Influx

There are a some interesting data points from a study completed earlier this month by Ci for its SHIFT Report on North American environmental attitudes and behaviors.

1. Consumers Aren’t Recognizing Social Responsibility

While consumers feel its important for companies to be socially responsible, they have trouble naming companies that are. Two of the biggest companies, Wal-Mart and GE, who’ve been big spenders in PR and advertising to demonstrate their green creds, are only recognized as socially responsible by 19% of consumers.

2. Green Ad Campaigns Aren’t Proof

Consumers are smart enough not to be Greenwashed by advertising. In making their purchase decisions they are going deeper and investigating other areas. These include product design (65%), packaging (64%), produced locally/sold by a locally based business (57%).

Both these findings illustrate the importance of proof, it you are going to say something you have to back it up with hard evidence.

While this is becoming a pervasive force generally across marketing, it’s especially important in areas relating to Social Responsibility.

Posted by Ed Cotton