The next year could see as many as 59% of consumers worldwide boycotting brands that fail to act on climate change, according to a new study.
The study, titled The Rise of Sustainable Media and published by Dentsu International in collaboration with Microsoft Advertising, examines consumer engagement and awareness of issues related to sustainable consumption and media usage.
More than 24,000 people from 19 countries participated in the research. Of the concerns identified by consumers, climate change and the environment was the number one response: 87% of those surveyed said they want to do more to combat climate change.
In comparison, consumers had similar levels of concerns for the COVID-19 pandemic (85%), health of their friends and family (79%), and the cost of living in their area (76%). The results, therefore, indicate how much significance is placed on our climate crisis.
However, another common complaint was that consumers felt overwhelmed by conflicting information. Indeed, 84% of respondents said that it is too difficult to determine if a company or brand is genuinely doing good.
“The customer actions and potential boycotts we unearthed in our research are squarely down to the consumer’s perception of a company and its behaviour, not necessarily the reality,” said Peter Huijboom, Global CEO, Media & Global Clients, for Dentsu International.
“We know many organisations are already taking positive action on climate change. As marketing experts it’s our responsibility to guide businesses and help educate and inform their customers, in order make them think, feel and act differently.
“As such, the marketing and advertising industry also has a critical role to play and, we need to work collaboratively to do this authentically; by walking the walk in how we deliver these messages through sustainable media.”
The study also shows evidence for a generational divide, suggesting that governments, businesses and marketers are running out of time. Over 70% of Millennials (born 1981-1996) and Generation Z (born 1997-2012) identified advertising as a driver of climate change.
Furthermore, 77% of consumers said that, in five years time, they only want to spend their money on brands that practice green and sustainable advertising.
“As marketers we’ve seen how values can create business value, but with this research we wanted to demonstrate more quantitatively why it’s significant,” said John Cosley, Senior Director of Brand for Microsoft Advertising.
“This joint research helps us understand and inform businesses across the globe on the awareness and attitudes surrounding carbon in the media supply chain and its corresponding effect on; the planet, customer behaviours and purchasing intent.
“With rapidly changing attitudes and increased pressure to help combat the climate emergency, every marketer has the opportunity to help enable industry wide change at pace.”
