GigaOM Pro

My colleague Katie Fehrenbacher reports this morning on a study out of the business schools at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of South Carolina showing that consumers are motivated by easy access and saving money, not environmental benefits, when it comes to the share economy. This is unsurprising for a couple reasons. 1) It’s not immediately obvious to your average consumer that Zipcar might be good for the environment. Sure, it’s clear to the cleantech wonks in the bay area but most consumers think easy neighborhood car rental, not let’s reduce vehicle ownership to conserve resources. 2) Only a small percentage of consumers respond to the environmental pitch. Most respond to price, convenience and something the study didn’t focus on, how awesome an experience is created or how much the product is loved. We’re seeing this with the smart thermostat Nest and with the Tesla Model S. These are products and experience consumers can fall for without having to factor in their environmental benefit.