Demand Rising for High-Ticket Green Products

A new survey reveals that people around the world intend to purchase higher-ticket environmental products in the auto, energy and technology sectors compared to last year.

This year’s ImagePower Global Green Brands Study survey, which polled more than 9,000 people in eight countries, concludes that people are now willing to take green purchases to the next level.

Household products and grocery categories have the highest adoption rates, but people in the US say they plan to spend more money on green technology, energy and automotive products or services in the next year.

"We’re seeing a shift in the ‘In Me, On Me, Around Me’ mentality when it comes to purchasing green products," says Russ Meyer, Chief Strategy Officer of Landor Associates. "Consumers have a good understanding of how green choices in personal care, food and household products directly affect their families, and they are now seeing benefits like costs savings that attract them to higher cost items like cars and technology."

2011 US rankings

The survey also ranked the top 10 US companies with the greenest reputations. For the first time since the inception of the study in 2006, the four brands perceived to be the greenest are "born green" companies – companies that started out with green missions.

1. Seventh Generation
2. Whole Foods
3. Tom’s of Maine
4. Burt’s Bees
5. Trader Joe’s
6. The Walt Disney Company
7. S.C. Johnson
8. Dove
9. Apple
10. Starbucks, Microsoft (tied)

Consistent with last year’s study, more than 60% of people  globally want to buy from environmentally responsible companies. Respondents in all eight countries surveyed indicate they are willing to spend more on green products.

In developed countries such as the US and UK, roughly 20% of those surveyed would spend more than 10% extra on a green product.

In developing countries, however, people say that green products have a higher inherent value. 95% of Chinese respondents say they’re willing to spend more on a product because it’s green – 55% of them say they would  spend 11-30% more. Similarly, 29% of Indian respondents and 48% of Brazilians say they are willing to spend between 11- 30% more on green products.

"Consumers in developing countries express greater concern over the state of the environment in their countries, which may contribute to their greater willingness to pay more for green products," says Paul Andrepont, Senior Vice President of Penn Schoen Berland.

The concern in developing nations is also evident in a new study released by Oxfam this week, showing that these countries have commited to deeper emissions cuts than their rich neighbors.

"Consumers in these markets also differ from their developed-nation counterparts in believing that selection, rather than cost, is the greatest barrier to buying green products," Andrepont adds. "Brands that address these consumers’ very real concern – over air pollution in India or deforestation in Brazil – have the ability to position themselves as a premium in the market, a possible competitive advantage."