In addition to making nearly 85% of all consumer purchases (on everything from autos to healthcare), a recent study from Frank About Women found that 25% of all products in a woman's shopping cart
today are environmentally friendly.
If a brand isn't connecting with women through their green messaging, they are missing a very big opportunity. "Women are looking for brands to make it easier
for them to help the environment," says Wendy Cobrda president and founder of Earthsense.
Earthsense recently partnered with Red Kite Business Advisors on the Eco-Insights survey, which will be the focus of their presentation during Good And Green®-The Green Marketing Conference
http://www.goodandgreen.biz later this year. The study found that 80% of adult women believe very strongly that individuals can affect the environment. However, nearly 60% believe that they are
personally not doing enough to protect it.
So what can your brand do to give women more opportunity to help the planet?
Offer a Green Alternative (and watch the pricing)
Previous research has shown that nearly 50% of women say they want more green choices - a sentiment reflected in the recent Eco-Insights study as well. The study
found that women are 21% more likely to report buying green cleaning supplies over the past year and when they can't buy green it is usually because the price is too high or their favorite brands
don't have a green version.
Have a Cause
And make sure it's the right one for you and your brand. Women are paying attention to brands that are
committed to environmental causes, but you must be authentic with your outreach and mission. "These girls mean business and are not afraid to boycott (26%) or 'buycott' (37%)," says Cobrda. "Women
will go out of their way to buy from companies whose policies they support."
Pay Attention to Ingredients
Women are excellent candidates for green
products because they are more likely (at any age) to be more concerned about what their products may contain-especially when it comes to food. Women carefully choose their food products for
themselves and their family and are concerned about a brand's use of pesticides, unhealthy bacteria and hormones as well as the safety of food that is imported or could have possibly been contaminated
from the environment.
Don't Forget the Boomers
The Eco-Insights study found the more mature the woman, the more resources she may have to devote to
environmental causes. "Golden Girls (65 and getting better!) are 32% more likely to report donating time and money to further green initiatives," says Cobrda.
If women are not already part of
a brand's green marketing plan, they soon will be. In a recent blog post for TheDailyGreen.com, Diane MacEachern, author of Big Green Purse: Use Your
Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World and founder of BigGreenPurse.com, stated, "Women are past the point of letting manufacturers tell them
what to buy. We can - and should - tell companies what to make-based on the purchases WE make day after day."