Does Your Target Audience Think Green or Act Green?
One of the challenges of the green movement is that green attitudes often do not translate into buying behavior. So says the general manager of a marketing information services company with a product designed to help marketers better understand green consciousness and how it influences buying behavior.
A database of Experian Marketing Services shows that 58 percent of consumers make a conscious effort to recycle, but only 37 percent will pay more for environmentally friendly products.
"The green marketplace is estimated at $500 billion and is continuing to grow as more and more consumers make changes in their lifestyles," says Experian General Manager Rick Erwin.
The company's targeting system reveals the following consumer segments:
Behavioral Greens -- Representing more than 34 million households, members of this group think and act green. They have negative attitudes toward products that pollute and incorporate green practices in their routines on a regular basis.
Think Greens -- Representing more than 24 million households, this group thinks green, but does not necessarily act green.
Potential Greens -- Representing more than 36 million households, this group neither behaves nor thinks along particularly environmentally conscious lines and remains ambivalent about key environmental issues.
True Browns -- Representing more than 14 million households, this group is not environmentally conscious and may harbor negative attitudes about environmental issues.
Erwin cautions green marketers to consider both the attitudes and behaviors of consumers as they define target audience, message and channel selection for direct marketing campaigns.
