What consumers really think of green

(Reposted from Catching Flack)

Here’s a quiz for anyone interested in environmental issues:

Which of the following environmental terms resonates most strongly with consumers?
a) Conservation
b) Green
c) Energy Efficiency
d) Sustainable

If you said "b) Green" are you surprised to learn that you're wrong? The right answer is "c) Energy Efficiency," according to

Suzanne Shelton of Shelton Group, who conducts annual surveys of consumer attitudes toward environmental issues.

Shelton’s research indicates that only 61.5 percent of consumers have a positive association with the word “green,” 63.5 percent feel positively about “sustainable,” 74 percent feel positively about “conservation” and a whopping 88.2 percent feel positively about “energy efficiency.”

Why is "energy efficiency" more popular among consumers than "green?" Turns out "energy efficiency" is a term people can understand. To consumers, "energy efficienty" means turning off the lights, lowering the thermostat, buying a hybrid car, planting a tree and so on — things consumers can actually do. But what does “green” mean? It can be all things to all people, Shelton says, and consumers already see through the hype — that “green” is mostly a marketing buzzword designed to boost sales.

This should remind all of us that just because a word or phrase appears to be popular, we should really take a moment to consider if it communicates effectively with the audience we are trying to reach rather than leaping onto the buzzword bandwagon without a second thought.

~ Nicole