A recent poll showing that “a majority of consumers will buy eco-friendly products even if they cost more” brought to mind a recent Prius commercial I saw. You have to have seen it by now too, unless you’ve been fast-forwarding through the commercials during your TiVo sessions. I’m talking about the new commercial from Toyota where the new Prius is driving through the countryside with the sun following closely behind. And upon closer observation, you see that it’s people in costume moving to mimic what we see in nature. I remember the first time I saw the ad; a smile came over my face and a blanket of warm fuzzies hit me. Not only because I thought it was a very well done ad, but also that such an industry giant was bringing environmental responsibility to the spotlight through great advertising. I’ll admit it. They got me.
An interesting fact about the production of the commercial is how the hybrid’s electric drive mode made it possible to move the car on the set while producing zero emissions. Now that’s green advertising!
With the rise of consumers who are more aware and concerned about the state of the environment, we see the rise of companies that are addressing these consumer concerns in their marketing. Whether it’s through simple product packaging changes to developing new products and services that radically reduce materials, energy, and waste, companies are making the effort to let consumers know that they’re doing their part to save the planet.
According to the NBC “Green is Universal” poll, 60% of consumers will buy eco-friendly products even if they cost more. Sixty-two percent say, “I am buying more environmentally responsible products than I did a year ago,” while 73% believe that “green” is good for the economy. Further, 85% of respondents say that companies have a social responsibility to protect the environment while 19% say they have boycotted a company/product in the past year because it had policies and practices that were not environmentally responsible. (Source, Adage 4/20/09)
As the marketplace continues to fill with new products and services everyday, social responsibility will often sway consumer motivation and increase demand for products and services advertised as eco-friendly. This new demand becomes a very good reason why advertisers will continue to make green advertising a trend that we’ll continue to see more of in the future.