
Although the phrase “environmental sustainability” appears to be popular, it may not be registering with all Americans. Fifty-eight percent say they have not heard the phrase “environmental sustainability” used, while 42 percent have heard it. Just under half of echo Boomers (those aged 18-31) and Gen-X consumers (those aged 32-43) have heard the phrase used (46 percent and 47 percent, respectively), while three in 10 matures (those aged 63 and older) have heard it used.
After assessing initial familiarity, Harris Interactive provided a definition of “environmental sustainability” (i.e., taking from the Earth only what it can provide indefinitely, thus leaving future generations as much as we have access to ourselves). In this case, just over half of Americans (53 percent) say they have done something to change their lifestyle to make it more environmentally sustainable, while one-quarter say they have not.
Education seems to play a role in whether people have made a change. Forty-six percent of those with a high-school education or less have changed their lifestyle, compared to 65 percent of those with a post-graduate degree.
Almost everyone who has made a change to their lifestyle is recycling (91 percent). Seventy-three percent are paying bills online and/or receiving paperless statements. Nearly half (49 percent) are buying more locally-produced food and/or goods, and many are buying green household products (47 percent) and installing resource-friendly appliances (46 percent). Some are no longer purchasing plastic water bottles (30 percent), commuting to work in ways other than by car (16 percent), carpooling (16 percent), changing light bulbs (4 percent) and buying hybrids (3 percent).
But not everyone is doing something to change their lifestyle. The top reason cited by 34 percent of those who have not changed their lifestyle is that they do not know what to do. Three in 10 say they haven’t changed their lifestyle because it won’t make any difference, followed by 22 percent who say they tend to forget until afterwards to do something differently. One in five (19 percent) have not done anything because it is too expensive, while one in 10 say they don’t have the time.
Thinking about the future and the possibility of living a sustainable life, 67 percent of Americans say it will be possible for people to actually live an environmentally sustainable life, while 22 percent say it will not be possible. One thing to note is that just one in five say it definitely will be possible, while 47 percent believe it probably will be possible. While 64 percent of those with a high-school degree or less say it will be possible, 78 percent with a post-graduate degree believe the same. For more information visit www.harrisinteractive.com.
Red, white and blue lagging in going green
Consumers in Brazil and India tie for the highest Greendex score (which measures environmentally-sustainable consumption and behavior among consumers in 14 countries), at 60 points each, according to Greendex 2008, a worldwide tracking survey conducted by the National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C., and Toronto research company GlobeScan. Brazil and India are followed by consumers in China (56.1), Mexico (54.3), Hungary (53.2) and Russia (52.4). Among consumers in wealthy countries, those in Great Britain, Germany and Australia each have a Greendex score of 50.2. Those in Spain register a score of 50.0, and Japanese respondents 49.1. U.S. consumers have the lowest Greendex score, at 44.9. The other lowest-scoring consumers are Canadians with 48.5 and the French with 48.7.
Consumers in developing countries feel more responsible for environmental problems than those in developed countries, and six in 10 people in developing countries report that environmental problems are negatively affecting their health - twice as many as in most developed countries. Moreover, consumers in developing countries feel strongest that global warming will worsen their way of life in their lifetime, are the most engaged when it comes to talking and listening about the environment, feel the most guilt about their environmental impact and are willing to do the most to minimize that impact.
Their behavior reflects their concern. People in developing countries are more likely to live in smaller residences; prefer green products and own relatively few appliances or expensive electronic devices; walk, cycle or use public transportation and choose to live close to their most common destination. By contrast, consumers in developed countries, who have more environmentally-friendly options to choose from, often don’t make those choices. They have larger homes and are more likely to have air-conditioning; own more cars, drive alone most frequently and use public transport infrequently; and are least-likely to buy environmentally-friendly products and to avoid environmentally-unfriendly products.
U.S. consumers scored worse than those in any other country, developing or developed, on housing, transportation and goods. They are, by far, the least-likely to use public transportation, walk or bike to their destinations or to eat locally-grown foods. They have among the largest average residence size in the survey. Only 15 percent say they minimize their use of fresh water. For more information visit www.globescan.com.
