Car makers are missing out on sales for their latest ‘green’ and low emission models by failing to promote their lower running costs.
Motor manufacturers are prioritising communicating the environmental benefits of their latest models, despite the fact that these messages only appeal to a small cohort of ‘green activists’, which make up just 5.7 per cent of UK car drivers, new research suggests.
According to a new study from digital media firm Specific Media, manufacturers would find their advertisements and marketing messages more effective if they focused on the majority of car buyers who are motivated by cost benefits.
The study shows that when buying a new car, consumers’ thoughts are dominated by economic factors. Price (87 per cent) and fuel consumption (79 per cent) are the two biggest concerns with the particular model’s insurance costs coming in fifth (61 per cent).
And while almost eight in ten (78 per cent) would consider buying a ‘green’ car at present, 57 per cent would not pay a premium to do so. Overall, only a quarter of consumers (24 per cent) consider the environmental impact of a particular car when purchasing.
Two thirds (68 per cent) of respondents say the economic climate dictates when they buy a new car, irrespective of whether they have ‘green’ sentiment or not.
Indeed, the study found that consumers are ‘cynical’, ‘wary’ and ‘suspicious’ of adverts with environmental themes and messages. At the same time, they were unlikely to find these adverts to be ‘informative’ and ‘clear’. Far from encouraging people to buy green, environmental messages in adverts make consumers suspicious and actively turn off the majority.
Chris Worrell, European Research Manager at Specific Media, says: “Contrary to popular perception, there is not an army of environmental car crusaders waiting to go green. This research shows that by highlighting the environmental credentials of their models, manufacturers are not only speaking to just a tiny fraction of their potential audience, they may actually be turning consumers off their brands. The continuing economic uncertainty means that the majority of consumers are concerned with hard financial benefits. Online advertising allows manufacturers to develop distinct messages for specific cohorts of consumers, so brands should be looking to deliver tailor-made messages.”
Specific Media interviewed 1,009 UK driving license holders between 11th and 15th July 2011 via the Research Now panel.
