Half of Americans view reducing climate change as extremely important or very important, according to one new survey. Sixty-one percent think companies should shoulder the costs of dealing with it. Only 16% think that products and services should cost more as a result. Most would be dissatisfied -- one third would be very dissatisfied -- if they had to pay a 10% higher utility bill to address climate change.
These figures come from a survey by EcoAlign, a "strategic marketing agency focused on energy and the environment." Its CEO is Jamie Wimberly, who some years ago was with the Consumer Energy Council of America.
A big focus of EcoAlign's new report, "Climate Change and Consumers: The Challenge Ahead," is on what the group describes as "seemingly contradictory findings and potential conflicts," difficult to navigate.
"There seems to be a state of denial or disconnect between the price paid for energy consumed and the impact on climate change," EcoAlign says. "This state of denial represents a marketing barrier, highlighting a fundamental, deeply rooted and emotional refusal to incur additional costs on an individual basis....
"Most experts believe it would take price increases well above 5% to reflect the full cost of power production on the environment and to induce changes in consumer behavior. However, many Americans do not make that connection and may not fully understand the connection between energy production and climate change."
One thing EcoAlign suggests is "a new kind of marketing -- cell activation marketing -- ... activating cells of believers in critical audiences to promote transformation." This sounds like the kind of peer-to-peer social marketing, maybe "viral marketing," employed for hip new products. Electric utilities also could pursue actions like renewable energy investment and communicate their sustainability initiatives well. "In other words, lead by example," EcoAlign says.
Leave a comment