Understanding how consumers view sustainability

A recently published article from researchers at the North Carolina State University has revealed that the definitions of sustainability used by consumers and by the dairy industry often differ quite substantially. The perceptions of sustainability see a range of influences, and understanding what causes these perceptions might change how manufacturers market their products.

Packaging, labelling, animal welfare and organic status are some factors that can impact how consumers perceive the sustainability of dairy products. These perceptions can lead to real-world impacts and changes in purchasing decisions by consumers. Understanding and analysing them may be a valuable and useful way to change both how industry operates and the environmental impacts by manufacturers.

For example, consumers are more likely to associate organic products with sustainability. They also might think of sustainable foods as inherently healthy and healthy foods as intrinsically sustainable. If consumers make specific purchases with these perceptions in mind they have the potential to disrupt the industry.

However, the study suggests that promotion of nonconventional dairy as a sustainable alternative may ultimately harm the dairy industry by affecting consumer opinion and reducing willingness to pay for conventional dairy. Alternatively, the authors propose using strategic marketing and a consumer-centric approach to educate consumers about the dairy industry in ways that positively affect consumer perception of dairy and dairy products in general, especially when compared to marketing of plant-based alternatives.

Developing a solid understanding of how consumers view sustainability may provide a way for specific marketing to be developed to change consumer views of the dairy industry.

The full article, published in the Journal of Dairy Science can be viewed here.

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