Buying green, but not for the planet
Sometimes the real reason people buy green is not always Mother Earth, and the marketing for those products is starting to reflect that. Andrea Gardner reports.
A green cart with a plant inside symbolizes eco-friendly shopping. (iStockPhoto)
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TEXT OF STORY
Kai Ryssdal: Take a minute for me here and think back on your day. When you woke up today, did you by any chance flip on an energy-saving light bulb? Did you put organic milk in your coffee and then wash out that mug with eco-friendly soap? If you did, how did you come to buy those products in the first place?
The real reason a lot of people buy green isn't always Mother Earth. And the marketing of those products is starting to reflect that, as Andrea Gardner reports.
ANDREA GARDNER: First, I have a confession. When I buy environmentally-friendly products, it isn't for the planet. What I mean is I buy organic apple juice because I figure it's healthier for my toddler. Energy-saving light bulbs help me save money. And I think non-toxic cleaning products are just safer. I asked around, and many of my friends admitted the same thing.
Here's my yoga teacher Arianne.
ARIANNE: I mean, the side effects of it being good for the environment is great, and I'm glad, but my priority is really just my family and their health.
It turns out most people who buy eco-friendly products feel the same way. In a survey by market research firm GfK Roper, health and cost-savings beat out the planet as the main reasons people bought green products for their homes. Companies are taking notice and starting to market those products with messages like "better for you," "safer for you," "cheaper for you."
Jacqueline Ottman is a green marketing consultant. She says the trend mirrors the advice she's given clients for years.
JACQUELINE OTTMAN: Leave the planets and the daisies behind, and find the direct benefits that their products can support, such as health, superior performance, good taste, saving money, or even convenience. And then, the environment is a nice add-on benefit.
Sales of eco-friendly consumer products have been growing by double digits over the past five years. And they're expected to hit at least $300 billion this year. It's no surprise big players in consumer products, like Clorox and Procter & Gamble, are getting into the game, using the "What's in it for me" message to reach more consumers.
Take this ad for Clorox's green laundry soap. It shows a mom cleaning baby clothes, with a child nearby.
CLOROX AD: Clothes washed in Green Works detergent are gentle on skin, and have no harsh chemical residue. And since they're from Clorox, you can trust them to remove tough stains.
It's no accident the ad features a mother; they're among the prime targets of the new push. Even green marketing pioneer Seventh Generation has created a new marketing campaign to appeal to new moms.
Chuck Maniscalco is the company's CEO.
CHUCK Maniscalco: Because they are suddenly reassessing everything in their lives. There is nothing like having a toddler crawling around the floor to make you think hard about what's going on in your house.
Previously, Seventh Generation did little advertising, relying largely on word of mouth from dedicated environmentalists. But the company recently unveiled a nationwide TV ad campaign on shows geared toward women.
SEVENTH GENERATION AD: We want to talk to you about a revolution. Where no one holds their breath while they're cleaning. Seventh Generation. Protecting Planet Home.
Maniscalco says feedback for the new campaign has been generally positive, but he admits he had concerns about alienating his most eco-conscious consumers -- marketing folks sometimes call them "dark greens."
Los Angeles mom Jessica Bilandzija is one of them.
JESSICA Bilandzija: I think a lot of large corporations are getting in on it. And it becomes commercialized, it becomes trivialized in a sense. But at the same time it's like, well, if that's what we have to do in order for people to be aware of things. If we create less trash, if we create less toxins, then that's a win-win.
Jessica is a longtime Seventh Generation fan. Although she says, with the economy the way it is, she's been experimenting with vinegar and a little elbow grease, and she finds it works just as well as cleanser.
In Los Angeles, I'm Andrea Gardner for Marketplace.
Comments
Comment | Refresh
03/15/2010
Eco products tend to be softer, gentler, safer, low-allergenic and at best more durable and more effective in the long run than conventional products. What's not to like - ? And no one can ever judge another's intention!
From CA, 03/15/2010
I posted an article last week on this very topic. Other than the most committed greens, self interest is the motivating factor for people seeking out green products. There are 2 major drivers of purchasing behavior: products perceived as good for your health, and products perceived as good for your budget. For marketers seeking to access populations beyond the 'True Greens', focusing on personal impact is essential.
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=123576
From Bradford, UK, 03/15/2010
In the aftermath of the growing disregard for the man made nature of environmental damage especially in the US, the job of green marketing people will become even harder. Therev are many customers who are green in the head but not in the pocket. They will buy what's cheap. I wish you good luck and success.
