I’m reading yet another report on how green is gaining traction in the mainstream economy. I’m happy to hear that, but as a marketer I want to know not only that green is good, but a few things about my consumers as well.
Who are they?
How do they think?
How do they shop?
When this Media Post article came out, Consumers Want Proof it’s Green, I found this interesting kernel of information.
To find the necessary information, consumers are:
most likely to turn to consumer reports …..29%
most likely to look at certification seals or labels on products …..28%
most likely to consider the list of ingredients on products …..27%
least likely to look to statements on product packaging …..11%
least likely to believe company advertising …..5%
Ah Ha! What great information! This gives me some direction on where to spend my marketing dollars.
Consumers are least likely to believe company advertising - OK- don’t think an advertising program alone is going to establish my green credentials. And, they are least likely to believe my proclamations on package that my product is “natural” or “sustainable” – Gee, wonder why with the lax regulations of these types of terms by the alphabet agencies!
They are most likely to look at the list of ingredients. I’m thinking this means they are looking for the inclusion or absence of certain terms like “corn syrup” or “recycled”. They are place a great deal of importance on certifications- which may be a misplaced value since there are only a gazillion out there and who comes out on top seems to be politically driven.
Most interesting, they do turn to consumer reports – which goes back to the whole product evangelist issue. Spend marketing dollars to encourage consumers to write reviews on your site or review the product on theirs. This can be done in variety of ways including blogger outreach and social media tools, but probably most importantly by developing grassroots support for your product in a variety of ways.
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Photo Credit: jpokele At Flickr Under Creative Commons License.
I find the second point very interesting,”most likely to look at certification seals or labels on products”.
The OWL line of promotional bags and totes from Leeds already carries a patch on the inside of their products that explains that the bags are made from 54% or 100% recycled materials, like old water bottles and yogurt containers (see http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/01/17/owl-100-recycled-deluxe-compu-backpack/)
Also many of the bottle manufacturers in our industry are placing the text “BPA Free” directly into the design of their water bottles (see http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/10/03/new-generation-of-bpa-free-bottles-aims-at-spas-and-gyms/)
Since promotional items are about helping to market a brand, this makes sense. Our clients have a green agenda and they want their customers to know it and their marketing to reflect it.
It is nice to see that the promotional items industry is starting to get green right.
It will be interesting to see how customers perceive the “environmental nutrition labels” that are popping up on packaging. As customers get more and more familiar with the labels, will they see them as marketing spin or a trustworthy source of information?
Good point, Pamela,
You may be right!