Nowadays consumers are confronted with words like “sustainable”, “green” and “eco-friendly” all the time, but what do they really think about them? In its new Eco Pulse 2015 report, The Buzz on Buzzwords, Shelton Group gives us the scoop.
For the report, the firm tested 11 popular green buzzwords on more than 2,000 respondents earlier this year to determine: what consumers really know, what they think they know, and how these words make them feel; for instance, does the word evoke a positive or negative reaction? Do people associate it with increased cost, better health or political baggage?
Among the takeaways: the “big 3” terms (“green,” “eco-friendly” and “sustainable”) have broad appeal and are no longer polarizing, but when it comes to “recycled” versus “recyclable,” consumers have trouble grasping the difference and when it comes to “low-VOC,” people are fundamentally unfamiliar with the term and the study’s authors suggest marketers rethink using this term to sell their products.
The 11 words tested:
- LOW CARBON FOOTPRINT
- NET ZERO
Read the full report here.
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