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One of the more interesting documents for sustainabilibity marketers is the annual Eco Pulse report, which is published by the Shelton Group, an advertising agency based in Knoxville, Tennessee that specializes in green and energy efficiency campaigns.
Just released, the Eco Pulse 2010 survey reports that 60 percent of American consumers say they’re seeking out green products and 66 percent say they haven’t curtailed their spending on such products despite the economic downturn. Only about 16 percent of consumers surveyed said they don’t have any interest in buying green products.
The survey also found that women are significantly more likely than men to seek out green products – although the percentage of men interested in green products increased between the 2009 and 2010 surveys, by 14 percent to 68 percent of men surveyed.
The increased interest in green products by most demographic groups comes despite the survey’s finding that the American public’s belief in global warming is declining.
The survey defines green products as being “more energy efficient, natural, sustainable, etc.” However, consumers in general continue to be confused by the terminology, and that leads to a lack of trust and green cynicism – and opportunities to improve communications.
For more information about the study results, a 500-page document that costs $5,000, visit the Shelton Group Web site. For various reasons, printing the document is not recommended.
Two recent studies – one a professional marketing study and the other a college honors thesis – make a strong case for the value of green marketing.
In the professional study, 33 percent of respondents said green marketing was more effective than their normal marketing efforts, with just 7 percent saying it was less effective, according to a study of 370 marketing executives for Environmental Leader. Other findings include smaller firms tend to spend more, on a proportional basis, on green marketing, and the Internet is by far the most popular green marketing medium. The full study is available for $479.
In the college study, Wittenberg University student Lukas Treu (currently an intern here at Dix & Eaton) found that Chevron’s green marketing (its Untapped Energy commercial) is paying off in building the Company’s trustworthiness, goodwill on the environment and overall credibility. Lukas also found that environmentally involved people are more likely to believe and trust Chevron than those who are not as interested in environmental issues. His psychoanalysis of the results is enlightening: People who care most about the environment have an increased motivation to process the messages. The more they care about a topic, the more attention they pay; the more attention they pay, the more a message can persuade them. This study is available here for free.
Interesting findings all the way around. If you have a story to tell, and you tell it well, the people who matter most will believe and trust you. And probably reward you with their business.
