Work by our research companies
Our research companies undertake studies to help clients understand consumer attitudes to social and environmental issues. One example is shown below.
Case study: Consumers have green conscience
Recent research by global market insight and information group TNS shows that green issues are still high on the consumer agenda across the globe. The study involved 13,128 people in 17 countries and analysed their attitudes, perceptions and behaviours towards being green.
Globally, 40% of people say they have changed their behaviour in the recent past to benefit the environment, for example, by shutting down a computer when it’s not in use.
More than half of the respondents said they would be willing to pay more for environmentally friendly products. This is especially true in Spain and Singapore where 66% and 70% respectively agreed with this statement. Around 52% said a 5% price premium is acceptable and 33% would accept a 10% price premium. Over 51% of respondents would pay extra to recycle household waste.
Green issues influence purchasing decisions in a number of categories, particularly automobiles and food. Travel and entertainment register a lower number of respondents acknowledging environmental influences on purchasing decisions.
Some retailers have started to engage in ‘choice editing’ – removing unsustainable products from the shelves, leaving only the environmentally-friendly options. The results show that consumers strongly support choice editing, with 71% globally saying this practice is right or fair.
A growing number of companies are promoting their green credentials. Respondents were asked if this affects their purchasing decisions. One in 10 say a company’s green credentials influence their behaviour ‘a great deal’ and a further 51% say it matters ‘somewhat’.
TNS conducted this study in 2008 in the following countries, using TNS 6th Dimension online access panels: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, the UK and US.