Money is no object for LOHAS consumers
Compared to other consumers, LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) consumers are the top spenders in many consumer packaged goods (CPG) categories offering a higher development of organic, natural or environmentally-friendly options, such as produce, cereal, soup, eggs, pasta, nuts and light bulbs. Eighty-one percent of LOHAS households purchase products labeled as organic, spending nearly four times as much as unconcerned consumers (consumers not on the eco-radar), according to research from New York researcher The Nielsen Company and Harleyville, Pa., research company the Natural Marketing Institute (NMI). Nielsen and NMI’s analysis shows that LOHAS consumers also show their commitment to a healthy, sustainable lifestyle through their purchases of products with health claims, such as gluten-free, multi-grain and probiotic. For example, LOHAS consumers spend more than twice as much on sprouted grain and GMO-free (genetically-modified organisms) products.
Opportunities for CPG manufacturers and retailers seeking to capture the LOHAS consumer wallet include non-carbonated soft drinks, baking mixes and indulgences, such as frozen novelties and syrups. NMI estimates U.S. LOHAS products to be a $209 billion industry, and projects U.S. sales of LOHAS products to be more than $400 billion by 2010. “One in five U.S. consumers are LOHAS consumers - passionate, environmental, socially-responsible stewards,” says Patti Marshman-Goldblatt, senior vice president, NMI. “These consumers are early adopters, loyal to companies whose values match their own and, validated by our research, willing to put their money where their mouths are.”
There are also significant differences in store choice between LOHAS and non-green consumers. Compared to conventional consumers (a segment of the population driven to environmental sustainability by traditional means, such as cost savings), LOHAS consumers spend 10 percent more in warehouse clubs than other channels, such as grocery stores, drug stores or supercenters. Naturalites (health-motivated consumers) and unconcerned consumers tend to shop in lower-cost channels, such as supercenters and dollar stores, each segment spending 43 percent more in supercenters than expected. LOHAS consumers also spend more than non-green consumers in virtually every department of the store, with the exception of the meat department, which is perhaps a reflection of vegetarian lifestyles. For more information visit www.nielsen.com.
Hispanics back up their environmental views with action
Hispanics worldwide may be the most receptive to green marketing and the most willing to modify their behavior to benefit the environment. The Green Life, a study from New York research company TNS North America, explores the different lifestyles, attitudes and behaviors of consumers and explores the steps they are willing to take to become more environmentally friendly. Eight different segments were identified, and the Respectful Stewards (Madre de Tierra Verde), the segment most heavily-populated with Hispanic respondents (86 percent), comprised 7 percent of the consumers surveyed and stood out as an excellent target for promoting green.
Though lower-income and living in large urban households, respondents in this segment were willing to pay more for environmentally-friendly products; were twice as likely to be influenced in their day-to-day purchasing decisions by environmental issues than the general U.S. population; and, when asked about the environment, Earth and nature, had a distinct emphasis on deforestation, water pollution and fouling of the Earth, while most other groups only emphasized overdevelopment.
In global results, the Latin American countries surveyed trended with the U.S.-based Hispanics. A comparison of the 17 countries represented in the research found that the Latin American countries (Mexico, Brazil and Argentina) scored overwhelmingly higher in their concern for the environment when compared to the rest of the world.
When compared specifically to the United States, the key findings were as follows: more than 60 percent of Latin Americans polled said they have changed their behavior significantly to benefit the environment, compared with only 36 percent of Americans; Latin Americans purchase decisions are more highly influenced by a product’s green credentials at 62 percent compared to U.S. consumers at only 26 percent; and similar results were found where Latin Americans were influenced by companies that have environmentally-friendly reputations at 53 percent versus 19 percent for the U.S. For more information visit www.tnsglobal.com.
