Would you pay a little more for electronics products that were more eco-friendly than others on the store shelf? If so, then you’re in the minority, according to a Forrester Research survey. News.com’s Green Tech Blog reports that only 12 percent of Americans are willing to pay more for greener electronics, according to Forrester’s survey of 5,000 people. That’s a distinct minority, but it’s not insignificant - that’s about 25 million consumers, and Forrester predicts electronics companies will learn to target this segment of the population.
Forrester’s report, “In Search Of Green Technology Consumers: Why Tech Marketers Should Target This Emerging Segment,” says 12 percent of consumers are “bright” green in their shopping preferences, 41 percent were “green,” in terms of professing to care about the environment, yet unwilling to pay more for greener gadgets, while the remaining 47 percent said green issues were of little or no concern.
“Bright” green consumers are otherwise known by the marketing acronym LOHAS, which stands for Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability. Generally well-off, well-read and particular about what they buy, their predecessors include those who may have bought tofu from a “health food store” before Whole Foods ushered in an era of eco-supermarkets and Wal-Mart stocked organic broccoli. However, in electronics there is no equivalent green brand to Whole Foods. Green labels on gadgets are not prominent, and products made by companies with ecologically aware practices generally don’t cost more than others.
But here’s the kicker: Apple products buyers are more likely to be “bright” green. Forrester says Apple users are proportionally more eco-friendly than users of other vendors’ PCs and more willing to plunk down extra cash for “green” products.
Well, weren’t we always told Apples were good for our health?
