Return on Sustainability: How Business Can Increase Profitability and Address Climate Change in an Uncertain Economy

Chapter 11. Marketing to Green Consumers

Consumers, lenders, and decision makers were all thrown for a loop when the 2008 financial crisis challenged Americans faith in US corporations. They want to spend and deposit their money with companies they trust, think will be around for a while, and share their values. To this point, a groundswell of research shows that consumers are increasingly showing a preference for more sustainable products and services, and these values are reflected in their purchasing decisions.

This chapter explains how during a time when retailers and service providers are cutting prices and market differentiation is harder than ever, opportunities exist for companies to attract new customers, increase customer loyalty, generate ...