JoAnna Abrams Founder and CEO, John Burshek, Chief Research Officer, MindClick
This research organization clearly presented the chasm developing within the sustainable marketing space:
The Chasm:
66% Believe business needs to change. 16% believe business is doing so.
77% are engaged in green actions 40% don’t believe it’s going any good
Majority understands terms like Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Few know Certified, Sustainable, or Carbon-Neutral.
So what will it take to bridge the Chasm?
1.Push the envelope on product innovation. Your customers are probably more ready for a bold approach than you think.
2. Position and package based on understanding the ‘green’ perspective of YOUR target audience. Find out what they know and think.
3. Use understandable, trustworthy, believable messaging. Be mindful of the balance between delivering ‘basic’ benefits and ‘green’ benefits. For instance, says Burshek, “Global warming is too ‘polarizing’ an issue. ‘Eco-friendly’ or ‘Reduce reuse recycle’ leaves nothing for people to shoot at.”
Abrams and Burshek also featured this direct quote from the respondents which said a lot:
“Even though I don’t buy into the global warming mumbo-jumbo, I still like to do things that are good for the environment.”
Heck, we can probably even sell that in Alberta!
One in a series of articles on Lorne’s Sustainable Journey to the Sustainable Brands 08 Conference in Monterey CA. Click here for the full list of sessions, or here for the ‘Fear & Loathing’ road trip journals.
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