In my last blog I discussed knowing your target market to achieve the positive effects of green marketing. This blog I’ll devote to understanding the attitudes and behaviors of this market. Again, these are some of the basics that you’ll need to understand to really achieve these positive effects of green marketing that you desire. Skipping or not understanding one of these steps could get you greenwashed or ignored.

Here are some of the overall attitudes and behaviors to keep in mind:

• They have a higher level of understanding of the term “sustainability” compared to most other consumer segments. I’ll explain in future posts what this means and what it doesn’t mean.

• Understand manufacturers not perfect, yet appreciate the ones making strides to improve the safety and reduce the environmental impacts of their products throughout the life cycle

• They are influenced by brand image, are early adopters (I’ll explain this one later as well), and they are brand loyal

• Consumption of healthy food is the primary way they manage their healthy lifestyle

Some of the top reasons they purchase environmentally friendly products and services are:

In order to be successful in achieving positive effects of green marketing, you need to fully understand the consumer and know their attitudes and behaviors as well as know what they buy. I’ll be devoting today’s discussion to just that.

There is a $230 billion marketplace that exists for products and services that meet the needs of consumers who buy based on their personal, social and environmental values. We refer to them as LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) consumers or consumers who buy green. These consumers are the ones who influence the green marketplace and more of the trends which we will talk about in my next blog.

This marketplace is predicted to grow to $420 in three years and $845 in 2015—just 8 years! It’s obviously a marketplace that you shouldn’t ignore and one that you need to understand if you want to achieve positive effects in green marketing.

Let’s break this marketplace down further so that you can see where your existing or future product or service fits in:

Once you better understand some of the green trends happening in the marketplace, it makes it easier to generate positive effects in green marketing. Amazingly enough, few companies or individuals truly understand or realize some of these trends that can help them achieve these effects.

For example, Ohio, my home state, is an underdeveloped marketplace ripe for education and knowledge. We conducted research in this marketplace with 1100 consumers and used it as a baseline in similar markets in the Midwest, etc.

Some of the trends that are driving consumers to make a purchase in California and Oregon might not be as strong as in Ohio. For example, the trend in staying in a green hotel or B&B or organizing a green tour is not as strong as in other markets such as Maine (where I will be speaking in February).

Why?