Thanks to Joel Makower for a great post on market research in the green space:
I find myself getting increasingly irritated. Can market researchers be accused of greenwash? I'm beginning to wonder.
Two examples:
Approximately 50 percent of U.S. consumers consider at least one sustainability factor in selecting consumer packaged goods items and choosing where to shop for those products, according to a new survey by Information Resources, Inc.
Nearly nine in ten Americans say the words "conscious consumer" describe them well and are more likely to buy from companies that manufacture energy efficient products, promote health and safety benefits, support fair labor and trade practices, and commit to environmentally-friendly practices, according to the BBMG Conscious Consumer Report.
I don't profess to have studies that refute these, but you don't need to be a social scientist to know that neither of the above conclusions is on the money. Half of consumers do not consider sustainability when buying packaged goods — everything from cosmetics to cleaners, Rice-a-Roni to razor blades. (Do half your friends and family members shop this way?) And to think 90% of us are "conscious consumers" when it comes to the planet? C'mon. Half of us aren't even conscious about what we put into our bodies.
Read the full post here.
Tuesday, 12 February 2008
Finally...
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2 comments:
I think with market research you tend to get what you ask for, ask people if they are informed. ethically orientated consumers and a load of people will say yes- very few people are going to say they are ignorant, valueless consumers, ask people if walking/cycling to the shops is a healthy option and people will say yes, ask people if good parking is important when deciding to choose their supermarkets most people will also say yes.
Market research tends to answer the questions that those that pay it want answering, in the way that they want. Having designed a couple of research projects for newspapers I have found the skill of getting the answers you want is a matter of posing the questions in the right way, and ordering them so that the person answering them is draw through in a certain way.
Slightly tangentially, I have just finished Michael Pollan’s ‘In Defence of Food’ in the book he points out that the majority of research science into food healthiness shows that what ever product it is researching has an element that is healthy, as most of this research is funded by the major food processors it once again shows that he who pays the piper gets to pick the tune.
Saying all of that there are a couple of government funded research sources which I have always found rather objective- the National Office of Statistics and Economic and Social Research Council
Thanks Peter - I totally agree. It's a shame there's so little genuinely independent research. Perhaps companies should look at being a bit more academic in their research and thought leadership, developing real internal expertise, rather than outsourcing for a quick and easy result.. However, I guess the investment means it's not likely unless the info is key to their business. Ah well.
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