More Than Half of Shoppers Consider Product Sustainability Attributes in Purchasing Decisions – Deloitte Study
I’m not the usual one to be deeply considering surveys on “green” products, but you might be interested in checking out the concise press release above. So the Grocery Manufacturers Association and Deloitte conducted a 6,400 shopper intercept survey that showed 54% percent of shoppers said that they actively consider environmental sustainability characteristics in their buying decisions, yet they actually bought green products on just 22 percent of their shopping trips.
Just what does this mean? Of course we can interpret it a bunch of ways. My take first is to question do people know what a “green product” is. Sorry, but this terminology is quite vague. When we’re using an adjective to describe products across various categories in supermarkets, we’re losing pertinent information. Let’s remember that roughly 18% of the American population considers themselves actively interested in environmental/sustainability issues. That would imply that eco-literacy in the rest of the population is subject to be quite hazy.
To be objective, “green” is supposed to mean environmentally & wildlife friendly. Yet, may some people consider fair trade as “green”? It’s a very fast growing product sector, but it wouldn’t surprise me if people lumped it in with “green”. Oh, and here’s a biggie: “local”. That could imply that we’re either supporting local economies & employment, OR we’re saving carbon emissions from long-distance transportation. Which value would come first? Even if we wanted to be all-inclusive and decided to use the adjective “sustainable”, I think we’d be in greater subjective “Uhm…what’s that” waters than “green”.
So here’s the takeaway quotes:
“Sustainable product characteristics are emerging as an important brand differentiator, but to capture the potential market value of green shoppers, retailers and manufacturers must do a better job of communicating the sustainable attributes behind the products to show the value of buying green to the shopper…Consistent, aligned messaging in stores, online and at other touch points will be essential to converting shoppers from simply being interested in green to buying green.”
Indeed. A combination of credible storytelling and in some cases depending on the attribute (i.e. packaging, ingredients, production methods), certification and additional info will give a good reason why the product is worth picking up.
If you want to seriously learn more about the right way to communicate your product/service offering, I suggest you come to Sustainable Brands 09, where there will be a variety of speakers talking about best practices and effective engagement strategies. No, I’m not talking about fluffy “eco-friendly” speak (which I absolutely abhor – more on this on a later date). I’m talking about customizing the brand communications to meet the unique needs and desires of the target audience in perhaps a subtle, yet relevant way. Or a penetrating way that speaks to the personal values of the user/mom/shopper/etc. which relate to a simple desire to do something for the better for our body, family, community, and maybe the planet.
Whichever approach it is, I can only recommend that somehow you act on this. Great sustainable products have been around for quite a while – bikes or clotheslines anyone? But in order for us collectively to increase their purchasing volume, we absolutely have to help the shopper out through better brand communications.