Sep 072011
 

82% of consumers have good green intentions, but only 16% are dedicated to fulfilling these intentions, according to an Ogilvy study. This puts 66% in what is called the ‘Middle Green’, a group that is neither active environment crusaders nor anti-greens. These are the massive middle, the everyday mainstream consumers.

The big question is ‘Why don’t mainstream consumers turn their green intentions into green actions and what can be done about it?’ This is what Ogilvy & Mather tried to find out. ‘If we are to motivate a mass green movement, perhaps those of us most committed to the green movement need to stop trying to get the masses to see things our way and instead get better at seeing things their way.’

OgilvyEarth, the sustainability practice of the Manhattan based multinational marketing firm, conducted a research by surveying 1,800 Americans, trying to understand why there is a disconnect between consumer intentions and actions and how we can help bridge this gap.

The 129-page research report (PDF) contains many fascinating insights. While the research was conducted in America, I think the findings and recommendations are quite applicable to most Western societies.

I have summarized 12 key points that can help middle-of-the-road mainstream consumers turn their green intentions into green actions:

  1. Make green normal: Mainstream consumers are reluctant to go green because they don’t want to be seen as ideological crusaders. Going green attracts unwanted attention from their families, friends, colleagues, and neighbours as if they have adopted a new identity and that they no longer belong to the main group. Marketers should make consumers feel like everybody’s doing it. Show them numerous cases where other people just like them are also going green. Make middle-of-the-road mainstream consumers feel going green is normal behaviour, not oddball behaviour.
  2. Make it personal: Don’t focus on the benefits for the planet or future generations, but on the benefits for them personally, e.g. less toxin going into their body.
  3. Make green choice the default: Green is not an optional extra. Don’t ask consumers choose to go green. Green should be the default choice. For example, make no plastic shopping bag the default, allow consumers to pay extra for one. They don’t need to choose to be green because green is the default, they need to choose to be non-green.
  4. Remove price premium: Where possible, remove the price premium for green products. The message should be green is normal, not just for the rich.
  5. Bribe shamelessly: Offer treats along the way of their behavioural change, e.g. prizes, kudos, rewards, gold stars, public recognition.
  6. Punish wisely: Small doses of guilt and shame can motivate behavioural changes, especially if they are also reminded of the green options available to them.
  7. Don’t stop innovating: Make better stuff. Consumers are reluctant to sacrifice performance for sustainability.
  8. Lose the crunch: Green marketing needs to be more mainstream hip than off-the-grid hippie. Market green as one of the secondary features instead of the leading feature: ‘Great performance, also friendly to the environment.’ Many consumers assume products with a primary focus on being green to have subpar performance, cost more, and are geared towards hippies.
  9. Turn eco-friendly into ego-friendly: Green marketing often has a feminine image. Girly green needs a manly counterpart.
  10. Make it tangible: Toyota Prius displays real time fuel economy information on the dashboard.
  11. Make it easy to navigate: Design labels to be simple and clear. Consumers are often confused and suspicious to environmental claims.
  12. Tap into hedonism over altruism: Project an experience and image that is fun and exciting to be in a sustainable world rather than projecting it as an act of ‘charitable’ contribution.
Derek Wong is a recognized expert at ShareGreen by Walmart, panel judge for Earth Day Canada, keynote speaker at Skills for the Green Economy, and guest speaker at University of Toronto. His innovative approach to employee engagement has led to case studies. Reach him by email or LinkedIn.

  25 Responses to “12 Ways To Turn Green Intentions Into Green Actions”

  1. #cdnpoli Carbon49 – a blog on sustainability for Canadian businesses: 12 Ways To Turn Green Intentions … http://t.co/4qNWIxi #cdnprog

  2. 12 Ways To Turn Green Intentions Into Green Actions http://t.co/NbSbLKO #sustainability #csr

  3. Great blog post by @carbon49 "12 Ways To Turn #Green Intentions Into Green Actions" http://t.co/PbsaYap #branding #CSR #sustainability

  4. Why don’t mainstream consumers turn their green intentions into green actions and what can be done about it? http://t.co/D4HOmyM

