We came across this interesting article One Step Forward, Two Steps Back by Gwynne (Rogers) Villota on gains and setbacks in the green market. The post says that while there is increased awareness for these products, there remain consumer negative consumer perceptions that are barriers to purchasing these products. What's more the negative perception trend seems to be getting worse.
Three related takeaways for us were:
1. Saving the Earth is not enough reason to charge a premium for green products.
2. Consumers don't see enough value for money in green products.
3. Green products are perceived to underperform i.e. their quality is not as good as "regular" products.
We see hear the same sentiments regarding fair trade products. While there is a dedicated, committed, consumer market for fair trade products or sustainable products, the mainstream market is still largely driven by traditional values like pricing or branding. It is our job to increase awareness but it is also our job to produce competitive, quality products .
The story of empowerment behind every product is important, but providing clients with a delightful product experience is just as important. If clients buy only to help not because they genuinely value the product for its design or functionality or both, chances are they will not buy again and they will not recommend the product to their friends and this is not a sustainable model. This is why we have been focusing on quality and design as well as production efficiency - to prove our central premise that products made by micro-manufacturers, craftsmen, indigenous groups can compete in terms of price, design, and work quality.
To read the full article, please click on the link. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
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