• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, September 27, 2007

Most Americans Say Green Advertising is "Just A Marketing Tactic"

 

According to an Ipsos Reid study conducted this spring on behalf of Icynene, seven in ten Americans either ‘strongly' or ‘somewhat' agree that when companies call a product "green" (meaning better for the environment), it is usually just a "marketing tactic". Consumers appear to be wary of companies who label their products as being green, or environmentally friendly, acknowledges the report. On the other hand, 4% of Americans completely disagree and 26% somewhat disagree that "green" is a marketing tactic.

In the US, 75% of the men believe that labeling a product green is just a marketing tactic, compared to 65% of the women.

72% of Americans living in the south are the most likely in all US regions to believe that labelling a product green is just a marketing tactic, while 58% of North-easterners are the least likely to believe this.

44% Americans either completely or somewhat agree that they are not willing to pay more for upfront for green building products even though they know them to be better for the environment, and that they have the potential to save money in the long run.

The report finds, though, that 10% of Americans would be willing to pay more upfront for "green" home building products, while 46% might be.

Men are less willing than women to pay more upfront for green products for their home. In the US, 49% of men expressed this view, compared to 39% of women.

A comparison of the same study completed in both the United States and Canada reveals that:

• More Canadians (70%) than Americans (63%) agree that they clearly understand the benefits of a building product that is advertised as green
• More Americans (70%) than Canadians (63%) agree that when a home building product is called green that it is a marketing tactic
• Americans (44%) are slightly more likely than Canadians (40%) to indicate that they are not willing to pay more upfront for green building products, despite their potential environmental and cost-saving benefits

For more about this report, including more Canadian detail, please visit this link.