If you read our blog or have seen anyone from Shelton Group speak, you already know that people in America are increasingly putting their wallets where their values are, and “telegraphing” is a big piece of the equation. As of our Pulse polling last December–January, 42% of people in this country said, “Buying/using eco-friendly products is an important part of my personal image.”

More importantly, 26% can name (unaided) a brand or product they’ve purchased — or not purchased — because of the environmental or social record of the manufacturer.

These numbers have all been trending in an upward right direction since 2015, so it’s fair to say that “shoptivism” — the act of buying or not buying as an intentional expression of an ethical or moral stand — is real. This begs lots of questions:

• Who are these people?
• Are they a demographic your brand or company should care about?
• If so, what messages and actions will drive favorability with these “Choosers” and “Stoppers”?
• And what about the people who are so savvy they have lengthy lists of both “good” and “bad” brands? Do they represent your future customers and employees?

On October 7, our VP of Research and Insights Susannah Enkema and I will be hosting a free GreenBiz webinar to answer these questions and more. You can click here to register.

Read on for a sneak peek:

• The 26% of people in America who can name a brand or product they’ve purchased or not purchased because of the environmental or social record of the manufacturer actually break into three groups: people who choose brands because of their record (Choosers), people who stop buying brands because of their record (Stoppers), and people who do both (Changelings).
• Interestingly, the Choosers and Stoppers follow long-standing shopping patterns based on life stage. The Choosers tend to be 25–44 with kids — they’re doing a lot of shopping and buying. The Stoppers tend to be older, 65+, so they’re buying less anyway. The Changelings — people both buying and not buying on purpose — are the emerging demographic that brands and companies want to attract: Gen Z.
• We see that all three groups have some things in common: they’re more likely to be searching for greener products, to believe climate change is real and human-caused, and to feel they have a personal responsibility to change their habits and purchases to do something positive for the environment.
• But their expectations of companies — the expectations driving their decisions to buy or not buy BECAUSE of a company’s environmental or social record — differ pretty distinctly, and the commitments that resonate differ as well.
• The opportunity for any company is this: look closely at the profiles of the Choosers, Stoppers and Changelings and map them to your core target audience profiles. Then align your commitments and/or messaging with the group of shoptivists most likely to be prevalent in your target audience.

Those profiles — and their expectations, care-abouts, messaging preferences and where to reach them — will all be revealed on October 7. Please join us and our friend, Joel Makower, for an in-depth presentation and a robust discussion!

Sustainability: the core consideration of tomorrow’s consumer
— Mediatel News

Environmental activism is being taught at an earlier and earlier age. In this Mediatel News article, they discuss the impacts of children being taught about the environmental consequences of consumerism at a young age and how marketers will need to adapt their strategies for “conscious consumerism.”
Read more…

Study: Brand activism sways buying behavior, brand impression for 58% of consumers
— Marketing Dive

Brand activism not only makes your brand stand out, but a large portion of consumers view it as positive. This Marketing Dive article details a consumer study on brand activism and how those actions shift brands’ public favorability.
Read more…