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05.21.2008

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Voting With Dollars

The Power and Penance of Responsible Purchasing

A purchase is not just a purchase when consumers believe they are “voting” with their dollars. Consumers describe power in every purchase ranging from the mundane and everyday (daily coffee, toilet paper, clothing) to the rarer luxury or big-ticket purchase (vehicles, home remodeling materials, vacations). Many consumers even believe their purchase voting has more impact on the world than their political voting.

For one, purchase voting occurs with much greater frequency, and second, money is power and wherever that money gathers a new source of power exists. With this in mind, consumers are becoming increasingly aware of who (and what) they are empowering with each swipe of the debit card. There is also an element of guilt among American consumers that gets assuaged when one votes with his or her dollars. The guilt of being a bad parent, a bad person, or an overly fortunate person is highly motivating. A consumer articulated this best:

“I cannot stick my head in the sand. Living in this country where we have so much and use so much of the world’s resources, I am morally obligated to make the choices I do for the sake of the earth and its ability to support my children and their children.”

Whether consumers believe they are distributing power or paying penance, responsible purchasing is increasingly on their minds. As such, retailers, manufacturers and service providers all want to know where consumer priorities are, what they value and how they can win those value-laden greenbacks.

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Purchase or Voting Decisions: Which Has a Greater Impact?

Consumers are using their purchases to take action. In our recent study The Hartman Report on Sustainability: Understanding the Consumer Perspective close to one-third of consumer respondents believe said they believe that their purchases have a greater impact on society than their votes.