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The Purchase Process Model
Consumer Typology
Marketing Issues
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Marketing Issues
The typology that we have developed from our research
represents a breakthrough in understanding greener consumers. We can
now say with certainty why traditional approaches to market segmentation
based on demographic, socioeconomic or psychographic characteristics
won’t work: there are no green consumers in the sense that marketers
have traditionally imagined them. From a practical point of view, our
research raises more questions than it answers. Although it presents
three distinctive ways of approaching green lifestyle choices, using
this information as the basis of market segmentation will be far from
straightforward. Below we have highlighted some of the problems and
possible strategies that can be associated with each of our groups.
Move the mouse over
each image to see marketing issues associated with each group
(Click for a non-javascript, plain
HTML version of the marketing issues for each group)
Marketing Issues for Translators
- From the Translator's point of view, a green or ethical
act presented to them and made achievable is likely to produce
a change in behaviour.
- However this group is very passive in their information
seeking.
- Therefore, marketers will need to use traditional means
of mass communication such as television advertising to inform
this group.
- The Energy
Saving Trust’s recent adverts about saving energy
and WRAP’s recyclenow
campaign typify this approach.
- Translators are the most straightforward group for marketers
in terms of traditional communications. In fact many marketers
are currently treating all consumers as potential Translators.
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Marketing Issues for Selectors
- Selectors are very difficult because of their focus on one
or more green or ethical activities which may not be linked
in any coherent way.
- Traditional marketing approaches which assume that a consumer
who buys organic might be interested in direct communications
from Greenpeace will not work with this group.
- Information directly related to the ‘selected’
activity might be well received by this group, but anything
that falls outside their immediate concern will simply be
ignored.
- The key challenge for marketers is to get Selectors to adopt
their product or service before anyone else's.
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Marketing Issues for Exceptors
- Exceptors are very active in their information seeking behaviour.
- However, they are also very critical of any mainstream sources,
such as producers, retailers or even the Government.
- Marketers will have to use specialist ‘alternative’
channels in order to reach this group, such as The Ethical
Consumer.
- Green networks are also important as word of mouth and opinion
leaders are relied upon for a lot of information.
- These channels raise practical barriers for many marketers.
- Companies which have been considered to act in unethical
or environmentally unfriendly ways in the past may be written
off by Exceptors, whatever their current activities.
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Since each of these groups will need to be approached in different
ways and through different channels, marketers will need to use Integrated
Marketing Communications (IMC) in order to reach all the different kinds
of greener consumer
Marketers will need to be aware of all possible contact points between
their brand and consumers. These might include, mainstream media articles,
in-store product information, manufacturer’s website or specialist
publications such as The Ethical Consumer
It is important to present a coherent and transparent ethical and/or
environmental philosophy across all these contact points
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No such thing as a green consumer? 
