Today's Most Environmentally-Conscious Consumers are Wealthy, Educated and Have Luxury Tastes

NEW YORK, Aug. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Many do not equate the environmentally focused activities of composting, recycling and using rechargeable batteries as primary activities of the high-income American jet set. But, according to a new report from Scarborough Research, the "Super Green" – those consumers who engage in the highest amount of environmentally-friendly activities as measured by Scarborough – are top earners with a taste for luxury.

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The Super Green population – which accounts for five percent of all U.S. adults – are 76 percent more likely than the average adult to have an annual household income of $150K or greater. They are more likely to own homes valued above $500K, as well as to own second homes, and, additionally, out-pace the U.S. population when it comes to having a diverse investment portfolio.

The Super Green are far more likely than the average adult to spend upwards of $500 annually on products such as cosmetics, clothing for men, women and children in the family, and fine jewelry. They are 49 percent more likely to plan to buy a new luxury vehicle in the coming year, and 77 percent more likely to plan to spend upwards of $45K on new car purchases in the household.

"Today's environmentalists have traded sandals and hemp for cashmere and a Lexus," said Deirdre McFarland, vice president of marketing, Scarborough Research. "As the American economy continues to try to find its footing, luxury marketers – or, really, any marketer who wants to capture the American high spending population – could benefit from green-focused marketing, promotions and products."

Super Green Go Online for Local Info

Marketing to the Super Green that is rooted locally via digital platforms could be effective for targeting this group. Many leading Internet uses for Super Greenies are locally oriented:

1. Checking the weather (69 percent went online to check the weather during the past month, they are 51 percent more likely to have done so)
2. Searching for a business address or telephone number (47 percent, 89 percent more likely)
3. Consuming local news (42 percent, 60 percent more likely)

Northwest America Leads for Super Greenies

The Northwest portion of the U.S. is most likely to be home to the Super Green population, according to Scarborough. San Francisco is the top city for Super Greenies. Seventeen percent of San Francisco adults engage in 10 or more eco-friendly activities on a regular basis. Seattle (13 percent) and Portland, OR and San Diego (11 percent) round out the top markets for Super Greenies. Nationally, five percent of adults are Super Greenies.

More information on the Super Green can be found in a complimentary study issued by Scarborough and available for download at www.scarborough.com/freestudies.php.

About Scarborough

Scarborough (www.scarborough.com, [email protected]) measures American life. Our consumer insights reflect shopping patterns, media usage across platforms, and lifestyle trends for adults. Media professionals and marketers use Scarborough insights to make smarter marketing/business decisions on things like ad placement, multicultural targeting, and sponsorship opportunities.  The company's core syndicated consumer insight studies in 77 Top-Tier Markets, its Multi-Market Study and its national USA+ Study are Media Rating Council (MRC) accredited. Other products and services include Scarborough Mid-Tier Local Market Studies, Hispanic Studies and Custom Research Solutions. Scarborough measures 2,000 consumer categories and serves a broad client base that includes marketers, advertising agencies, print and electronic media (broadcast and cable television, radio stations), sports teams and leagues and out-of-home media companies. Surveying more than 210,000 adults annually, Scarborough is a joint venture between Arbitron Inc. (www.arbitron.com) and The Nielsen Company (www.nielsen.com).

SOURCE Scarborough