Engaging the eco-consumers

The stir caused by the recent announcement of speed limit increases on Britain's motorways demonstrates just how prominent environmental sentiment is in Britain. Just like the legislators, businesses also have to keep up with public eco-concerns and reassure consumers about their impact on the environment.

This is key for marketers to take into account as latest findings from Kantar Media's TGI survey show environmentally-conscious consumers are a lucrative group with substantial spending power.

Insight from TGI reveals that 8.8 million adults aged 15+ - 18% of the population - are 'Keen' environmental consumers. This is according to TGI's Greenscape Clusters segmentation which divides all British adult consumers into six groups according to their level of environmental engagement.

'Keen' environmental consumers are strongly committed to the green cause, actively making choices to be greener consumers. They are a wealthy group, being 50% more likely than the average British adult to be in AB social grades and 45% more likely to have an income of at least £50,000. In addition, they are an entrepreneurial group with a slightly older age range. They are a third more likely to be self-employed and 55% more likely to have invested money in their own business. With such involvement in their own businesses, it fits that they would be more acutely aware of the importance of green credentials and be more eco-friendly themselves.

They are also ethical shoppers, being almost twice as likely as the average adult to prefer paying more for organic food and 82% more likely to buy from companies who give something back to society. They are also significantly more likely to buy Fair Trade products and foods produced locally.

Insight from TGI reveals that these 'Keen' environmental consumers are also a cultured, adventurous bunch. They are interested in international events and are 65% more likely than the average British adult to prefer taking holidays off the beaten track. They appreciate the finer things in life, being significantly more likely to pay more for good quality wine, enjoy eating foreign foods and visit the theatre every two to three months. Such high brow and high-cost habits will be music to the ears of many marketers.

Print media stands out as a particularly efficient means for reaching these environmentally-conscious consumers. They are 51% more likely than the average British adult to be heavy readers of 'quality' newspapers. Magazines are also an effective way to reach this group as they are 28% more likely to say they pay attention to adverts in magazines. They are also more likely to find magazine adverts most useful when making purchasing decisions.

This is not to say that these are the only ways of reaching them; they are also over twice as likely as the average British adult to specially choose to listen to science and education programmes on the radio. They are also an influential bunch, being significantly more likely than the average adult to talk to others and convince them about financial services. Being a particularly lucrative area, having such efficient communicators will be great news for marketers.

This concern for the environment is not unique to Britain; it is being felt around the world. Global TGI data reveals that over half of India's population are prepared to make lifestyle changes to benefit the environment, with the same proportion of the population in Russia prepared to do likewise. This indicates just how far-reaching environmental concerns have become in recent years

As feautured in MediaTel Newsline, October 2011