Despite the confusion around the term “bee-friendly,” retailers might be able to garner a premium price for plants labeled bee-friendly.
In Part 1, Michigan State University Extension explained “bee-friendly” can refer to its attractiveness as a food source for bees and it could also refer to our pest management practices. This could create some confusion to consumers as to what bee-friendly means. Do we know if our consumers are also confused by this term and, even if they are, could there still be a reason to still use it for marketing purposes?
Do consumers find “bee-friendly” confusing too?
Since the phrase bee-friendly is ambiguous to those in the green industry, is it also ambiguous to our consumers? Yes, it is. According to recent nationwide survey by Michigan State University of over 3,000 participants, 67 percent of consumers described that bee-friendly meant that bees are not harmed and 46 percent described it as the use of products without bee toxicity. Approximately half of respondents identified bee-friendly as environmentally friendly or as better for the environment. In a free-form question, over one-third responded that bee-friendly meant practices that are not harmful to bees while 19 percent said it indicates the plant is attractive to bees.
