The challenge of green marketing
Saturday, January 21st, 2006
Great post from Joel Makower on the challenge of getting consumers who support “green” products to begin practising what they preach. He points out the chronic 4/40 gap — the fact that 40 per cent of consumers say they would purchase ”green” products if available, but only 4 per cent actually do. I struggled with this same issue in the area of consumer privacy protection. Surveys say 80 to 90 per cent of North Americans cherish their privacy, but few of them are willing to take the actions necessary to protect it. You know what I’m talking about — the willingess to hand over personal information just to get a $5 coupon off a product. Air Miles is a perfect example of a popular program that offers little in exchange for details of your life.
Makower says the solution to the green market dilemma, or at least part of it, is a combination of things: increasing consumer awareness and choice; promoting innovative policies, accelerating demand for greener products; demand corporate accountability; and encouraging sustainable business practices.
These all make great sense. But let me add one pet peeve as a consumer trying to be green: corporations often sell “green” products at a premium for no reason. I realize that as demand increases prices will eventually fall, but I fail to see why I must pay a hefty premium for biodegradable baby wipes that can be flushed down the toilet or coffee filters that aren’t bleached. For example, I was at the local Loblaws store last week and purchased bleach-free “green” coffee filters. When I got home I realized I paid a 60 per cent premium?
Am I wrong in thinking both of these products could be manufactured for less? I think demand for green products does exist, and people are willing to pay if they don’t feel they’re being ripped off.
Tyler Hamilton is editor-in-chief of Corporate Knights magazine and a business columnist for the Toronto Star, Canada's largest daily newspaper. In addition to this Clean Break blog, Tyler writes a weekly column of the same name that discusses trends, happenings and innovators in the clean technology and green energy market. This blog is a personal project started in April 2005. It is not an official blog of the newspaper.
