McKinsey x Veylinx study: Consumer willingness to pay for sustainability

The shelves in supermarkets have been filling up with products labeled as “organic,” “eco-friendly,” “fair trade,” and “carbon neutral.” Demand for green-label products seems to be growing, and many surveys indicate that consumers indeed care about these products and their benefits. However, consumers' claims and expressions of interest do not necessarily reflect their actual behavior when it comes to purchasing. Simply put, behavior does not always align with intent. 

It is important and necessary to offer sustainable products, but a question arises: How can companies accurately and cost-effectively test eco-friendly and socially-conscious product propositions to gauge what customers really want (and are willing to pay extra for)? 

To answer this question, McKinsey teamed up with Veylinx to deploy our auction-based testing methodology. The behavioral experiments that we conduct at Veylinx simulate real-life buying situations to assess customer behavior and provide insight into which products and claims will have the best-in-market results. We strive to close the gap between intent and actual behavior, and our collaboration with McKinsey yielded a wealth of insights into which sustainability claims truly resonate most with consumers.

Are you curious to learn more? Download the research study here or get in touch with our research consultants to see how we can apply our proven methodology to your research questions.