I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the recession was one of the best things that could have happened to the environment. Increasing financial limitations have resulted in a changed consumer psyche. Today’s buyers are rethinking their purchasing habits, reducing their consumption of disposable goods, and even downsizing their living spaces.
With uncertainty about whether or not she’ll have her job next month, every penny counts to the new 21st century consumer. Today’s savvy buyer is more likely to think twice before spending hard earned and precious dollars.
The instant gratification of on-the-spot purchasing on credit cards has largely evaporated. With an average credit card APR of over 20% and a growing portion of banks unexpectedly cutting off accounts, the new 21st century consumer is inclined to wait to make a purchase until she can actually afford the item.
Many goods and services that were once considered necessities are now seen as luxuries. Gone are the days of keeping up with the Jones. Frugality has displaced the extravagance of the boom days, and the biggest winner appears to be the environment (it’s no stretch to understand that fewer disposable products results in reduced resource demand).
The new 21st century consumer is just as label conscious as ever, but instead of gravitating towards designer items, she looks for eco-attributes. According to a study conducted by JWT (formerly J. Walter Thompson), 82% of consumers surveyed said that they would pay at last 5% more for environmentally friendly products, and 70% reported that their purchasing patterns are influenced by environmental messages and labeling.
Today’s savvy consumer is no longer simply concerned with upfront cost. She now thinks longer term and considers things like embodied energy and carbon footprint. She will look for locally produced products to reduce her environmental impact from transportation, and she’ll repair an item rather than throwing it away to minimize her waste output. She’ll invest more in a product that will last, but she won’t necessarily accept a lower quality product just because it’s ‘green’.
Today’s consumer no longer carelessly discards items like she used to. She recycles her light bulbs and print cartridges. She thinks about purchasing refurbished computers instead of new ones. She’s even holding on to her belongings, from cell phones to automobiles, for longer on average than in recent history.
So what does this new 21st century consumer psyche mean to product manufacturers and building professionals? First, we must understand to classify her. She actively practices Green ‘Responsugality’—green laced with responsibility and frugality. Above all, she is searching for value—not just a cheap deal, but something that expresses her ethics through her pocketbook. Offer her a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution, and you’ve pretty much got it in the bag.
Our modern consumer remains apprehensive about the future of our economy. Her discernment empowers her, so now is a perfect time to harness her emotions with a blended values message that addresses her financial, social, and environmental concerns. In order to capture her heart, mind, and dollars, it’s important to be a company that will care for her budget, her community, and her planet.
A word of caution, though—according to Advertising Age, more than half of today’s consumers are wary of greenwashing and false sustainability claims. And when it comes to going green, companies just can’t fake it—according to Nielsen Online, 25% of online blog entries about sustainability are entered by disgruntled consumers pointing out discrepancies between companies’ claims and the reality of their environmental performance.
Green has emerged as the means for this consumer to validate herself. To be successful in today’s marketplace, it is paramount to provide her ways to recycle, use less for longer, and have a positive impact on the planet. Help her to become experientially educated, and she’ll be your loyal customer for life.
Tell us your thoughts about the 21
st century consumer. Email me at sara@greenbuilermag.com or join me on Twitter at SaraGBM.
Posted: 2/28/2010 9:39:50 PM by
Sara Gutterman | with 0 comments
In a recent review, Roger Ebert, the esteemed film critic, says that the movie "Avatar" is "sensational entertainment" and a "technical breakthrough." He points out its clear green message and states that it is a film that "you must see to keep up with the conversation."
I feel much the same way about
GreenExpo365.com (
www.greenexpo365.com), the virtual conference and expo that we are launching on Monday, March 1, with partner i365Tech. While GreenExpo365 doesn't (at least for now) feature floating mountains, flying reptiles, or sexy 10', blue-skinned, golden-eyed heroines with tails, there are certainly other compelling features that make the virtual trade show enticing.
