And they want businesses to focus on these issues locally, rather than at the national or global level. Statistics gathered in the Cone-Roper survey indicate that 76 percent of Americans would switch to a retail store associated with a good cause, such as Home Depot's decision to sell sustainably harvested lumber, when price and quality of the merchandise offered are equal. This statistic suggests that green building needs to be priced right for the public to buy. American Demographics studies show that a major change is occurring in American culture toward a comprehensive shift in values, worldview, and ways of life. Three distinct worldviews are identified below.
Modernists believe that progress and the good life are defined by increasing material wealth.
This group believes that society faces significant problems and needs to reinvent its culture, institutions, and practices to solve problems and to provide a positive future for its children. Because they are taking action on environmental concerns, Creatives are the logical target group for green building marketing. They enjoy gathering large amounts of information and process that information to get a feel for the big picture. Telling the story of the product can compel Cultural Creatives to make a purchase decision. Ecological sustainability is one of this group's core values.