MIT Sloan Management Review

Marketing, Sustainability

What the ‘Green’ Consumer Wants

Interview by Michael S. Hopkins

July 1, 2009

Has demand for ‘green’ products and services been affected by the downturn? And what factors affect consumer decisions to buy — or not buy — green in the first place?

The leading question
What do prospective buyers of green products want now, and how should companies deliver it?
Findings
  • The demand for green products and services hasn’t been greatly cut by the recession, but green choices are now more focused on ways to save money.
  • Price is not the main obstacle when buyers consider going green. The biggest impediment is consumers’ lack of awareness of green product alternatives.
  • Many companies are afraid to educate buyers about green options for fear of being called “greenwashers.”
Where is the “green”-goods consumer? Alive and well despite the recession, according to “Capturing the Green Advantage: What Green Consumers Want and How to Deliver It,” the theme of a special exploration thread at MIT Sloan Management Review online, which began running earlier this spring.

The thread was triggered by a 2008 research report coauthored by Catherine Roche, a partner and managing director in the Düsseldorf office of The Boston Consulting Group Inc. Here in this version from the print edition of the Review, we extract highlights from the online thread, including key data from the consumer survey, thoughts from expert commentators and excerpts from a conversation with Roche about what has — and has not — changed since her report was initially made public. Among her main points: (1) price is not the obstacle when consumers consider green purchases, (2)... To read the complete article, login or sign-up using the form below.

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