  5. Study highlights 12 Ways To Turn Green Intentions Into Green Actions http://t.co/Ew9eiMv

  6. ’12 Ways To Turn Green Intentions Into Green Actions’ http://ow.ly/6pPX9 by @carbon49 #environment #ONTpoli

  7. 12 Ways to Turn Green Intentions into Green Actions! http://ow.ly/6qxUg

  8. 12 Ways to Turn Green Intentions into Green Actions! Written by Toronto-based Sustainability Consultant, Derek Wong: http://ow.ly/6qycr

  9. These are useful ways to act once the person is convinced that his actions contribute to environmental dilemmas. I’m all for them. But in North America the resistance to climate change institutions is still very strong, especially when compared to northern Europe where it is less challenged.

    So how do you convince people in the first place? I’m not so sure you can. Propose to raise tax 0.05% to build a handful of new hospitals and the resistance will be tidal in nature. You would think nobody ever gets sick or old.

    I hate the word “tax,” but frankly it’s the only certain way, after 3,000 years of documented civilization, that we’ve managed to fund and maintain public authorities. Most people pay tax because the incentives outweigh the punishments. Environmental problems are in the public realm, so give them the public, universal treatment. Tax the problem. I’ve heard that in some parts of Switzerland people’s weekly garbage is weighed–exceed your allowance, and you pay a garbage tax. So you want to drive a Hummer? No problem, this is a free market, but you’ll pay a surcharge for the excessive emissions. Result: people will flock to hybrid vehicles.

    Brian
    http://www.carbonmonger.com

  10. ‘Why don’t consumers turn their green intentions into green actions? great post @Carbon49 based on study by @OgilvyWW http://t.co/0ftihJ6m

  11. 12 Ways To Turn Green Intentions Into Green Actions http://t.co/g7tlqngP

  12. 12 Ways To Turn Green Intentions Into Green Actions http://t.co/LM4fFmkb

  13. Greetings! Very helpful advice within this post! It is the little changes which will make the most significant changes.

    Many thanks for sharing!

  14. You are welcome, Soma! In my own consulting work for clients, I reference back to this article quite often!

  15. #1 – so true, I hate at my company when people say “man, sustainability is great! Kathy, I’m so glad that’s YOUR THING…. it’s not my thing, but it’s yours – and I support it…but I’m going to let you do it – since it’s your thing and all.” So just because it matters to me I’ve now been labeled and somewhat alienated about it – not the worst thing ever (I could be at a company that doesn’t support it at all), but still frustrating.

  16. LOL, Kathy! You can be Jon Stewart, telling me some sad annoying truth but still make me laugh!

  17. […] than waiting for friends, corporations, or governments to do so. (I have covered this in my article 12 Ways To Turn Green Intentions Into Green Actions and I have often applied this methodology in my engagement […]

  18. […] via 12 Ways To Turn Green Intentions Into Green Actions » Carbon49 – Sustainability for Canadian …. […]

  19. […] than waiting for friends, corporations, or governments to do so. (I have covered this in my article 12 Ways To Turn Green Intentions Into Green Actions and I have often applied this methodology in my engagement […]

  20. […] Wong, Derek. (2011). 12 Ways to Turn Green Intentions into Green Actions, Carbon49. Retrieved from http://www.carbon49.com/2011/09/12-ways-to-turn-green-intentions-into-green-actions/ […]

  21. […] Boomerang Boxes they have received and how many they have returned. As we have learned from the ‘Mainstream Green’ study by Ogilvy & Mather, making results tangible to the end user is a key in motivating green […]

  22. […] Wong, D. (2011, September 7). 12 Ways To Turn Green Intentions Into Green Actions. Carbon 49 a blog on sustainability for Canadian Businesses, 7 September. Retrieved from http://www.carbon49.com/2011/09/12-ways-to-turn-green-intentions-into-green-actions/ […]

  23. […] than waiting for friends, corporations, or governments to do so. (I have covered this in my article 12 Ways To Turn Green Intentions Into Green Actions and I have often applied this methodology in my engagement […]

  24. […] than waiting for friends, corporations, or governments to do so. (I have covered this in my article 12 Ways To Turn Green Intentions Into Green Actions and I have often applied this methodology in my engagement […]

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