People Will Forgo Luxury for Green Products When Status Is on Mind, Researcher Finds
bamboo towels, the paperless Kindle and, of course, organic cotton clothing. But why do people purchase all these kinds of green products? Do they care about the environment all of a sudden or is there something else at play?“Green purchases are often motivated by status”, says Vladas Griskevicius, assistent professor at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management”. People want to be seen as altruistic, so they buy these green products giving the impression they do not care about the high prices, but just for doing what it’s right for nature.
In the research developed my Griskevicius and the co-authors, it results that people will forgo luxury and comfort for a green item. The catch? People will forgo indulging for themselves as long as other people can see that.
Interestingly, the study also reveals that status motives increased desirability of green products especially when such products cost more, relative to non-green products. For entrepreneurs and companies looking to overtake the green market, the key to survival in these harsh days may be getting the product to be purchased and used in public. When others can see you do good, both you and the environment benefit. But as many try to be altruistic in public, in their privacy of their own homes, luxury and comfort are still the first.11
