The Conscious Consumer

By Amy J. Belanger

In the rush to increase profits, businesses often forget that consumers are first and foremost human beings. And human beings eventually take issue with putting profits over people – especially as those people get closer and closer to home.

The minute a person connects a company to a deeply held value of theirs – for better or worse – every previous impression can be instantly overturned.

In the 2006 Cone Millennial Cause Study, 89% of respondents said if price and quality were equal they’d likely switch to a brand associated with a good cause. Of course, if the company’s mission is a cause, in itself, such as a green or fair trade company, it’s in even better shape.

The reasons: today’s consumer is much savvier than just one generation ago. Most of us have witnessed cynical betrayals of the public trust by industry-after-industry: from big tobacco, to the food industry, to HMOs, to war profiteers, to the mortgage companies, and so on. More and more of us are personally experiencing the tragic outcomes of the unbridled profit motive – a loved one’s illness or our own, loss of homes and jobs, stolen investments, and worse.

Today’s consumers expect better corporate behavior and we’re saying so with our dollars.

Enter the conscious consumer.

Conscious consumers value health and longevity, intellectual and spiritual pursuits, recycling and conservation, peace and human rights, fairness, and fine living. We value personal fulfillment and social gains over personal fortunes, but we’d like to have both, and many do. We are the market behind the billion dollar health food and supplement industry, the rise of green business and organic produce, the mainstreaming of yoga and holistic wellness, and the marked spike in charitable giving since 9/11.

We represent a huge market for products and services that are, or can become, more green and socially responsible. When we make purchasing decisions accordingly, we support the courageous trailblazers who have long accepted lower profits for the sake of bettering the world. We are also sending a message that we expect better from the companies that have long been dumping on us for personal gain.

Especially when statistics like these show what a difference it can make:

- A 2002 Cone Corporate Citizenship Study showed that 92% of Americans have a more positive image of companies that support causes, up from 81% in March 2001.

- In a 2004 opinion survey by Golin-Harris, 69% of those surveyed said corporate citizenship is “important to their trust in business.”

- A 2004 study by Deloitte & Touche found that 72 percent of employed Americans would opt for the company supporting charitable causes if offered two otherwise equal jobs.

- A 2002 Cone Corporate Citizenship Study reported that employees of businesses that support causes are 40% more likely to express pride in their employer’s values and nearly 25% more likely to be loyal to their employers.

- A 2002 Cone study said 75% of Americans consider a company's commitment to causes when they recommend products and services to others.

Wonder which causes the public finds the most important? The 2004 opinion survey by GolinHarris, “Doing Well by Doing Good,” showed that the following issues mattered most (by rank):

1. Environment, Pollution

2. Education

3. Energy Conservation

4. Human Rights (e.g. - race, gender, lifestyle)

5. Consumer Rights

These results bode very well for green, fair trade, other socially responsible businesses, and companies that give back in a meaningful way to causes. Though it took a long time for the visionaries who launched such companies to make them profitable, their dedication and perseverance is about to pay off, for their families and the world.

Although you may sometimes pay more for socially responsible products, which is certainly not always the case, prices will drop as demand for these products grows. And you will find that any extra effort or cost pales in comparison to the unexpectedly deep sense of meaning that comes with actively making the world a better place. You will find yourself part of a growing movement that’s setting a higher standard for corporate accountability to the public good. You will literally change the world.

And you will also have found the secret joy of being a world-changer: your spirits will soar to heights money can’t buy.