Acxiom's PersonicX(R) Uncovers Green Trends in U.S. Households
17 April 2008 - 6:11AM
Business Wire
In a world with increasing pressure to protect the environment �
from the ozone layer to the whales � it would seem reasonable to
assume that American families actively support �green� initiatives
in their consumer habits. But while American parents may be there
in spirit, when it comes to time and money, going green seems to go
out the minimum-heat-gain window. In its first PersonicX� Consumer
Dynamics study, in which Acxiom researchers analyze consumer data
to provide insight on how Americans live, Acxiom has discerned a
meaningful pattern in American households with children when it
comes to environmental behaviors. Acxiom consumer researchers
analyzed the 70 PersonicX Classic clusters across a number of
�green� questions, such as: �Are you willing to pay more or give up
convenience for environmentally-friendly products?� �Have you
participated in environmental groups in the past year?� �Do you
drive a vehicle that shows your support of the environment?� A
clear trend emerged: Children were significantly less likely to be
present in �green� households. The highest environmentally indexing
clusters fall into two general groups, those who are younger, still
single and looking for something to take care of (which Acxiom
researchers called �Greenhorns�), and those who are more senior,
still married or now single and looking for something to take care
of (�Greener Pastures�). In fact, when compared to the national
population, Greenhorns are more than 60 percent more likely to
purchase automobiles that reflect their support of the environment.
Greener Pastures are more than 40 percent more likely to pay more
and give up convenience to purchase products that are
environmentally friendly. Though they may come from a variety of
incomes, net worth and areas of population density, these groups
undoubtedly share a heightened concern for the environment, as well
as the time to act on that concern. This PersonicX Consumer
Dynamics study indicates that many parents direct their efforts to
saving time and money � over the environment � while raising
children, demonstrating a need for more convenient, less expensive
ways to go green. �As a father, I understand that parents have
their hands full every day just making sure their kids eat well and
act right. They care about the environment, but it is difficult to
focus on green initiatives when their attention is taken by the
here and now,� said Louis Rolleigh, product leader of PersonicX.
�But it may also be true that companies that produce convenient,
cost-effective environmentally friendly products aren�t getting
their messages through to decisionmakers in these households.�
Greenhorns are typically 24 to 45, have no children in the home,
are renters with some homeowners mixed in, are low-middle to
upper-middle class and live in cities and city surroundings.
Greener Pastures are over the age of 66, and they may be married or
single, but � again � have no children in the home. They are mostly
homeowners with some renters, and again span the middle class
ranks, while living in rural areas as well as cities and
surrounding suburbs and towns. �This finding is provocative,� said
Rolleigh, �because it shows us that you don�t have to be free of
financial concerns to choose environmentally conscious behaviors.
Greenhorns and Greener Pastures span the income level of what we
call �middle class,� but they are willing to pay more for
environmentally-friendly products and services. And they may be
more �urbane� and live in cities, but they may also be people in
remote or less populated regions of our country.� PersonicX is a
segmentation system that clusters households into 70 distinct
categories and 21 life-stage groups based on various
characteristics. When analyzing the PersonicX clusters, Acxiom
researchers found there were distinct PersonicX clusters that
demonstrated green tendencies in the Greenhorn group. Single and
concentrated in the more urban areas, the members of the Greenhorn
clusters typify the online junkies, who are hooked on caffeine,
energy drinks and saving the environment. They are the most likely
to buy autos that make a green statement and are willing to pay
more for environmentally friendly products. Members of this more
liberal group, often found shopping for trendy furnishings and
apparel, are increasingly more driven to show their faces at a
political rally than they are in a voting booth. Perhaps Greener
Pastures individuals are not out rollerblading and playing tennis
like their younger counterparts, but this cohort of seniors is very
active in clubs and charitable organizations, and these
individuals, who represent multiple political parties, make sure
their voices are heard with consistent voter participation. Willing
to pay more and trade convenience for environmentally friendly
products, those with upper-middle incomes also have shown their
support with monetary contributions to environmental groups in the
past year. �We conducted this study as part of an ongoing effort to
better understand how Americans are living their lives,� said
Rolleigh. �It is one thing to analyze how people describe their
values in a survey, but it is more enlightening to understand how
they live those values through their purchasing behavior. �That�s
where the rubber meets the road � on a hybrid or not,� said
Rolleigh. �Values are best understood through behavior � and
consumer behavior is an important indicator of values in U.S.
households. Clearly, for families with kids, convenience and cost
come first.� Mediamark Research and Intelligence, LLC, one of
Acxiom� data sources, provided PersonicX researchers with household
information on environmental behaviors for analysis in this study.
About PersonicX Consumer Dynamics PersonicX Consumer Dynamics is a
periodic study of how Americans live their lives and demonstrate
their values through consumer behavior. These studies differ from
other studies and analysis available in that they focus on all U.S.
consumers versus a sample and the findings are addressable to
specific individuals and households of interest. PersonicX Consumer
Dynamics studies are powered by Acxiom�s InfoBase-X�, the largest,
most accurate, comprehensive and multi-sourced data collection of
U.S. consumer information in one source.�PersonicX� is Acxiom�s
household-level segmentation suite that places U.S. households into
one of 70 distinct segments and 21 life-stage groups based upon
specific consumer behavior and demographic characteristics. About
Acxiom Corporation At Acxiom, we make information intelligent�for
many of the world�s leading and most dynamic companies, enabling
them to acquire new customers, retain their most valuable
customers, communicate with customers in the methods and times they
prefer, and make profitable marketing and business decisions.
Acxiom�s unmatched customer insight is achieved by blending the
world�s largest repository of consumer data, award-winning
technology and analytics, multi-channel expertise, privacy
leadership, and superior knowledge of a wide spectrum of
industries. Founded in 1969, Acxiom (Nasdaq: ACXM) is headquartered
in Little Rock, Arkansas, with locations throughout the United
States and Europe, and in Australia and China. For more information
about Acxiom, visit www.acxiom.com.
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