Many green products are appealing to the environment because they reduce emissions, or save energy. However, most green products are not appealing to the consumers. Consumers claim their needs environmentally are being met. However, they are not meeting their needs as far as price, symbolism and status, heath and safety, and convenience. It is not easy to find a low cost, status boosting, environmentally friendly product, or a company that carries truly environmentally friendly products for that matter. The market must satisfy two objectives: improved environmental quality and customer satisfaction.

Studies show that not only is it hard to appeal to the general consumer population, appealing to the younger population is significantly more difficult. Conservation and green products need the unsolicited endorsement of high-profile celebrities and have a connection to cool technology in order to appeal to young people.

Green products would appeal more easily to consumers of all ages if it could be positioned as a status symbol. If a product were to have an award-winning sleek design, symbolize intelligence and social responsibility it would be more likely to sell. People want to portray the image of “coolness.”  If sustainable products were to capture the “coolness” image, then consumers would be more likely to buy sustainable goods. Sustainable products and services will depend on communicating and delivering consumer-desired value in the marketplace.

Price is a huge concern for most consumers. Green products are not cheap. With our economy being in a current recession, consumers are unlikely to spend extra money when they do not see it helping them in any way. Most consumers agree that the environment is in trouble and they would like to do something to help. However, the high costs of products that are environmentally friendly keep them from doing so. Society would rather have food on the table over clean air to breath or water to drink. Escalating energy prices, concerns over foreign oil dependency, and calls for energy conservation are creating business opportunities for energy-efficient products. However, green products must appeal to consumers outside the traditional green niche.

No product labeled as a “green” or “environmental” product has a zero impact on the environment. The next generations of sustainable products needs to increase the productivity of natural resources, follow biological production models, encourage dematerialization, and reinvest or contribute to the planets “natural” capital.

(2006, July). Improving consumer appeal for green products. Green Clips. No. 291. Retrieved on March 31, 2008 from http://www.greenclips.com/.  

Ottman, J., Stafford, R.,  and Hartman, C. (2006, June). Avoiding green marketing myopia. Environment. Vol. 48. No. 5. p. 22. Retrieved March 31, 2008 from www.greenmarketing.com/articles/Stafford-MyopiaJune06.pdf

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