The Evolving Consumer Perspective
‘Our Food our Future’ Conference, Dublin
Lloyd Burdett, Global Head of Clients and Strategy
26 September 2013
0 © The Futures Company 2013
Priorities have changed…
1
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People feel the world is increasingly hostile and uncertain
The world I live in feels like an increasingly
hostile and uncertain place
%
62
2010
2
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%
64
2013
I am constantly aware of the need to identify
and manage the risks that surround me in the
world today
%
62
2010
Source: The Futures Company: Global MONITOR, Global Tracking average
%
69
2013
Financially, things are tight, forcing a more short-term approach
How well things are going financially in your
country these days: Poorly/very poorly
%
59
2010
3
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%
62
2013
I am much more focused on figuring our how to
cover my current expenses than planning my
long-term finances
%
52
2010
Source: The Futures Company: Global MONITOR, Global Tracking average
%
57
2012
Stress is increasing and people are looking to simplify their lives
I suffer from stress these days
44%
2010
4
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%
48
2013
More and more I am looking for ways to
simplify my life
%
63
2010
Source: The Futures Company: Global MONITOR, Global Tracking average
69%
2013
But there is continued
engagement in sustainability
5
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Levels of engagement in the issues have remained pretty consistent
I have made it a top priority to live an environmentally conscious lifestyle
%
%
42 46
2008
6
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2009
%
45
2010
%
%
44 45
2011
Source: The Futures Company: Global MONITOR, Global Tracking average
2012
But not everyone is equally engaged. Distinct segments exist…
ENGAGED
FEEL:
 Empowered and motivated to
make a difference
7
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CONSTRAINED
FEEL:
 Held back by other priorities in life
and a lack of practical solutions
UNCONCERNED
FEEL:
 Unaffected and not convinced that
problems are really as bad as people say
Source: The Futures Company: Global MONITOR, Global Greenprint Segmentation
The segments have remained stable for a number of years, with the
majority motivated to live more sustainably
FEEL ABLE
ENGAGED
UNCONCERNED
UNMOTIVATED
39%
38%
MOTIVATED
CONSTRAINED
23%
FEEL CONSTRAINED
8
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This picture has barely changed in
the last 4 years
Source: The Futures Company: Global MONITOR, Global Greenprint Segmentation
Enduring limitations and
barriers
9
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Good intentions don‟t always turn into action…
Potential costs to
me:
•
•
•
•
More expensive?
More time and effort
Lesser quality products
Sacrifice what I want to
do
vs.
Potential benefits to
me:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Save money
Better for my health
Better quality
Feel good / alleviate guilt
Social kudos
Fun – for me and the
family
• Better for my community
People generally only take action if the perceived
personal benefits outweigh the costs, however enforced
behaviours are an exception e.g. recycling
10
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Actions and choices need to meet the primary consumer need first
CONSUMER
Choice, price, quality
and convenience driving
purchase choices
11
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CITIZEN
A conflict
or tension
often exists
Willing to give time
or make compromises
to do the right thing
Solutions that work well avoid trade-offs, playing well to both
“consumers” and “citizens”
CONSUMER
Choice, price, quality
and convenience driving
purchase choices
Cars that save fuel
and money, reduce
emissions, and are
fun to drive
12
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Points of
tension
often exist
Beauty creams that
are naturally good
for both skin and
the planet
Teas that are
healthy and refresh
the conscience as
well as the body
CITIZEN
Willing to give time
or make compromises
to do the right thing
Chocolate which
tastes good and
rewards cocoa
farmers fairly
Need to bring things closer to
home
13
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People want to take care of „their world‟ before saving “the world”
Me and my direct family
My World
My wider family and friends
and communities to which I
belong
Our World
The World
14
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Source: The Futures Company: Making a Difference
The planet and the wider
communities upon which my
lifestyle impacts
Home life is often the lens through which people understand
sustainability the best
Healthier choices
Using more energy
efficient devices
Recycling and reusing
Washing and
cleaning less
Not letting the tap flow whilst doing
personal or domestic chores
Unplugging and turning
off appliances
15
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Turning down the heating /
air conditioning
Walking, cycling or using public
transport not driving
Reusing grey water for
household chores and toilet flushing
Where action is present it is often linked to other life priorities
Family
Turning
off lights
Money
Com m unit y
Healt h
Growing
vegetables
with the
children
Leisure
Planting
trees in the
park
Wor k
Cycling or
using
Using
public
public
transport
transport
Source: The Futures Company, Global Greenprint segmentation
16
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St at us
…behaviors that stick often do so as they are
closely linked to one of life‟s core priorities
Personal / family health and responsibility for future generations are key
motivators
% saying that these factors motivate them „A great deal‟ to lead a more
environmentally conscious lifestyle
Top three choices
17
I am concerned about my own health and my family’s health
67%
I want to preserve the world for future generations
62%
I have a sense of responsibility as a good global citizen
52%
© The Futures Company 2013
Source: The Futures Company: Global MONITOR, Global Average
Connecting back to something real and tangible is also key to gaining
consumer trust, engagement and credibility
18
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Source: The Futures Company: Global MONITOR, Global Average
We need to change the
emphasis…
19
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Consumer scrutiny and expectations are high and rising
Most companies only make claims about
their socially responsible efforts to try and
sell me more of their products
%
%
%
46
71
66
201o
20
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2009
2012
I expect the companies whose products I
buy to take steps to avoid damaging the
environment
%
44
2011
2009
Source: The Futures Company: Global MONITOR, Global Tracking average
%
84
2012
2011
So don‟t preach..
21
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Don‟t celebrate too much too quickly…
Charlie‟s Honest Water
 In New Zealand, the brand Charlie’s
Honest Water intended to create a
more environmentally friendly bottle by
replacing PET with a plant based plastic
In the news
 However, the brand didn’t consider that
there are no facilities in New Zealand to
recycle 7-category plastics
(click on the links below)
 Proof that Charlie’s
Honest Water is nonrecyclable
 Debate with the founder of
Charlie’s Honest Water
22
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 Very quickly, the “honest” brand
received accusations of Greenwashing,
which forced the brand to help the
recycling process
Make it real, tangible, rewarding…
23
Colombian white goods manufacturer, Mabe, launched a
campaign to promote its water-saving washing machine.
To encourage Chinese consumers to lower their carbon
footprint, Volkswagen upped its Think Blue campaign
with a mobility app.
They set up booths where buyers could push a button to
donate clean water to rural towns in Colombia. Each
booth was connected with a webcam so that the villagers
saw exactly who was donating water.
With the app, drivers can track their own rides and get
eco-friendly, cost-saving driving tips and compete with
other drivers to find the best drivers in China
© The Futures Company 2013
And help facilitate behaviour change among your consumers…
Unilever’s “Sustain Ability” challenge, a behaviour change “social experiment”,
and PG Tips partnering with local authorities to promote and facilitate recycling
of tea-bags
24
© The Futures Company 2013
Thank you
Lloyd Burdett, Head of Global Clients and Strategy
E: lloyd.burdett@thefuturescompany.com
www.thefuturescompany.com
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