P.S. my PhD is in Ethical Green Marketing
From CO, 03/14/2010
I have a serious problem with where the ingredients for our products come from. Increasingly, raw ingredients for "eco-friendly" products and others come from foreign countries. The EPA monitors only a fraction of these. Quality control is almost nonexistent in third world countries. Perhaps this has something to do with Ms. Kellerman's fear of an epidemic of health issues in young children. Product labeling is meaningless. And I find it very hard to trust a third world entity that is profit motivated.
From CO, 03/14/2010
None
From Houston, TX, 03/13/2010
Seriously? This 'confession' is...obvious? People buy green and sustainable products operating with enlightened self-interest. What is healthier for the planet IS healthier for me and my neighbors, by and large.
The ecological approach simply means that we take our interconnectedness into account when we are deciding what to do.
The planet is mostly an abstract concept. My baby, my health, the river next to the powerplant, the school near the factory-- these are concrete. I can influence these outcomes. I have to trust that by taking care of the details the agrigate, the summary, will take care of itself.
Change happens at the margins, right?
I'm just celebrating that 'green' options are becoming more available in the mainstream.
From Princeton, NJ, 03/12/2010
I agree that a product’s environmental impact is pretty far down on the list of product features consumers typically consider when making purchase decisions, even for the deepest green shoppers. Most consumers are going to first look at a product’s effectiveness and its price.
However, I don’t think that a product’s green qualities should be an afterthought in advertising if the product has impressive green credentials. First, there are consumers like commenter Arlene who will always be motivated by a credible, compelling environmental message. Second, marketing research done by my firm Green Meridian has found that about one-third of so-called mainstream women would like to buy more green products but are prevented from doing so by high prices and their low awareness of green brands. A majority are worried about the state of the environment. And while these women are still going to look at quality, price, and even how healthy a product is first, marketers can gain from addressing this group’s eco-worries (in an honest way that doesn’t fear monger).
From Atlanta, GA, 03/12/2010
As someone who works at the intersection of health and sustainability, I regularly see this issue come up: people simply want the products that they use to be healthy-—or, at the very least, not UN-healthy. Unfortunately, just because a product is labeled “green,” “sustainable,” “environmentally preferable,” etc., it doesn’t necessarily mean that it is. What’s more, such labels may fail to disclose whether a product exposes consumers to harmful pollutants. Too often, these marketing claims are unsubstantiated, or they greatly overstate the facts. My advice: always go for third party-certification. Thanks for the interesting story!
Rachel R. Belew
Public Relations + Communications Manager
GREENGUARD Environmental Institute
www.greenguard.org
From CA, 03/12/2010
This supports what we see on our green giveaways & deals site: Babies & Kids, Food, and Cleaning Products are the top visited categories. We emphasize price over environmental benefit because we've found through surveys and two years of traffic data that understanding why a product is green is the least of our readers' concerns. It's price, price, price.
Frustrating for those in the Environmental Movement? Perhaps.
Reality? Definitely.
From CA, 03/11/2010
I buy Eco-friendly products, including organic. My personal well being is certainly a factor, but the bigger picture is a HUGE motivator.
I'm always considering the impact and practices of a company and it's products. There are so many things to consider: clean water, air and soil. Fair and safe labor practices. To whom the company is contributing money. Sustainability and the impact on habitat. Supporting my local economy and farmers. The amount and type of packaging and what will end up in the landfill. The list goes on...
To stay on top of all these issues for everything I buy would be a full time job. So I can't, and don't. I just do the best I can. So I'm thrilled that businesses are feeling the pressure to change. It makes my job as a consumer much simpler.
However, just because a product now says "healthy" or "green" or "responsible" on the label doesn't mean it's true, at least not by my standards. Regulating the use of such phrases is often non-existent or not in line with what I think they mean.
So a note to businesses--marketing will only get you so far. You need to practice what you preach. And to those of you that do, you will have a loyal customer willing to spend a little more to support you.
From Reno, NV, 03/11/2010
It's ironic that there have to be stand-alone "Green" brands. Green Forest paper products are from the Ft. Howard (WI) Paper Co., once a notorious polluter and a big reason for the ecology movement and regulation. This line is superior to many pricier ones, and yet is difficult to find. The name alone-"Green Forest"-who doesn't want that? Never mind, I live in Nevada now, after all. Toothpicks, tees, 'n swizzle sticks, baby!
