Plant Benefit Perceptions Influence Consumers' Likelihood to Buy and Differs across Age Cohorts

Abstract

Plants provide many benefits (e.g., social, physiological, emotional, mental) but some consumers may be unaware of those benefits. Here, we investigate the effects of social, physiological, and emotional and mental health benefits of plants on consumers’ likelihood to buy (LTB) a plant based on those messages. A sample of 497 Americans participated in an online survey in 2021. All three plant benefit messages increased consumers’ LTB a plant, but differences were observed among age cohorts. Compared to the oldest age cohort (consumers born before 1965), Generation Z (born after 1996) responded most positively to the emotional and mental health benefit message followed by the physiological benefit, but did not respond to the social benefit. Compared to the older cohort, Millennials (persons born between 1981–1996) responded more favorably to all three benefit messages. Generation X (people born between 1965–1980) responded favorably to the emotional and mental health benefit message followed by the social benefit but not the physiological benefit. Generally, as education level and income increased, effects of the plant benefit messages decreased. Respondents who made plant purchases online responded favorably to the emotional and mental health plant benefits. Individuals who did not buy any plants did not respond favorably to any of the plant benefit messages. Plant sellers should employ benefit messages tailored to the age cohort target market(s) for the greatest impact.