GreenExpo365 utilizes advanced social media tools to allow attendees and exhibitors to seamlessly unify live interaction with multi-media technology. In the virtual expo hall, which is entirely reminiscent of the show floor at IBS or Greenbuild, exhibitors display their wares, so to speak, in the form of videos, PDFs, web links, and other rich media containing information about their green products and sustainable business practices. Attendees can visit the auditorium to watch live keynotes and webinars, the networking lounge to participate in discussion groups, and the resource room to research key topics. There is even a press room where members of the media can download story starters and press kits.
Admittedly, you're in for a new experience. While we can't quite say that GreenExpo365 will be as revolutionary to the building sector as Avatar has been to the movie industry, we are comfortable asserting that it bridges the divide between live interaction and surfing the web.
Avatar fuses utopia with technology and ecology. GreenExpo365 blends green building information with social media and access to manufacturers. And, just like Avatar, which confronts global issues greater than its basic storyline, GreenExpo365 will attempt to address real problems faced by our industry, not the least of which is tackling the challenge of increased connectivity without the massive carbon footprint.
Join us next Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for our first live event. We're trying to make sure that you don't feel like you've landed on an alien planet filled with exotic life forms, so we've included some of the green building industry's favorite experts on the agenda:
- Ron Jones, Monday, March 1, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. EST: "Green With an Attitude"
- Bob Kingery, Monday, March 1s, 2:00 p.m.–-3:00 p.m. EST: "Renewables Today"
- Steve Easley, Tuesday, March 2, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. EST: "Secrets to Affordable Green Construction"
- Peter Pfeiffer, Tuesday, March 2, 2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. EST: "Building a Net-Zero Energy Home"
- Michael Strong, Wednesday, March 3, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. EST: "It's not about Saving the World, it's About Making Money!"
Go to
www.greenexpo365.com to register. We look forward to seeing you there.
Posted: 2/26/2010 12:00:00 AM by
Sara Gutterman | with 0 comments
As a third of the country is getting pummeled by extreme weather and heavy snow, other areas, like where I live in the Pacific Northwest, are seeing the first signs of spring. In contrast to the wintery landscapes in places like New York, D.C., and even Dallas, the trees outside my office boast eager buds.
It feels early for daffodils, but there they are, zestfully poking their golden heads through the rocky soil. Robins, the harbingers of spring, are returning to my yard from their winter vacations, sizing each other up in noisy anticipation of their upcoming negotiations that will decide who among them will reign over the choicest morsels and mates.
The disparity between my visions of spring and the scenes of frosty landscapes that I see on the evening news is an emphatic reminder that, as much as we may try to control her, nature is the true master of our domain.
Change is as constant in human nature as it is in Mother Nature, and across the country from the balmy west to the frosty east, the Green Builder Media team continues our passionate pursuit to provide enhanced information services to the building industry.
In that light, I'm delighted to announce that we have launched a new website, www.greenbuildermag.com, that delivers breaking news, cutting-edge commentaries, useful resources, and featured products. Our editors have populated the site with invaluable information about green living, building science, sustainable retrofits, green technology, and insights into the future of sustainable development.
Blogs written by our own Ron Jones (President), Matt Power (Senior Editor), and, Butch Gaudette (Chief Development Officer), are irresistible. And we're honored to host the voices of some of our favorite green experts, from the great green marketer Tom Miller to renowned architects Stace McGee and Ed Binkley to award-winning builder Michael Strong to interior designer extraordinaire Pat Gaylor.
Visit us regularly as we roll out our webinar and video library over the next few weeks, and be sure to watch for entertaining episodes on our new REEL Green Online TV.
We know that there are a few pages within the site that still need our attention, so please pardon our dust as we complete our final punch list! And as you peruse the site, please email us with your comments and suggestions. Let us know what you like, what we should add, and how we can continue to deliver the most relevant, interesting, and effective information to you.
For more information about important topics related to sustainability and green building, follow me on my Twitter page at SaraGBM.
Posted: 2/12/2010 2:38:23 PM by
| with 0 comments