Green Tech Sells Despite Doubts of Efficacy

A new survey of more than 6,800 online U.S. adults aged 18 or older revealed that although a vast majority of respondents (89.4 percent) incorporate some level of greenness into their daily lives, there is an undercurrent of doubt when it comes to green advertising claims and product efficacy.

Burst Media, a provider of targeted Internet audiences to brand and performance advertisers, conducted the survey on consumer perceptions of green marketing in March 2011.

Skepticism is most noted when consumers were asked their opinion of the effectiveness of green products as compared with their conventional counterparts. Only one-fifth (19.3 percent) of all respondents think green products work better than their conventional counterparts, and two in five (39 percent) think they work the same. One-quarter (24.4 percent) weren’t sure, and 11.3 percent thought green products work worse.

Consumer uncertainty also exists when evaluating the green claims made in advertising. Although a majority (59.6 percent) of respondents believe green claims made in advertising to some extent, a sizable minority (23.7 percent) either never believed or find green claims to be confusing or misleading.

There is some good news for marketers: Despite a slight majority (54.1 percent) of respondents saying green products are priced too high, seven in 10 (68.6 percent) said they are either very or somewhat likely to purchase a product advertised or promoted as being green or environmentally friendly. Only 16 percent said they’re either very or somewhat unlikely to purchase a product promoted as being green, and 7.3 percent said they’re not at all likely to purchase such products.

Women are more likely than men to say they would purchase a product advertised or promoted as being green; 74.1 percent versus 62.8 percent, respectively.

Respondents cite many reasons for incorporating some level of greenness into their daily lives; the clear leader is that being green is “good for the environment” (60.5 percent). Other reasons cited for pursuing green values include to impact the future (46.6 percent), to live a better quality of life (43.6 percent), it’s good for the community (42.2 percent), a desire for a healthier body (38.9 percent), a desire to live simply and use less (37.2 percent), and a desire to make a difference (36.9 percent).

For more, read the eWEEK article: Green Products Sell Despite Doubts of Efficacy: Survey.