IPC Media in ‘green’ push to attract ad business

IPC Media is touting its "ethical" credentials to advertisers in an attempt to lure them to launch targeted ad campaigns.

The publishing giant has unveiled research which it says unlocks the "real" environmental attitudes of UK consumers.

It hopes the findings will convince more advertisers to use its mag-azines and publishing properties to target niche audiences.

The IPC study, Green Matters, questioned a reader panel of over 3,000 people across the UK. It focused on the impact of travel, transport, energy use and shopping behaviour on the environment as well as consumers’ individual responsibility.

Overall, 88% of respondents claimed to be concerned about the environment, but their predominant concern is for what directly affects them and the impact on their children. IPC says less important were climate change and global warming issues, which were seen as "more removed" from people’s daily lives.

Most people agreed that managing the environment is society’s shared responsibility, only a minority recognised it as their personal responsibility.

Group head of insight Amanda Wigginton says that while environmental issues are being played out by government on a "global" stage, UK consumers do personally engage with the issues. She says: "The opportunity that advertisers have is to educate, personalise and bring these issues home to consumers."