Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Trader Joe’s Top Green Brands

May 2, 2007

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No longer can corporations just say they offer fuel-efficient vehicles, organic foods or energy-efficient products – it is now a cost of entry in many industries and corporations need to begin thinking ahead, according to the 2007 ImagePower Green Brands Survey, conducted by WPP’s Landor Associates, Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates and Cohn & Wolfe. Corporations must consider the next level of greenness such as ensuring their overall business practices are sustainable and that the greenness at the supermarket or car dealership represents greenness in bringing the item to market.

When asked what their perceptions were of green brands, respondents said they are often seen as better quality, though at a higher cost. This perception of green equating premium is one that makes good business sense for anyone considering entering the space. The good news for Whole Foods, Toyota and Sub-Zero (ranked among the greenest of the green) is that even non-users are more likely to use green brands and consider them the next time they make a purchase.

In addition to surveying participants on their beliefs of what constitutes a “green practice” and which brands are most adept at executing green strategies, the survey also categorized participants’ levels of involvement into shades of green, or green attitudes. The result of this segmentation is that all Americans exhibit some sort of green attitudes and behaviors. The difference in behaviors can best be seen at their extremes, by “Muted Green” and “Active Green” participants. Muted Greens are not convinced that the environment is in trouble and make the minimum effort to support environmental change, while Active Greens believe taking care of the environment is society’s responsibility and are doing everything they can to make a long-term impact on their environment.

Top 10 Green Brands:

1. Whole Foods
2. Wild Oats
3. Trader Joe’s
4. Toyota
5. Honda
6. Sub Zero
7. Ikea
8. Body Shop
9. GE
10. Aveda

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