11.15.2007 - 01:42pm ET

(CSRwire) BOSTON, MA - November 15, 2007 - Nearly half of Americans (48 percent) will try to buy fewer gifts or holiday products this season because they are concerned about the effect their consumption may have on the environment, according to the 2007 Cone Holiday Environmental Study.

And the environment is impacting the purchases Americans do plan to make. Almost six in ten (59 percent) say they are more likely to buy "green" products this year than in the past.

More than half of Americans (54 percent) say they would be willing to pay more for a holiday gift or product if it is environmentally responsible, and an equally motivated number (55 percent) say they proactively seek opportunities to buy green gifts and products around the holidays.

Americans' environmentally sensitive behavior extends beyond gifts, as well. They are purchasing gift wrap made from recycled paper (42 percent) or decorating with energy efficient holiday lighting (32 percent). Other consumer choices include:

Purchasing carbon credits to offset holiday travel and/or shopping – 3%

Interestingly, more than half of Americans surveyed (52 percent) say the motivation for green shopping is to alleviate the guilt associated with holiday consumption.

"American consumers are being influenced by environmental concerns," says Mike Lawrence, executive vice president of Corporate Responsibility, Cone LLC. "They're still shopping, but feeling somewhat uneasy about it, and they are looking for products that have a lighter environmental footprint and are easy to incorporate into their daily lives. This should motivate companies to take environmental issues more seriously in designing, sourcing and packaging products, as well as to give more thought to how those products can be disposed of at the end of their road."

About the survey:
The 2007 Cone Holiday Environmental Survey presents the findings of an online survey conducted from November 8-9, 2007 among a national probability sample of 1,090 adults comprised of 518 men and 572 women 18 years of age and older, living in private households in the continental United States. It was conducted by Opinion Research Corporation and has an error margin of +/- three percentage points.

About Cone:
Cone LLC (www.coneinc.com) is a strategy and communications agency engaged in building brand trust. Cone creates stakeholder loyalty and long-term relationships through the development and execution of Cause Branding, Brand Marketing, Corporate Responsibility and Crisis Prevention and Management initiatives. Cone is a part of the Omnicom Group (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com). Omnicom is a leading global advertising, marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, interactive, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries.

For more information about the survey or for a copy of the complete fact sheet, please contact Sarah Kerkian at Cone (skerkian@coneinc.com).

For more information please contact:

Kelly Faville
Cone LLC
978-405-3199
978-621-6667

For more CSR news and information from this organization:

Corporate Social Responsibility Profile for Cone LLC

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