Survey Finds Ethical Brands Increasingly Appeal to Consumers
A new survey commissioned by the 23red Agency has shown that brand ethics appeal to consumers and increasingly influence their buying decisions.
In total, 91% of the 1,000 people polled said the way a company behaves towards its customers and communities affects whether they will make a purchase.
A further 74% prefer to know more about the behaviour of a company before buying their service or products and 53% said knowing that "the company donates a percentage of profits to charity and good causes" mattered to them when considering a purchase.
The poll revealed an age and gender split however - more under-30s rated "ethical brand values" as a priority when spending on the high street compared to older consumers. In addition, social responsibility was found to be a higher priority for women than men.
Jane Asscher, 23red founder and Managing Partner, commented: "The real challenge for brands is how best to harness the values at the heart of their business as marketing tools, without appearing cynical. This isn't about sound bites and tokenistic gestures - it's a paradigm shift."