Halloween this year could not have come at a better time for serious trick-or-treaters. Falling on October 31 — as it always does — it gave youngsters the opportunity to go out in search of candy not only on Sunday, but also on Friday and Saturday.
Now, as you may already be aware, not all residential areas in New York City are conducive to trick-or-treating. Children can’t always gain access to apartment buildings to go knocking door to door, and traffic can be dangerously heavy in certain neighborhoods, which is why local businesses often step in to play the role of next-door neighbor. And while most of them are happy to stock up each year on candy and toys for their excited visitors, there certainly are some who only participate because they feel that it’s the right thing to do.
Do marketers and consumers find themselves in a similar situation when it comes to green marketing? Is it something marketers engage in just so we can pat ourselves on the back and win favor with customers? Is it something consumers publicly encourage just so they can call themselves “green” and earn bragging rights?
The following examples of what companies experienced when marketing their environmentally friendly products to consumers illustrate how tricky it all can be:
- SunChips (Frito-Lay/PepsiCo): After introducing biodegradable packaging for their SunChips back in April 2009, Frito-Lay went back to its original plastic packaging (with all but one flavor) a couple of months ago after its customers complained that the new bags made too much noise.
- Green Power (Con Edison): Energy company Con Edison offers its customers the option to use so-called green power instead of fossil fuel-generated gas and electricity. The only catch is that when customers switch from non-renewable to renewable energy, they are required to pay a premium.
- Electric and hybrid vehicles: According to a recent report by J.D. Power & Associates, the majority of American consumers are not interested in switching from their gas-fueled cars to hybrid and battery electric vehicles. Their reasons include not liking the designs of the more fuel-efficient vehicles; concerns about their reliability; and an unwillingness to purchase them at a premium price.
So where do we go from here? Are we all going to try harder to produce and incorporate more environmentally friendly products into our everyday lives, or are we going to eventually tire of all the setbacks and settle for whatever is cheaper and easier?
Photo credit: fishermansdaughter
