The Green Consumer (Euromonitor, March 2008)
Consumer views on the environment vary from country to country. For instance, findings from a recent study indicate that Chinese consumers, in particular, are the most concerned about climate change. Additional studies have shown that while consumers in Western markets now consider themselves to be at least partially green, they don't want to go out of their way for ecological products and services. At the same time, a majority of European consumers claim that they are willing to pay a premium for environmentally-friendly technology.
The Bottom Line: In emerging markets, new "affluentials" demonstrate the most potential for evolving into environmentally conscious consumers because they can afford the higher prices green products often command. To support marketing around green products and services, companies can increase sales and awareness one of two ways. They can lower prices of green products or service and work to increase consumer awareness about the price shifts as a way to appeal to the masses. Alternatively, they can find success by targeting communications efforts around increasing environmental awareness among those who can already afford the products.
The U.K.: Europe's E-Commerce Leader (eMarketer, April 2008)
The U.K. is well ahead of its European counterparts when it comes to retail e-commerce. In 2007, sales from online shopping in the U.K. reached $25.3 billion, far surpassing sales from Germany ($17.8 billion), France ($9.6 billion), Italy ($1.5 billion) and Spain ($1.4 billion). Not only is the U.K. the largest of the European markets when it comes to e-commerce, it's also the fastest growing. Its retail e-commerce sales have grown 75% from 2005-2007, and the country is expected to continue being the leader through 2012.
The Bottom Line: E-commerce is developing faster in the U.K. than anywhere else in Western Europe, as these consumers are more willing to spend money online. While all retailers should make sure that they have an online presence, those with a customer base in the U.K. should place a greater priority on making sure that their products can be easily purchased directly from the company's Web site and other online distribution points.
Online Parents (eMarketer, May 2008)
Three separate studies report that approximately 86% of U.S. parents are heading online. Additionally, research from the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration shows that the Internet access rate is 15% higher among family households than those without children. While mothers and fathers alike are using the Internet, moms make up 43.7% of all adult females who are online. These moms are part of a growing number of adult female Internet users. Interestingly, data also shows that the number of women heading online is expected to grow by over 10 million in the next four years, with adult females outnumbering males in both the general population as well as the Internet-user population.
The Bottom Line:
Moms and dads often turn to the Web to keep tabs on the sites their children visit or to gain insights on the latest parenting trends. With mothers increasingly relying on the Internet as their one-stop shop for everything from product reviews to parenting advice, the possibilities for marketers to reach and engage this audience are endless. Youth-catered sites, for instance, offer opportunities for marketers to include parent-specific features that will provide inquisitive moms -and dads -- with the chance to learn more about what their kids are up to online. Plus, moms typically make the bulk of purchasing decisions for households, so PR professionals should help clients tailor communications on all online properties with this audience in mind.
