Welcome back to another (but still interesting) survey result analysis! This week we will touch on the factors that affect one’s decision to purchase sustainable products 🙂
Here is the question I asked ~
In case you were wondering how I managed to come up with some of the factors, I did several mini-interviews with some friends and family first to find out what restricted them from living a more sustainable lifestyle.
Prior to asking the above question, I asked 6 other questions to provide a context for each factor. I chose 6 household products that are commonly used in Singapore to give respondents a better grasp of the factors that affect their decisions.
For each product, I gave 3 options for the respondents to choose from. They were free to pick between the more sustainable version, a common less eco-friendly substitute, or neither of the options. I ensured the 2 versions of each product were similar in terms of quantity as well as included the prices and images to give a clearer context to respondents. Let us use meat as an example, respondents were given the option between Beyond Burger Plant-based patties (227g) for SGD13.90 (USD10.16), Farmland Beef Burgers (227g) for SGD3.20 (USD2.34), or neither of the above.
From the results, we can conclude that price plays a major role in the decision process of purchasing sustainable products with 98.7% of the respondents agreeing. The next contenders would be brand name and the fact that they have not seen the product before with 54.5% and 51.9% respectively.
Price would have indefinitely played a significant role in one’s decision to purchase any product (not only limited to sustainable product!). Many of us would look twice at the price tag before walking over to the cashier counter (especially if you’re on a budget like me!). However, there was a conflict of interest when the question about toothbrushes was asked.
Respondents were given a choice to choose between Watsons Green Tea Bamboo Toothbrush Ultra Soft (2 pieces) for SGD$8.90 (USD6.56), Colgate Slim Soft Advanced Toothbrush (2 pieces) for SGD$13.95 (USD10.28), or neither of the options. If the price is the main factor contributing to one’s decision to purchase a more sustainable product, a larger percentage of the respondents would have chosen the cheaper sustainable version. However, only 47 out of the 77 respondents chose the cheaper bamboo toothbrushes. Despite the bamboo toothbrush being significantly cheaper than the plastic substitute, many of the respondents overlooked price difference. Why is that so? Brand name? Colgate is a rather popular household brand in Singapore, a go-to toothbrush among locals. This might also include the fact that respondents are reluctant to try a new product as many are used to using Colgate brand toothbrushes! Since toothbrushes are personal items that are used for hygiene purposes, respondents might be more sensitive and unwilling to change their purchasing habits. Are there any other reasons?
Stay tuned for the answers next week as well as limitations of my survey layout! See you 🙂
Hi Amira!
I find it quite interesting how other than price and the ‘not interested’ option, the rest of the 6 have to do with trust. Considering how 4 of the 6 products in your survey can be linked to health (food items and toiletries used in the mouth), I’m thinking that this could be why. Better safe than sorry, right?
We’ve seen many new eco-brands use influencers in an attempt to establish trust in consumers. Do you think this is an effective way to build consumer trust? Or do you think that other methods should be used?
Hi Rachel! Thank you so much for giving my blog a read 🙂
I do agree on your part that the majority of the products I used in my survey were rather personal and many would regard them as sensitive due to the nature of the items. However, the rationale of me choosing these items was because a large percentage (or I hope so!) use these products daily or at least have basic knowledge on it, in order to capture a better representation of the public’s view on sustainable products!
Regarding your question on influencers, I do agree that they play a major role in promoting the credibility of a product. For example, metals straws started gaining popularity due to the rise in endorsements from celebrities and influencers. Multiple youtubers such as Bretman Rock heavily promoted the use of metal straws and this created a wave/trend among the younger generation. However, I noticed many of my friends who were enticed to purchase metal straws from the hype often bought it to keep up with the trend rather than to reduce their usage of plastic straws. I guess the use of influencers is a double-edged sword – whereby it might promote the use of sustainable products but the message or agenda is not clearly articulated to their audience. In my opinion, influencer endorsements in the most effective method to target the younger generation, however, these eco-friendly companies should ensure that the message is clearly disseminated. Another method that I feel would invoke trust among consumers would be the use of advertisements – specifically where the true feelings towards the product of actual users are clearly articulated to the audience. The sense of relatability would influence consumer’s perception and might entice them to think twice about sustainable products!
Hopefully this helps answer your question! Thank you 🙂