Cone
Cone Tracks the Green Gap
The Cone 2011 Green Gap Trend Tracker is a survey that evaluates American consumers' perceptions and interpretation of environmental marketing messages.
As a strategy and communications agency, Cone is engaged in building brand trust. The degree to which consumers place their trust in environmental claims can help Cone's clients understand the rapidly evolving landscape of attitudes, expectations and behaviors that accompanies cause branding and corporate responsibility.
Cone's report showed that Americans continue to misunderstand commonly used phrases, often assuming a greater environmental halo than a product may deserve. At the same time, more than 70 percent of respondents said they would stop buying a product if they feel misled by an environmental claim.
But there's hope for marketers. A majority of consumers (75 percent) say it is okay if a company is not environmentally perfect, as long as it is honest and transparent about its efforts. In addition, 59 percent say it is acceptable for marketers to use general environmental claims, as long as they are backed up with additional detail and explanation. The full report can be found at coneinc.com/research.