Americans tripped up by eco-semantics
Americans are misunderstanding key phrases commonly used in environmental marketing and advertising, giving products a greater environmental halo than they deserve and creating a growing risk of backlash, according to findings from the 2008 Green Gap Survey, conducted by Boston research company Cone LLC and the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship.
Almost four in 10 Americans are preferentially buying products they believe to be environmentally friendly. At the same time, 48 percent of the population erroneously believes a product marketed as “green” or “environmentally friendly” has a positive (i.e., beneficial) impact on the environment. Only 22 percent understand that these terms more accurately describe products with less negative environmental impact than previous versions or competing products.
The survey shows that Americans do not realize this green gap exists. Forty-seven percent trust companies to tell them the truth in environmental messaging, and 45 percent believe companies are accurately communicating information about their impact on the environment. Sixty-one percent of Americans say they understand the environmental terms companies use in their advertising.
“The gap creates significant risk of embarrassment for companies and disillusionment for consumers,” says Mike Lawrence, executive vice president, corporate responsibility, Cone LLC. “Activists are closely monitoring green claims and can quickly share information online about the actual environmental impact of a product. The result can be accusations that a company is engaging in greenwashing and is misleading the public.”
Despite not recognizing the existing green gap, 59 percent of Americans support a move by the government to ensure the accuracy of environmental messaging by regulating it. In addition to government, Americans believe other entities can play an important oversight role to ensure accuracy in environmental messaging: certification by third-party organizations (80 percent); review and reporting by watchdog groups, news media, bloggers, etc. (78 percent); regulation by government (76 percent); and self-policing by industry or business groups (75 percent).
“The fact that Americans are so primed to trust companies may suggest the lack of control they feel around complex environmental issues, so it is not surprising that they also seek a third-party gatekeeper to help ensure the messages they see and hear are accurate,” says Bradley Googins, executive director, the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship. “The motto really could be ‘trust, but verify.’ Maintaining the trust of consumers needs to be a top priority for companies.”
People are listening to, interested in and positively affected by environmental messaging. Thirty-eight percent say they feel informed by such messaging, and another 11 percent feel empowered or inspired to act. Only 14 percent of the population says environmental messaging makes them either feel cynical or overwhelmed. For more information visit www.coneinc.com.
High recall for eco advertising, but consumers not convinced
Consumer recall of advertising with green messaging is very high, with 37.1 percent of consumers saying they frequently recall green messaging and an additional third recalling it occasionally, according to a study from Burlington, Mass., research company Burst Media. Over 65 percent of respondents say they sometimes believe green claims made in advertisements, and 12.1 percent say they always believe green advertising claims. However, it’s not all good news as the survey found that 22.7 percent respondents say they seldom or never believe green claims made in advertisements.
Forty-one percent of consumers frequently or occasionally research the claims made in green advertisements, and 30.1 percent refrain from any further research. The survey found that four out of five (79.6 percent) respondents use the Internet to conduct personal research on green initiatives and products.
Many respondents find the availability of corporate information on green and environmentally-safe products and services lacking, as 41.6 percent would rate corporate information as only average; 20.8 say fair and 17.2 percent say poor.
More than four out of five (81.9 percent) respondents have incorporated some level of green activity into their lives (only 12.9 percent are not green at all). Although most respondents have integrated green activity into their daily lives, only 5.2 percent are completely green. Most respondents (43.9 percent) are “aspirationally” green and incorporate a few things that are green into their daily lives but have a long way to go. Another 38 percent attempt to be as green as possible, but not 100 percent.
Respondents most frequently cite “good for the environment” as the reason they include green behavior in their daily lives. Other reasons cited for going green include: to impact the future, to live a better quality of life, good for the community, desire to make a difference, desire for a healthy body and desire to live simply and use less.
Survey data showed that the most popular online green content is recycling information and healthy recipes. These are followed by information on alternative energy sources, natural remedies, eco-friendly cleaning products, green technologies, nature/outdoor recreation, tips for simple living, gardening/organic gardening and organic foods. For more information visit www.burstmedia.com.