From Vancouver, BC, 03/11/2010
One of the most compelling "green" campaigns that I have come across was one that appealed neither to personal benefit or to environmental benefit, but found a way to do both. For some time now there has been a campaign by British farmers encouraging people in the UK to buy local (as opposed to imported products). The reason given is not because it's healthier or because it results in a lower carbon footprint, or even because it helps the local economy, but this: for centuries, grazing cattle and sheep have literally shaped the unique and much loved nature of the British countryside. If the livestock go, the distinctive look and feel of rural Britain will change forever. This is a fabulous campaign that elicits strong emotions around what we value in our national identity, heritage and roots. The motivation for green behaviour may often be more self-centered than altruistic, but I think it's usually a bit of both.
From London, 03/11/2010
I work with Clownfish Marketing, a sustainability and communications consultancy. I agree with J Ottman, is all about helping brands to make sustainability normal. Seamlessly integrated into the product, whether is health, superior, taste or price and the environmental benefits...
Sustainability is not a competitive advantage anymore. Is the only way to do business. If a company wants to be different, they will need to start looking into sustainability innovation!.
From WA, 03/11/2010
Andrea says "I buy organic apple juice because I figure it's healthier" but every study I've seen says that she's figuring wrong. Organic doesn't mean healthier. It means that it was raised in a different way. The end result is that she's buying a more expensive product for the wrong reason.
From blue point, NY, 03/11/2010
I am a part of a growing number of mothers who have given birth to seemingly healthy children, only to find themselves in a category of mothers who have children with health issues that are emerging as epidemic. Asthma/anaphylaxis/autism... I once read an alarming quote from a scientist who said "these children are canaries in a coal mine". My interpretation of that bold statement is that they are the sensitive ones at lower levels of exposure to toxins/hormones/GMO's, but should serve as a dire warning that we are all exposed to dangerous things and with additional exposure, we may all be victims someday. Our bodies are being poisoned in small accumulating amounts and I buy organic and non-toxic whenever I can afford to, in the hopes of keeping us below the threshold of our bodies' limits. I am very afraid of the epidemics that may emerge as my children grow older.
From San Francisco, CA, 03/10/2010
Since better for the planet so often means better for our personal health, I rarely think about them as separate issues. But like Jon, I also care about the behavior of product makers, and I consider their ethics when I buy. And nowadays lots of tools are available to help conscious consumers make such differentiations (GoodGuide, Alonovo, and SustainLane, to name just a few). In the end, corporate behavior is just another manifestation of what's good (or not) for the planet.
From Columbia, SC, 03/10/2010
Usually I am pleasantly surprised by the wisdom and depth of your business commentary, which is so frequently lacking in other media. Andrea Gardner's piece on the marketing of green products reflects a short-sighted attitude I have come to enjoy NOT hearing on public radio.
The viewpoint espoused by Ms. Gardner, her yoga teacher -- 'my priority is really just my family and their health' -- and other interviewees encompasses the fundamental flaw in America's approach to environmental problems. In a nutshell, we fail to see the real connections between the general stewardship of our surroundings and our health, happiness and well-being.
Nearly everything we do has an impact on the resources upon which we rely, yet even today we understand very few of the implications of our actions. If we allow our selfishness to dictate the development, marketing and adoption of so-called ‘green’ products, we’ll never extricate ourselves from the environmental problems we have brought upon ourselves in the course of industrialization. Real solutions require a holistic approach, which selfishness only impedes.
From Garfield, WA, 03/10/2010
I buy green products when it saves me money. I also hang out my cloths when it is over 70 degrees outside and drive a fuel effiecient car 1999 Saturn SL, 40 mpg, 251K miles so far....
From Cupertino, CA, 03/10/2010
I was listening to this story while in my car, all the while thinking, what could be a better example of "Think Globally, Act Locally". What's more local than self-interest?
From Cambridge, MA, 03/10/2010
I buy eco friendly because it's more ethical, the right thing to do, and because the companies that make such products tend to treat their workers in a more friendly way. They also tend to often be run by more liberal folks. The products cost slightly more, but you feel better once you've bought them.
I've taken to looking over the online filings of major corporations I do personal business with to see who they're giving campaign contributions to, etc. And I've been disturbed on a number of occasions. For example, I recently discontinued buying a particular brand of laundry detergent because the company had been bought by a major corporation whose management largely supported McCain in the last election. Not everyone wants to go to that kind of extreme, but it is worth considering *who* you are buying from and not just how eco friendly it is.
Jon.
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