Green is good

According to a New York Times article last Thursday, WalMart’s CEO said the company will start making their suppliers meet strict energy use and ethical standards as well as ensuring their own stores are as energy-efficient as possible. They may even put windmills in store parking lots so customers who have electric or hybrid cars (or buy them in the future from WalMart) can juice up while they shop.

When WalMart makes a commitment to go green, look out; WalMart doesn’t do trendy, so saving energy, the environment, and humans must be good for the corporate bottom line.

In a Nov. 2007 BBMG survey of 2,007 Americans, 9 out of 10 said the words “conscious consumer” describe them well. What’s a conscious consumer?

According to BBMG founding partner Raphael Bernporad, “Conscious consumers expect companies to do more than make eco-friendly claims. They demand transparency and accountability across every level of business practice.”

BBMG found that consumers are more likely to buy—if products are of equal price and quality—from companies that:

• Manufacture energy efficient products (90%)

• Promote health and safety benefits (88%)

• Support fair labor and trade practices (87%)

• Commit to environmentally-friendly practices (87%)

The most important issues to the 2,007 adults BBMG surveyed?

• Safe drinking water (90%)

• Clean air (86%)

• Finding cures for diseases like cancer, AIDS and Alzheimers (84%)

• Global warming (63%)

While quality and price were deemed #1 and #2 in importance to a purchasing decision, convenience came in #6, edged out by three other factors:

• Where a product is made

• How energy efficient it is

• Health benefits

Source: Bernporad Barnowski Marketing Group, “Conscious Consumer Report,” November 2007

Conscious consumers are conscious not only of the effect their purchasing and lifestyle decisions have on the world, they’re conscious of the effect your business decisions have as well.

Gordon Gekko got it wrong. It’s not greed that’s good, it’s green.