Hold the front page! (Or whatever its equivalent is in our Facebook age!)
A Carbon Trust commissioned survey finds that “83% of 18-25 year-olds in China would be more loyal to a brand if they could see it was reducing its carbon footprint”.
The claim is about as convincing as the old Whiskas advert: “Eight out of ten owners said their cat prefers it”.
The key word is “would”. The English Page wisely points out: “”Would” is most commonly used to create conditional verb forms.”
Conditional.
Not definitive.
Not actual.
Not active.
No.
Conditional.
Attitudes to carbon footprinting are important. Firms need to understand them. We need to know if carbon footprinting provides a market opportunity.
But research must concentrate on what people do – not what they say they do!
Because what people do and what they say they do are not the same thing.