Become A Member Benefits and Ordering Competitive Advantage

Doing good really does pay, according to the global "Good Purpose" poll of 6,000 consumers by public relations firm Edelman. The survey found that more than six in 10 people would buy, and recommend, a brand that gave back to society or helped the environment, even if it wasn't the cheapest.

Sixty-four percent of respondents said that they expect brands today to support good causes. More than two-thirds said they would switch brands if another, similar-quality product supported a good cause.

"People all over the world are now wearing, driving, eating, and living their social purpose as sustained engagement with good causes becomes a new criterion for social status," Mitch Markson, Edelman's chief creative officer, said in a statement.

The survey revealed that, during the global economic downturn, more than half of the respondents said a company or brand had earned their business because of its do-good credentials.

The desire to help out also extended to the environment, with the poll finding 83 per cent said they were willing to change their consumption habits to make the world a better place in which to live, including moving to an eco-friendly house (70 per cent) and buying a hybrid car (67 per cent).

The survey was conducted among 6,026 consumers aged 18-64 in mid-2009 across 10 countries: the United States, China, Canada, Britain, Germany, Italy, France, Brazil, Japan, and India.

Source: Reuters, December 22, 2009