Shh! Don't Tell the Customers that Their Solar Panels Will Save Them Money!
Green marketers should stick to a single message. But which one?
Slogans akin to “Save money while you save the planet!” and “Save green while you go green!” reveal a telling assumption: consumers are more likely to buy environmentally friendly products if the deal is sweetened with cost savings.
But is that assumption true? Recent research from Yale School of Management professors Ravi Dhar and George Newman, and Kellogg School of Management Professor Kelly Goldsmith suggests that, when it comes to selling sustainable products, less is more. It’s better to pick one marketing strategy—be it touting a product’s economic benefits or its environmental benefits—and match that message to the mindset of the consumers you are targeting. Meaning, if your customer is likely focused on saving the world, then talk up your product’s eco-friendly aspects. Or if your customers are a thrifty bunch, then play up your product’s cost-savings.
Read more at Insight, Kellogg School of Management
