Eco-trends. Ready for the whiplash?
When I started this thread about green brands earlier this year, I was certain it was a fleeting fad. So far, I’ve been pleasantly surprised.
For example, Critical Mass has a few projects next year that will involve some form of environmental component. We’ve also just completed a pitch focused on corporate social responsibility and the environment. It’s clear that “green” is on the minds of our clients, both current and potential.
But when I first saw this news, it made me ask whether consumers really care about green? Apparently not. Well, maybe. Uh, not sure yet.
For those in the know, the Dutch firm, Trendspotting is “an opinionated and independent trend agency, (that) scans the globe for the most promising consumer trends, insights and related hands-on business ideas”.
In November, they announced five new trends including the onset of “Eco-fatigue”.
“Enough already!” is what you’ll increasingly hear from consumers around the world when faced with yet another corporate ‘eco’ vision or must-buy green product. In fact, serious ECO-FATIGUE is upon us, as independent and experienced consumers are fed up with being told what to do, or, more specifically, told what not to do. Treated like unruly infants by Al Gore and his ilk, the ECO-FATIGUED increasingly rebel against the green movement’s obsession with ‘no’.”
Pwned: Then the following month (to the chagrin of news editors worldwide), Trendspotting announced that these five trends were all fakes and promptly followed with a new eco-trend called “Eco-iconic”. Scroll wayyyyy, down and read about their “real” eco-trend here, if you dare.
In this article, Trendspotting wisely notes that the media took their spoof seriously because “an eco-backlash is quite plausible. After all, while millions of consumers are firmly rooted in the aforementioned ECO-SPHERE, millions of others are not.” No kidding.
In that spirit, here are three issues that I think will continue to haunt green brands in 2008.
- Disinterest – Lack of a critical mass of interested consumers
- Distrust – Lack around the value and cost associated with green brands
- Denial – Lack of willing to accept inconvenience or sacrifice
Ready for some reading? The following articles will give any green marketer pause for thought.
Disinterest: This Treehugger article from August highlights some statistics and comes to the following conclusion:
- Americans believe that environment is in trouble.
- Not everyone cares. It isn’t a policy priority
- People won’t give anything up. Energy costs are a bigger issue.
The conclusion is that the environment may not be enough of a priority for people to change their behaviors.
Distrust: Now for some optimism – according to a recent report by Deloitte,
“The environment is increasingly on consumers’ radar screens, according to the 22nd Annual Holiday Survey of retail spending and trends.”
It goes on to say that 18%, almost 1 in 5 consumers will purchase more environmentally friendly products this Christmas.
This begs a question – why aren’t the other 82% prepared to pay more? An AdAge article tells us that mistrust in actual value and authenticity of green brands will continue to be a major challenge.
Denial: Why do consumers buy your products and services? In deepest reality, it’s probably for convenience or indulgence. But Science Daily warns research shows that “being a green consumer is hard work”.
Like it or not, the simple fact of the matter is that average consumer is adverse to anything that suggests inconvenience or sacrifice could be a sticking point for your green brand, if your product strategy involves the traditional “reduce, reuse, recycle”.
Whiplash: I just discovered Joel Makower’s blog on sustainable business. A prolific writer and speaker, Joel posits the idea that we may be the victims of a “green bubble”. After all, the mother of all key bubble indicators, media hype, is running at all time highs. As Joel tells us, environmental issues and solutions are now daily fare in newspaper and television and “this would make it seem like the greening of business was yet another cynical fad that’s now faded into the woodwork.” Then he turns around to tell us ten reasons why the green trend will endure.
If that’s not bad enough, Ad Age published their list of “the green and the greenwashed” this month. The results will astound you.
Got whiplash yet? Welcome to the world of green marketing – the fun is just starting! ;=)
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Last 5 posts by Dave Robertson
- Zuckerburg or my 12 year old – who do I listen to? – June 3rd, 2008
- Dove: Don’t try this without a net. – May 27th, 2008
- DBC. Embrace it now. – May 15th, 2008
- Canadians blame themselves. Again. – April 25th, 2008
- And I forgot my camera … – April 16th, 2008
Sorry for the long post, but this might explain the lack of eco-interest. Green costs more green.
via: Center For Media Research, 12/17/07
Hybrid Vehicle Owners are Active, Educated and Democratics
According to a recent analysis from Scarborough Research, almost half (42 percent) of the households in the U.S. that own or lease at least one hybrid vehicle have an annual income of $100,000 or more. That is more than twice the national average. The adults who live in these households, “Hybrid Owners,” are more than twice as likely as all U.S. adults to have a college degree. This includes the twenty-seven percent of Hybrid Owners who have a post graduate degree, compared to nine percent of adults overall. Hybrid Owners skew older than average, and are 23 percent more likely than average to be aged 50 .
Politically:
* Thirty-eight percent of Hybrid Owners cite Democrat as their political party affiliation
* Fourteen percent are Republican
* 34 percent are Independent
* Fifteen percent of Hybrid Owners did not identify with a political party
* Eighty-one percent of Hybrid Owners stated they “always” vote in presidential elections, versus 71 percent of the total U.S. adult population
Thirty-three percent of Hybrid Owners belong to a health/exercise club as opposed to 18 percent of the total population. 66 percent of Hybrid Owners are more likely than the national average to have gone biking during the past year, and yoga/pilates Hybrid Owners are more than twice as likely to engage in this leisure activity.
The Hybrid Owner consumer group is:
* More than twice as likely as all adults to have gone hiking/backpacking during the past year
* 21 percent more likely to garden
* More than three times more likely to snow ski
* 20 percent more likely to golf
* More than twice as likely as the average consumer to have used organic foods in their household during the past month.
The top of the list for household hybrid ownership include Tucson, San Francisco, Washington D.C. and Las Vegas, with nearly, or slightly above, two percent of households in these markets owning a hybrid vehicle, compared to less than one percent of households nationwide.
Hey Bonnie
Thanks for the comment. Excellent point – in many cases, green does cost more green. Unfortunately, it isn’t always clear to the broader audience of consumers what they’re getting in return. Those mentioned above have more ability to act on principle and do so.
If you’re interested in the disconnect between the environmentally inclined and the average working person, I’d suggest reading the white paper “The Death of Environmentalism” and the follow-up book by the same authors called “Breakthrough”. Although they don’t speak to this issue specifically, it’s easy to draw connections between this discussion and why environmentalism has become a “special interest” in the United States.
Thanks!
Dave