“Going green” is a phrase that gets thrown around a lot, but do many companies actually take that phrase to heart? Day by day, Americans grow more concerned with environmental issues. But do consumers take this concern into account when choosing what brands and companies to support?
Environmentalists
In Ask Your Target Market’s latest survey, only 14% of respondents said they considered themselves environmentalists, and 18.8% did not. But another 67.3% said they do care about the environment. However, when it comes to companies, only 7% said they know a lot about the environmental practices of the companies they support. 46.3% said they know a little, and 46.8% said they don’t really know anything about the environmental practices.
Corporate Responsibility
Though many were unsure about the environmental responsibility of specific companies, some were still able to judge American companies as a whole. Overall, only 14.5% of respondents felt that American companies use proper environmental practices. 35.3% felt they don’t, 34.5% were neutral, and another 15.8% had no opinion.
Paying More
Most respondents, 76.3%, said they would be more likely to support a company if they knew it used proper environmental practices. However, only 41.8% said they would be willing to pay 10% more for products they knew were made using proper environmental practices.The environment is a growing concern for many Americans, but so is the economy. Going green can sometimes lead to spending more green, and that’s where many draw the line. Will environmentally responsible companies find a way to cut costs for consumers? And will more Americans continue to learn about the practices of the companies they support?Photo Credit: Green Business Network Launch from Flickr