2006 CONE MILLENNIAL CAUSE STUDY Findings: (PDF)

“Millennials [people born 1979-2001] say they are prepared to reward or punish a company based on its commitment to social causes.”

Socially and Environmentally Responsible Business’s reap Rewards

• 83% will trust a company more if it is socially/environmentally responsible.
• 69% consider a company’s social/environmental commitment when deciding where to shop.
• 89% very likely to switch from one brand to another that is about the same in price and quality, if the other brand is associated with a cause
• 79% want to work for a company that cares about how it impacts and contributes to society

Other Notable Consumer Surveys:

Edelman GoodPurpose 2010 Survey (PDF)

In the United States, after quality and price…

• Social purpose (at 47 %) ranks higher as a purchase motivator than brand loyalty (27 %) and design and innovation (26 %).
• 75 % of consumers claim they would buy a brand of similar quality supports a good cause, and 76 % claim they would recommend and share positive experiences about such a brand.
•  62% of U.S. consumers say they would also switch brands if a brand of similar quality supported a good cause. Finally, U.S. consumers’ willingness to actually promote a brand that supports a good cause jumped 19 percent from 2008 (47 %) to 2010 (66%).
• 86% of global consumers believe that business needs to place at least equal weight on society’s interests as on business’ interests and 62 % of U.S. consumers believe it is no longer enough for corporations to give money; they must integrate good causes into their everyday business 

BBMG Meet the New Consumer

Since 2007, our highly acclaimed national studies and ethnographies have painted a clear picture of this powerful and fast-growing consumer segment:

• Youthful, wired, highly educated, majority female
• Three times more likely to try new things
• Three times more likely to reward/punish a brand based on corporate practices
• A dedicated “box turner,” seeking to learn more about what goes “in me, on me, around me”
• One in four say they have “no way of knowing” if a product is green or actually does what it claims, signaling a lack of confidence in green marketing
• Only 5% turn to company advertising to help verify claims
• Even in the recession, a majority still believes it’s important to purchase products with social and environmental benefits
• More than half are willing to pay more for sustainable brands

PRWeek/Barkley Cause Survey (PDF)

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