Padrões de consumo consciente: identificando segmentos de mercado

Abstract

Observance of environmental issues has become a source of competitive advantage based on the understanding that new consumption patterns emerge, with the development of "green ", "ethical" or "conscious" consumption. This study aimed to identify patterns of ethical consumption on the city of Divinópolis, Brazil. A survey was conducted with a sample of 114 consumers from various districts of the city. The results suggest that attitudes and opinions differ when it comes to public obligation to the environment, the convenience that prevents socially responsible behavior, the effects of the production process for the climate, and the importance of strategies on the individual level regarding social responsibility or ethical consumer behaviour, generating three market segments: "Conscious", "Critics" and "Not engaged".