Survey finds which incentives motivate consumers to go green

EcoAlign, a strategic marketing agency focused on energy and the environment, has released the results of the fourth EcoPinion Survey on what type of incentives or promotions will motivate customers to adopt clean and green offerings.  The fourth EcoPinion Survey highlights the fact that consumers care first and foremost about saving money when thinking about energy efficiency or renewable energy offerings.  “When it comes to energy, consumers are much more cost-conscious,” stated Andrea Fabbri, COO and chief marketing officer. “Control (or lack of it) is a highly emotional value tied to a core American value – the freedom of choice – and should be leveraged in messaging.”  Some of the findings include: 

• Discounts are the most popular incentive (85 percent), followed by two-for-one offerings (77 percent, extremely likely/very likely) and coupons (75 percent).
• The top two “most likely” incentives to be used by consumers to save money on energy costs are discounts (34 percent) and rebates (22 percent).
• The “Energy Star” label is extremely or very important to 68 percent of respondents.
• When asked what they would do if they had an extra $200, and could choose from a list of energy saving or renewable offerings, 52 percent of respondents would put an extra $200 in the bank.
• Consumers are most interested in having their utility provide coupons to purchase energy efficient light bulbs (74 percent).
• Consumers were most interested in receiving information from the utility web site (58 percent).
• Consumers would like to receive a credit on the utility bill (50 percent) followed by a check in the mail (34 percent).
• Consumers would be much more satisfied with their utility if more energy efficiency and/or pricing programs to save energy and utility were offered. 90 percent of respondents overall would be more satisfied than today.

A copy of the full EcoPinion report is available at no charge by visiting EcoAlign’s website at www.ecoalign.com.

Ideal Bite announces call for “Best In Green” nominees

Ideal Bite (www.idealbite.com), a leading source of bite-sized ideas on light green living, announced its call for nominees for the first-ever Ideal Bite’s Best in Green (B.I.G.) Awards –an awards program that will annually recognize those companies, products and services that are true leaders and innovators in the green space. Winners of the 2008 B.I.G. Awards will be announced at Ideal Bite’s B.I.G. Awards Party in November 2008 in New York City.  With more and more products “going green”, consumers are left to wonder if what they are using is really as environmentally friendly and healthy as it claims to be. Ideal Bite’s 275,000 subscribers (aka “Biters”) have come to rely on Ideal Bite for its objective, expert advice on practical and fun ways to align their eco-friendly values with their everyday decisions, from buying paraben-free cosmetics to selecting the best organic wine.  “We started Ideal Bite with the mission to seek out good companies and connect them with conscientious consumers who want to do the right thing for both their personal health and the environment, as well as those who know the power of voting with their dollar,” stated Jen Boulden, co-founder of Ideal Bite. “We hope our Best in Green Awards will draw attention to some great, green pioneers and help consumers identify those companies and individuals that have become Ideal Bite editor favorites because of their sustainable operations and truly great green practices.”  Ideal Bite’s B.I.G. Awards will consist of seven categories including: Home, Health & Beauty, Style, Food, Fun, Everyday/Living and Next in Green. Nominees will be selected from the thousands of products, companies and services that make up Ideal Bite’s database of expert tips. Companies that have not yet been tipped on Ideal Bite but would like to be eligible for a 2008 Best in Green Award can submit themselves for consideration at www.idealbite.com/bigawards.

National Automobile Dealers Association launches the Green Checkup

To help motorists save money at the gas pump, and at the same time, cut greenhouse gas emissions through proper vehicle maintenance, the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) has created a checklist of Green Maintenance Tips and a new program called the Green Checkup.  The chairman of NADA, Annette Sykora, announced the Green Checkup campaign at a news conference in Denver.  In her remarks at the conference, Sykora emphasized that the goal of the Green Checkup campaign is to highlight simple steps that car owners can take to maintain their vehicles in top running condition.  “Dealerships are located in every major community in the country which means we are ideally positioned to be at the forefront of a national consumer awareness campaign,” said Sykora, owner of two dealerships in Texas.  NADA is urging its dealer members to offer free Green Checkups at their dealerships. The “Green Checkup” focuses on the things that have the most effect on fuel economy, such as oil and air filters, engine performance, tire pressure and emission controls.  Although NADA is promoting Green Checkup Month in September, the program is designed for dealers to offer checkups as part of their routine service year-round.