Environmental Claims Seen As Marketing Ploys

July 29, 2008

Eighty percent of Canadians consider the environmental impact of their purchasing decisions, but 75% of consumers believe that environmental claims are often just marketing ploys, according to the Consumerology Report from Bensimon Byrne.

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Sixty-five percent of Canadians say the term ‘green’ has been used so much that it doesn’t have much meaning for them anymore when a company claims it.

Cost is the primary barrier of adopting more environmentally friendly practices among consumers, as green products are overwhelmingly seen to be more expensive than regular products.

And while they are perceived as more costly, two-thirds of Canadians simply don’t believe that it costs more to produce them. However, the concern about cost does not correlate with income level but with the level of commitment each
individual is willing to make to the environment.

The majority of Canadians (85%) want government enforced standards for ‘environmentally friendly’ products as well as labeling that certifies and explains such terms as green, organic, low emissions, etc. Not surprisingly, consumers view the
companies who produce green products as the least trusted source for information about the environmental impacts of their products.

The survey also showed that women are significantly more likely (88%) to consider environmental impact while making purchasing decisions over men (71%), which has major implications for company target marketing.

The Consumerology Report survey was conducted by the Gandalf Group amongst 1500 Canadians. The questionnaire was conducted in French and English between June 26 and July 9.

Get the report here.

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Reader Comments

That’s the problem. Real solutions won’t get any exposure for years to come.
Shawn Kalin

Shawn Kalin | July 29th, 2008

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