Are You a Socially Conscious Consumer?
Posted on 18. May, 2012 by citizen in Bill's Business
Cheryl Pearson-McNeil
Here’s a news flash: consumers prefer doing business with companies that make a positive difference in the world. Are you surprised to hear this? Are you that kind of a consumer? Hopefully so. Nielsen recently surveyed more than 28,000 online participants from 56 countries including North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East/Africa, and Latin America, and released the Who is the Global, Socially-Conscious Consumer. Nielsen defines the “socially-conscious consumer” as those who say they would be willing to pay extra for products and services from companies that give back to society. There are a lot of statistics here, but it’s interesting – and important – so stay with me.
- Sixty-two percent of respondents say they prefer to work for these socially conscious companies.
- Fifty-nine percent invest in these companies.
- Nearly half (46 percent) of all consumers surveyed say they would pay extra for products and services from these companies.
Eighteen causes were presented to the participants in this wide-reaching survey. Among the top 10 causes, environmental sustainability ranked as the number one, with 66 percent of consumers caring about it across the board. Improvements to science, technology and math education came in second at 56 percent; eradicating extreme hunger and poverty came in third at 53 percent.
By Cheryl Pearson-McNeil
NNPA Columnist
Cheryl Pearson-McNeil is senior vice president of public affairs and government relations for Nielsen. For more information and studies go to www.nielsenwire.com.
