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When you understand marketing, you'll understand Peak Oil messaging
Submitted by nw_randallscott on April 18, 2006 - 5:04pm.
As some of you may know, I'm a marketer who has been part of the problem of unbridled consumerism. I've seen the error in my ways, but I also understand the business and the psychology of consumerism.
That being stated, there are certain segments of the populace that are more inclined to be proactive about Peak Oil, whether they know it or not. Here is a study that should start to put things into perspective as to why we will succeed by concentrating on those that are READY to hear the message first, and let it get to the late adopters as it comes. You just can't force behavior change on a portion of the population, they won't do it unless forced to.
According to Natural Marketing Institute's Managing Partner Steve French, “Almost one in four American consumers state that when given the choice to buy a product or service, they make decisions with an understanding of the effect the purchase will have on the health and sustainability of the world, its environment and people. This concept exemplifies the LOHAS (Lifestyles Of Health And Sustainability) platform that explores a wide range of consumer attitudes, behavior dynamics, and usage patterns across many industries, with a values-based approach to the health and wellness of people, products, and our planet.”
Fifty million consumers (or 23% of general population adults) are considered LOHAS consumers. NMI’s proprietary consumer segmentation model identified four distinct segments of the U.S. population:
* LOHAS: Significantly affected by their concern for the health of their families, the sustainability of the planet, their personal development and the future of society (23% of the general population)
* NOMADICS: Tend to move from place to place with regard to personal ideals, environmental platforms and the overall relevance of sustainability (38% of the general population)
* CENTRISTS: An assemblage who congregate toward the conservative end of the spectrum when it comes to dealing with health and sustainability (27% of the general population)
* INDIFFERENTS: Caught up in the day-to-day challenges, not necessarily looking out for tomorrow (12% of the general population).
The identification and understanding of these consumer segments is vital to many organizations with regard to consumer targeting, marketing strategies, new product development, and a range of other initiatives.
It is clearly evident that LOHAS consumers are deeply committed to their values and, in turn, these values drive interest in many products and industries. For example, 92% of LOHAS consumers care about the use of renewable energy sources (versus only 38% of non-LOHAS consumers), while 80% of LOHAS consumers care about socially responsible business practices (versus 28% of non-LOHAS consumers).
So, by supporting the RIGHT local companies, we can help them grow while the decline hits others. It's going to come down to businesses being part of the solution, period.
INDIFFERENTS really ONLY 12%?
Not that I doubt the source, but man, from my experience, the "INDIFFERENTS" group is more like 90%! :\
Eric
I think the number changes day by day
There are still way too many indifferents, yes. That means we still have a lot of work to do!!!!
It's changing every day.
It just needs to happen 10,000 times faster, that's all :)
Natural Marketing Institute Announces New LOHAS Consumer Segments
Harleysville, Pa. (May 2006) - What do 36 million U.S. adult consumers have in common? According to research by The Natural Marketing Institute (NMI), they're considered LOHAS consumers. LOHAS is the acronym for Lifestyles Of Health And Sustainability - a segment of the population that has been identified as having values and behavior that is conscientious of the environment, society, and corporate social responsibility that impacts their product purchasing behavior.
The new segmentation model NMI has developed for 2006 is an updated version of the previous model and better represents current market conditions. This reflects the complexity of the LOHAS market and the increasingly subtle, yet important, differences that distinguish one segment from another. According to NMI Managing Partner Steve French, "Updating segmentations is a routine practice in market research and ensures that the segmentation variables are representative of current market situations. The new segmentation began with evaluating over 170 different variables, later refined to about 25. Each consumer segment is mutually exclusive and unique in their specific motivational and behavioral patterns and levels of influence."
The five new LOHAS consumer segments are:
• LOHAS (17% of all U.S. adults): LOHAS consumers are dedicated to personal and planetary health. Not only do they make environmentally friendly purchases, they also take action - they buy green products, support advocacy programs and are active stewards of the environment.
• NATURALITES (21% of all U.S. adults): Focused on natural/organic consumer packaged goods with a strong health focus when it comes to foods/beverages. They are not politically committed to the environmental movement nor are they driven to eco-friendly durable goods.
• DRIFTERS (19% of all U.S. adults): This segment has good intentions, but when it comes to behavior, other factors influence their decision more than the environment. Somewhat price sensitive (and trendy), they are full of reasons why they do not make environmentally friendly choices.
• CONVENTIONALS (20% of all U.S. adults): This very practical segment does not have green attitudes but do have some "municipal" environmental behaviors such as recycling, energy conservation, and other more mainstream behaviors.
• UNCONCERNED (21% of all U.S. adults): The environment and society are not priorities to this segment. They are not concerned and show no environmentally-responsible behavior.
The LOHAS segment is further divided between "LOHAS Leaders" and "LOHAS Followers". According to Gwynne Rogers, NMI's LOHAS Business Director, "LOHAS Leaders are top-of-the-pyramid opinion leaders and early adopters when it comes to green and healthy initiatives. They are an optimal target for new and innovative sustainable products. LOHAS Followers' behavior is slightly moderated as compared to Leaders but they are still cutting-edge consumers across most attitudes and respective product purchasing dynamics."