Introduction to the 7th Edition Report Series
In 2008 Americans saw many historical moments. The price of oil skyrocketed
and nearly $5/gallon gasoline prices pushed many consumers to change
their daily routines. October brought the worst financial crisis since
the Great Depression, and November followed quickly with an historic
election but more economic trouble. Consumers’ emotions have shifted
wildly from fear and anxiety to hope for a brighter future.
Through it all, concerns about environmental, social, and health issues
were out of the brightest of spotlights, but not far out of consumers’
minds. While tightening the financial belt put a damper on some consumers’
ability to pay for some LOHAS products and services, many consumers
realized that being green does not necessarily come with a price premium.
The results of this survey show that consumers remain very enthusiastic
about sustainable lifestyles and products, and are finding their “green
stride.” Many behaviors are up significantly, and usage of most LOHAS
products has also jumped to the highest levels NMI has ever recorded.
With respect to CSR, there is growing trust of companies, though a very
sizable gap remains between where consumers would like to see companies'
performance and where they are today. There remains a significant opportunity
(and, in fact, in consumers’ eyes a responsibility) for companies to
improve the relevance and inspiration of their CSR campaigns. While
some companies are shining examples of what to do, most campaigns seem
far-removed from consumers’ day-to-day lives.
2008 also brought a range of new LOHAS products and communications
strategies to the marketplace:
- Clorox’s Green Works made a huge splash in the first quarter.
- SC Johnson battled Clorox with a corporate social responsibility
campaign centered on its use of landfill gas and highlighting
its “Green List” of approved chemicals with reduced toxicity.
- Sun Chips repositioned its brand based on installing a solar array
on one of its manufacturing plants, claiming that Sun Chips are
“made with the help of the sun.”
- Proctor & Gamble’s corporate social responsibility campaign
launched in Quarter 2, tying purchase of its brands to donations
of those same products to needy communities based primarily in
Africa.
- Also in the second quarter, Avis increased its lineup of hybrids;
now 1,500 hybrids are part of its fleet.
- Arm & Hammer’s Essentials came in Quarter 3, blending “more
natural” ingredients and a refillable container.
- In Quarter 4, Nike released its latest Considered Design products,
which are designed with a life cycle impact in mind, providing
an example of how the apparel industry is engaging sustainability.
- IKEA also announced plans in Quarter 4 to source 30% of its wood
from FSC-certified sources in the next few years.
Chrysler, however, pulled its hybrids in Quarter 4, claiming that SUVs
are not as popular as they once were. And, growth in usage of organics
was stagnant as consumers began to pinch pennies. So, what is the magical
marketing mix that makes for a successful LOHAS product?
The answer is the perfect blend of understanding your target consumers’
concerns – both LOHAS-related and mainstream - and developing a product
or service that delivers that to them seamlessly. Since each consumer
approaches sustainability somewhat uniquely, not all sustainable products
will resonate with all consumers. Consumers’ nuances and defining characteristics
are explored throughout this report.
Report Methodology
These reports are based on research that was fielded in July 2008 via
a primary consumer survey of 4,033 U.S. general population (GP)
adults. The results of this survey are nationally projectable
to the U.S. adult population and statistically valid at the 95%
confidence level +/- 2%. The data have been post-weighted to match
multiple U.S. Census demographic measures.
7th Edition Report Series
The following three reports are industry specific and contain all of
the same chapters as the general overview report, but also include
an addendum chapter at the end specific to the report focus.
The following report is specific to Corporate Social Responsibility.
It contains the same information as the general overview report but
includes an expanded Chapter 5:
The following two sections from the 2006 report series
are available for purchase separately:
For information on NMI’s European LOHAS report, click
here.
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