Commentary
When Going Green Backfires
- by Maryanne Conlin , October 1, 2014
Just when we thought we had green marketing all figured out comes this report from The Journal of Consumer Researchthat found consumers are more likely to purchase green products if they think helping the environment is not the intended purpose of a product improvement.
Consumers in the study said that they would be less likely to purchase a product that was intentionally made greener because they believe green products are of lower quality.
Now the studies conducted were done on cleaning products, and the perception of greener products having less cleaning power is well understood. But still. This kind of result impacts both green brands and mainstream brands trying to be greener.
I’m not even sure I buy the study’s author’s admonition:
Companies improving a basic product feature (making something more environmentally friendly …) should either position the improvement as unintended or emphasize that the primary goal is improving the quality of the product.
I think where the problem lies is in defining the target consumer. Deep green consumers and those moving in that direction are certainly interested in increased sustainability. For green consumers, it’s often a choice between two green brands, which, in this case, would make the more sustainable product the one preferred.
If the target is mainstream consumers, then it may be true that greener = less effective in the consumer’s mind. So, this becomes a problem for mainstream brands more than for green brands and I would agree with the author.
Mainstream brands trying to position themselves as sustainable (as opposed to healthier) often suffer from the delusion that the mainstream consumer cares. The pathway toward deep green starts with consumers becoming more health cautious (saving me) before they start worrying about sustainably (saving the planet).
So, I wouldn’t go so far to say that going green can backfire for green brands. For mainstream brands, though, to go green, start by improving the health profile of your products prior to improving how they impact the planet.
it's not easy being green. At Seventh Generation, where being green was the reason for being, we opined that "if it was easy, everyone would do it."
There's a valid reason people equate green with compromise. It didn't always work. Seventh Generation co-founder, Jeffrey Hollender, used to say with no small irony that early supporters of the brand were paying more to walk around in dingy shirts. Things brightened as the company invested in R&D that innovated cleaning products that are gentle on the planet--and work as well as the traditional brands. "But does it work?" perception will always be the big hurdle for trial of green brands like Seventh Generation. And understanding that purchase intent is driven by a “my world” vs “the world” mantra is key. Most consumers are happy to save the polar bears if they don’t have to compromise on clean. Or price. And the stuff that works—they buy a second time. But first they have to try it. That’s why successful brands play the '&" card…. Health "&" Green for Seventh Generation, Design "&" Green for Method Home or Color "&" Natural for Burt’s Bees. Creating a brand for the long hauls isn't about green. It's about delivering a remarkable experience to your consumer, whether that’s about cleaning for the people and places they love or helping them look and feel their best "&" standing for something bigger than the stuff in the bottle or can or wrapper. Connect with the folks who feel the same way you do and you've got a brand that matters.
it's not easy being green. At Seventh Generation, where being green was the reason for being, we opined that "if it was easy, everyone would do it."
There's a valid reason people equate green with compromise. It didn't always work. Seventh Generation co-founder, Jeffrey Hollender, used to say with no small irony that early supporters of the brand were paying more to walk around in dingy shirts. Things brightened as the company invested in R&D that innovated cleaning products that are gentle on the planet--and work as well as the traditional brands. "But does it work?" perception will always be the big hurdle for trial of green brands like Seventh Generation. And understanding that purchase intent is driven by a “my world” vs “the world” mantra is key. Most consumers are happy to save the polar bears if they don’t have to compromise on clean. Or price. And the stuff that works—they buy a second time. But first they have to try it. That’s why successful brands play the '&" card…. Health "&" Green for Seventh Generation, Design "&" Green for Method Home or Color "&" Natural for Burt’s Bees. Creating a brand for the long hauls isn't about green. It's about delivering a remarkable experience to your consumer, whether that’s about cleaning for the people and places they love or helping them look and feel their best "&" standing for something bigger than the stuff in the bottle or can or wrapper. Connect with the folks who feel the same way you do and you've got a brand that matters.