A Political Perspective on LOHAS Consumers

A Political Perspective on LOHAS Consumers

Recent analysis by NMI shows high political awareness and action among LOHAS consumers

(Harleysville, PA November 2006) With the mid-term election right around the corner, The Natural Marketing Institute’s LOHAS segmentation, used most often for marketing and strategic planning, also provides an interesting and timely political perspective.

NMI identifies five proprietary consumer segments within its 2006 LOHAS (Lifestyles Of Health And Sustainability) Consumer Trends Database™: LOHAS, NATURALITES, DRIFTERS, CONVENTIONALS and UNCONCERNED. Recent analysis by NMI shows high political awareness and action among LOHAS consumers and significant differences across the other segments:

• LOHAS consumers – the leading target for sustainable and environmentally-friendly products and services – are the most likely to vote, indicating that in addition to being vocal consumers, they are also vocal citizens.
o 44% of LOHAS consumers state that they typically vote for the Democratic candidate. This is significantly higher than any other segment, especially in comparison to the U.S. general populations on a whole. This is also a change from two years ago when there was little political skew among the NMI segments.
• NATURALITES – who are not politically committed to the environmental movement – are twice as likely as LOHAS consumers to vote for Republicans (at 29%), making them the second most likely group to do so.
• DRIFTERS – those consumers who have little consistency or commitment to environmental or social issues or products – are evenly split between Democrats (25%) and the GOP (27%), and are also the least likely to vote.
• CONVENTIONALS – a practical segment which does not have green attitudes, but do have some “municipal” environmental behaviors – is the second most likely group to vote for Democrats, which 32% say they typically do.
• UNCONCERNEDS – the segment for whom environmental and social issues rarely appear to be of interest – is the most likely group to vote for a Republican candidate (42% typically do).

This research confirms the consistency in lifestyles that consumers are trying to lead, and that their political affiliation and voting behavior reflects the same values and attitudes they exhibit in the marketplace.

For more information on NMI’s LOHAS Consumer Trends Database™, please visit our website at: http://www.nmisolutions.com/lohasd.html or contact Nancy White at 215-513-7300, ext. 225 or nancy.white@NMIsolutions.com

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NMI is a strategic consulting, market research, and business development company specializing in the health, wellness, and sustainable marketplace. For more information on NMI’s proprietary research reports and services, visit NMI’s web site at www.NMIsolutions.com.