Teenagers consume more ethically

By | 07/09/2018

An interesting study conducted by MediaCom for Marketing Dive show how teenagers (in the US) are increasingly basing their consumption choices on ethical considerations.

The key findings include that:

  • More than half (54%) of the surveyed teenagers (16-19y) say that they have deliberately purchased or stopped using a brand because of its ethics. Specific brands that teenagers bought because of positive ethical considerations included Lush, The Body Shop and Fairtrade. At the other end of the spectrum, respondents stated most often to have stopped purchasing üroducts from Starbucks, MAC and Primark for ethical reasons.
  • 63% are more likely to purchase from brands that support causes or charities that are important to them
  • 85% think brands should minimize their environmental impact, and 71% think brands have the responsibility to give back to society
  • More than one-third of teens (37%) are often sceptical of brands’ claims of supporting causes, and 69% think brands overstate their support for causes.
  • Ethics were still identified as secondary criteria. 81% cited quality and 80% cited value as the most important factors for a purchasing decision, while ethical considerations scored considerably lower, i.e. whether brands ethically make their products (43%), don’t test on animals (42%) and are environmentally friendly (34%).

Interestingly, the study found that teenagers are more likely than adults to pay a premium for brands that support relevant charitable causes or have relevant CSR programmes.

The study lacks a time dimension at the moment – as it would be great to see the how stated attitudes change over time.

Read the full article here.

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