Sustainability: consumer perceptions and marketing strategies.

Studies of green consumer behaviour, in particular purchasing and disposal, have largely focused on demographics and/or socio-demographics, with mixed and frequently contradictory results. To move the debate forward, we investigated a wide range of 40 sustainability activities with 78 consumers, who placed each activity on a matrix according to perceived effort and perceived difference to the environment. Patterns both across respondents and between certain pairs of activities were identified, and we suggest that this model increases our understanding of how consumers view sustainable activities. Marketers can use this information to consider marketing strategies that positively influence consumers' perceptions of such activities. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

[1]  N. Lakin.  Recent Book: Home Office: Prison Statistics England and Wales 1983 , 1985 .

[2]  P. Bartelmus.  Environment and Development , 1986 .

[3]  J. M. Hines,et al.  Analysis and synthesis of research on responsible environmental behavior: A meta-analysis. , 1987 .

[4]  Edward Toomer,et al.  Qualitative Methods in Management Research , 1989 .

[5]  Stuart Oskamp,et al.  Factors Influencing Household Recycling Behavior , 1991 .

[6]  Joanne Vining,et al.  Predicting Recycling Behavior from Global and Specific Environmental Attitudes and Changes in Recycling Opportunities1 , 1992 .

[7]  Joel J. Davis,et al.  Strategies for environmental advertising , 1993 .

[8]  Thomas F. Stafford,et al.  Green issues: Dimensions of environmental concern , 1994 .

[9]  P. Ellen.  Do we know what we need to know? Objective and subjective knowledge effects on pro-ecological behaviors , 1994 .

[10]  Stuart Oskamp,et al.  Factors Influencing Community Residents' Participation in Commingled Curbside Recycling Programs , 1994 .

[11]  Bodo B. Schlegelmilch,et al.  The link between green purchasing decisions and measures of environmental consciousness , 1996 .

[12]  Randall L. Rose,et al.  The Effects of Environmental Concern on Environmentally Friendly Consumer Behavior: An Exploratory Study , 1997 .

[13]  Kenneth John Peattie,et al.  Trappings versus substance in the greening of marketing planning , 1999 .

[14]  James A. Roberts,et al.  Environmental segmentation alternatives: a look at green consumer behavior in the new , 1999 .

[15]  Darren Perrin,et al.  Issues associated with transforming household attitudes and opinions into materials recovery: a review of two kerbside recycling schemes , 2001 .

[16]  K. Peattie.  Golden goose or wild goose? The hunt for the green consumer , 2001 .

[17]  Stewart Barr,et al.  Household Waste in Social Perspective: Values, Attitudes, Situation and Behaviour , 2002 .

[18]  Aseem Prakash,et al.  GREEN MARKETING, PUBLIC POLICY AND MANAGERIAL STRATEGIES , 2002 .

[19]  G. Clarke.  ‘Understanding Green Consumer Behaviour’. By Sigmund A. Wagner Routledge, London, UK; 1997; ISBN: 0 415 31619 7 , 2004 .

[20]  Ricky Y. K. Chan,et al.  The Effectiveness of Environmental Claims among Chinese Consumers: Influences of Claim Type, Country Disposition and Ecocentric Orientation , 2004 .