Earth Day 2022: What Marketers Need to Know to Reach Eco-Conscious Consumers on YouTube

Earth Day acknowledgements, celebrations, and marketing plans are in full-swing today as brands and consumers leverage today’s tentpole moment to raise awareness around combating climate change, and tout how individuals and brands are doing their part.

To help marketers understand how consumers and brands have evolved when it comes to the environment and sustainability, we’ve rounded up some of the most relevant stats highlighting key trends and actionable insights. Consumers today rely on platforms like YouTube to not only discover sustainable brands, but also to educate themselves on environmental issues, and ultimately to implement eco-conscious lifestyle changes.

Consumer Habits Are Driving a Greener Future

Consumers in the US and around the globe are increasingly savvy and discerning when it comes to connecting their personal values and concerns to their everyday purchase habits. More and more, sustainable, eco-conscious brand and product options are coming out on top, and marketers are paying attention.

• 76% of surveyed U.S. adult consumers say that they are concerned about the environment and/or climate change, and 78% report that such issues are important to them
• More than three in four U.S. adult consumers report that they think more positively of brands that are taking actions to protect the environment
• When it comes to online shopping for beauty, clothes, or travel experiences, nearly half, 49.6%, of millennials and 38.4% of Gen Z consumers indicated that sustainability was “very important”
• Between 2019 and 2021, retail research reported that products labeled as “sustainable” increased by 176%
• On Twitter, user mentions of the false or performative eco-marketing term “greenwashing” in 2021 to 2022 reportedly has increased 158% Year-over-Year

Generation Z is Central to the Climate Movement

Gen Z (those born after 1996) in particular is the most passionate and engaged generation when it comes to alarm over climate change, and they are not afraid to walk-the-walk when it comes to taking action towards enacting change.

• The topic “Climate Change / protecting the environment” was reported as the #1 leading personal concern for Gen Z adults, coming out on top over all other concerns including income inequality, unemployment, and healthcare
• Roughly one in every three Gen Z adults have reported contacting an elected official, donated or volunteered for a climate change organization, or participated in a rally within the last year.

Gen Z shopping and consumption habits reflect this passion. Through their brand preferences and shopping habits, Gen Z has taken the lead among older generations in holding brands accountable to be environmentally responsible and, more recently, they’ve even managed to bring their parents and older generations along with them.

• Three out of every four Gen Z consumers report ‘sustainability’ is more important to them than brand name when making their purchasing decisions
• Eight out of 10 Gen Z teens anticipate that climate change and other environmental factors will influence their big life decisions, such as where to live and whether to have children
• Notably, four out of ten Americans report that witnessing Gen Z young adults demanding climate action actually increases their own interest in addressing the issue
• Thanks in part to this influence, since 2019, Gen X consumers’ preference to buy sustainable brands has increased by 24%, and their willingness to pay more for sustainable products has increased by 42%

YouTube Remains Gen Z’s Online Video Destination

Whether for entertainment, education, or discovery, Gen Z turns to YouTube more than any other online video platform.

• 95% of Generation Z reported using YouTube for online video, still outperforming their use of TikTok or Instagram (for now)

And when it comes to Gen Z’s sustainable shopping habits, YouTube is a key part of the consumer journey. Creator voices connect with consumer audiences through popular vlogs, tutorials, hauls, and day-in-the life video formats, creating content communities with their fans for deep engagement around lifestyle changes and products.

According to data from Google, consumers are increasingly interested in searching for ways to go green and find sustainable alternatives.

• In 2021, YOY searches containing the term “environment” and also the term “environmental sustainability” were each up +30%, and YOY searches containing the term “electric vehicle charging” were up +100%
• In 2018, YouTube uploads for videos containing the term “sustainable” were up 13x or 190% and YouTube monthly views for videos containing the term “clean beauty” in the title were up 7x

Zefr’s analysis of content on YouTube also reinforces the significant viewership footprint that environmental and sustainable video content has on the platform.

• Eco-friendly and sustainable living together have captured more than +387MM lifetime views across 350+ different channels, with format topics like do-it-yourself, day-in-the-life, and sustainable food & diets making up the top three most viewed video formats
• Within the growing and popular category for Hybrids & Electric Vehicles, Zefr’s analysis found there were over +815MM total views for this content in 2021 alone, with car reviews, showcases, and vlog video formats about electric vehicles commanding the majority of views

Discover Areas to Align with Sustainability-Minded Consumers with Zefr

Consumer habits around environmental issues and sustainable living have shifted over recent years towards greener and cleaner interests thanks in large part to Gen Z influences, and YouTube remains one of the most used platforms for Gen Z audiences as creators and viewers. Marketers must be strategic with their YouTube strategy in order to reach these target audiences during the right, brand safe and suitable moments.

Zefr’s tech, backed by years of machine-learning training data, was built to understand dynamic video content on platforms. Zefr’s strategic media solutions, particularly for Eco-Conscious Voices, can support any brand’s needs for safe and suitable content alignment in order to reach consumers with an interest in sustainability on the platform.

Learn more about Zefr’s best-in-class brand suitability targeting and measurement solutions.