Experian Helps Marketers Better Understand and Reach Green-Minded Consumers

October 13, 2008 | 9:00 am

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Experian(R) Marketing Services, a part of global information services company Experian, today announced the availability of the Simmons GreenAware(SM) segmentation targeting system on the company's comprehensive INSOURCE(SM) consumer demographic database. This integration gives marketers a better understanding of consumers' environmental consciousness and how those "green" attitudes influence everything from lifestyle to buying behaviors.

"As environmental consciousness becomes part of the American mainstream, marketers need to better understand how it shapes the lifestyles and decisions of consumers," said Rick Erwin, general manager of Experian's Marketing Information Services. "Having this unique perspective on green behaviors gives marketers the opportunity to enhance targeting efforts, increase customer loyalty and grow revenue."

Erwin explains that one of the challenges within the green marketplace has been that consumers' "green" attitudes often do not translate into buying behavior. According to the Simmons Spring 2007 national database, 58 percent of consumers make a conscious effort to recycle, but only 37 percent would pay more for environmentally friendly products. Given those conclusions, he cautions green marketers to consider both the attitudes and behaviors of consumers as they define target audience, message and channel selection for direct marketing campaigns. GreenAware on INSOURCE can help marketers make the connection between those attitudes and behaviors.

"The green marketplace is estimated at $500 billion and is continuing to grow as more and more consumers make changes in their lifestyles," said Erwin. "Using GreenAware to select targeted marketing lists, marketers can match their marketing offers, messages and channel selection to consumers' behaviors, attitudes and purchase patterns in order to create more relevant and effective campaigns for increased profits."

Based on the distinctive mindset of consumers towards the environment, GreenAware combined with the INSOURCE consumer database helps marketers better understand four distinct consumer segments that reflect buying patterns, lifestyle, opinions, attitudes and media use:

1. Behavioral Greens - Representing more than 34 million households, members of this group think and act green. They have negative attitudes towards products that pollute and incorporate green practices in their routines on a regular basis.

2. Think Greens - Representing more than 24 million households, this group thinks green, but does not necessarily act green.

3. Potential Greens - Representing more than 36 million households, this group neither behaves nor thinks along particularly environmentally conscious lines and remains ambivalent about key environmental issues.

4. True Browns - Representing more than 14 million households, this group is not environmentally conscious and may harbor negative attitudes about environmental issues.

    For more information visit http://www.experianmarketingservices.com.

    Contact:  Christopher Fielder
              Experian Public Relations
              1 224 698 8628
              christopher.fielder@experian.com