Unwrapping the Native Plant Black Box: Consumer Perceptions and Segments for Target Marketing Strategies
Date
2024-05-23
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
HortTechnology
Abstract
The increasing demand for sustainable products has helped spur demand for native plants. This study used an online survey of 2066 US consumers, a factor analysis, and Ward’s linkage cluster analysis to identify unique customer segments in the native plant marketplace. The following three clusters were identified: native averse (31.6%), native curious (35.7%), and native enthusiast (32.7%). The native enthusiast cluster agreed strongly with positive statements related to native plant perceptions and attributes. The native averse cluster exhibited the lowest level of agreement with these items and the greatest level of agreement with negative or neutral statements about native plants. The native curious cluster was intermediate between the other clusters but generally agreed with positive attributes. Demographic characteristics impacted cluster membership. The marketing implications are discussed.
Description
This article was originally published in HortTechnology. The version of record is available at: https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH05401-24. © American Society for Horticultural Science 2024. This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Keywords
aesthetics, online survey, ordered probit, pollinator friendly, wildlife attractive
Citation
Rihn, Alicia L., Ariana Torres, Bridget K. Behe, and Sue Barton. "Unwrapping the Native Plant Black Box: Consumer Perceptions and Segments for Target Marketing Strategies", HortTechnology 34, 3 (2024): 361-371, https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH05401-24