idea of connectedness, and addresses consumer beliefs that the right
thing in one area has effects in other areas. Consumers say today that
for something to be truly responsible in one way, it should not cause
great detriment in another.
For today’s consumer, sustainability is not simply about living
green and saving the earth. The sustainability mindset now involves a
greater awareness of practices and products beyond green attributes,
including those perceived to impact the greater social and economic
good. As a value-laden ideal, “responsibility” provides a more meaningful call to action for all those in society—consumers, businesses,
and governments alike—to participate in the greater good. Although
consumers do not expect companies to be perfect, they expect businesses to at least do the things that they as average consumers are encouraged to do—recycle, cut back on waste, be active in their
communities, and so on. Consumers concede that “doing the right
thing,” although a wonderfully simplistic concept to grasp, is complex because of its varied and far-reaching implications. Responsibil-
ity therefore is
aspirational and often a
subjective decision to do
the “better thing” in a
context where there is
no perfectly responsible
solution.
Many theories of sustainable development
reference the “triple bottom line,” which includes environmental,
Figure 2. The Four Zones of Sustainability
social and economic di-
For today’s consumer, sustainability has four, interrelated zones—en-
mensions. Based on con-
vironmental, social, economic, and personal benefit—where respon-
sumer-centric research,
sibility toward the greater good can be reflected. Each zone also has
“Dimensions of Responsibility,” which are touch points for evaluating there is a fourth dimen-
if and how responsible a company, product, or behavior is. Source: sion that emerges: “per-
Sustainability: The Rise of Consumer Responsibility, January 2009,
sonal benefit.” This is
The Hartman Group, Inc.
particularly helpful in
explaining sustainability from the consumer viewpoint. Personal benefit may lead to a greater awareness of responsibility at the societal
level, as consumers consider that what is good for them may also be
good for others (Figure 2).
certain purchases) may increase since
they dovetail with the zone of personal
benefit in terms of economic interests.
The simplicity trend, for example, entails the choice to generate less waste
through less consumption, which not
only has implications for the greater
good, but is also economically empowering.
In addition, those consumers most
active in sustainability lifestyles (those
in the “Core” of the World of Sustainability, who represent 13 percent of
Americans) showed a devotion to sustainable goods even in the face of the
difficult economic conditions of late
2008. In fact, 13 percent of consumers said they were actually buying
more sustainable products. Also, 34
percent of consumers inside the
World of Sustainability (which represents 97 percent of shoppers) say that
compared to a year ago, they are now
more willing to pay a premium for
sustainable products and services.
Living Sustainably During the Downturn
In the context of today’s economy, even the best intentioned,
most committed sustainability consumers are not immune to changing financial conditions. In such cases, when consumers are forced to
make tradeoffs, cutbacks are more likely to be made in product categories that consumers view as less essential. Some of the categories,
such as food and personal care, typically remain consistently purchased as consumers perceive them to be most important to their
quality of life.
Economizing behaviors that consumers associate with sustainability (e.g., going to thrift stores, repurposing goods and opting out of
Foods, Beverages and Organics:
Central to Consumer Perceptions
of Sustainability
Among diverse categories of products, the food and beverage category
is central to consumer perceptions of
sustainability. Consumers view the
food and beverage category as salient
to all zones of sustainability (
environmental, social, economic and personal benefit) and consider the
category to be one of the most important sustainability issues.
From the sustainability perspective, the food and beverage category
intersects with health and wellness
concerns, as consumers are concerned about the harmful and beneficial impacts of certain products on
their physical safety and vitality.
Namely, consumers say that they are
worried about the presence of certain
“negatives” in their foods and beverages—pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, genetically modified
ingredients and artificial ingredi-
