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Food Processors Go Green: Marketing Tool Helps Identify Consumer Lifestyles

FoodProcessing.com

Part of our Green Cover Story series

Green marketers have a tool to help them understand consumers by their personal values, environmental commitment and lifestyle. LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability), a green segmentation architecture developed by the Harleysville, Pa.-based Natural Marketing Institute (www.nmisolutions.com), classifies consumers based on attitudes toward health, conscious consumption, the environment, personal development, sustainable living and social issues. The LOHAS market is estimated at $209 billion.

LOHAS segments include:

• LOHAS (19 percent) -- active environmental stewards dedicated to personal and planetary health. These are the heaviest purchasers of green/socially-responsible products.
• Naturalites (19 percent) -- motivated primarily by personal health considerations. Tend to purchase more LOHAS consumable products vs. durable items.
• Drifters (25 percent) -- while their intentions may be good, drifters follow trends when it’s easy and affordable. Price sensitivity dictates their actions.
• Conventionals (19 percent) -- pragmatists who embrace LOHAS-related behavior when they believe they can make a difference.
• Unconcerned (17 percent) -- either unaware or undaunted about the environment and societal issues.