In the prior post on this site, I discussed the challenges in market research surveying of measuring consumer behavior.
For years, consumer market research has found that consumers support Green, while their actions in the marketplace belie this support.
A recent study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology highlights shifts in Green thinking and behavior among consumers, showing that the Green movement might benefit from encouraging consumers to be conspicuously Green.
Researchers developed a series of experiments in which college students were offered equally priced products in both green and conventional versions. Indeed, the green models were less feature-rich than the conventional products. The test group was then primed to increase their awareness of status while the control group remained neutral.
Both groups then made their product selections. A significantly higher percentage of the test group chose the green products.
The study suggests the motivation for this difference: “costly signaling theory says that although costly, altruistic acts may benefit the altruist indirectly, by establishing a ‘reputation’.”
In a telling follow-up study, researchers found that preference for Green lessened among the test group as the price of the Green products were lowered.
For companies marketing Green, market researchers may want to measure these possibilities.
For more details about the study, click here.
Dr. Bob
