Do you know “Eco Floaters”, “Proof Seekers” and “Dedicated Pioneers”? Not? These are the three “green” archetypes, including 76 percent of German consumers: inside. This was found in the report “The NXT Consumer Germany 2025”, which will be brought out by the Copenhagen Insights Agency Above the Clouds together with the Berlin strategy consulting Studio MM04 and presented tomorrow at Copenhagen Fashion Week.
It contains important insights that brands and retailers should know in order to better assess and address their target group in the area of sustainability. “German consumers: Inside, we tell us loudly and clearly: good resolutions without evidence are pure poetry. But brands that understand the three green archetypes, the emotional tension of sustainability paradox and the economic change behind Secondhand are better equipped in order to be future-proof in the competition for the future,” comments above the Clouds founder Fredrik Ekström in one Press release.
Three “Greens” archetypes
About a third (32 percent) of the German population are as “Eco Floaters“Estimated – emotionally committed, but behaviorally.
“They do aimlessly-not because they don’t care, but because they lack orientation. They take care of them-feel lost. Caught between good intentions and the complexity of the real world, Eco-Floaters drive inconsistently in their sustainable decisions. What they need is no pressure-but clarity, lightness and encouragement,” explains the report.
A short further third (30 percent) are “Proof Seekers“ – Skeptic heads with activist: interior hearts. These consumers: inside have enough of empty promises and beautiful slogans – you not only want to know the sustainability mission of a brand, but also want to know how it works and implemented. If you are convinced, then invest for brands and even pay an additional cost of products.
“They demand results. Emotionally committed and extremely skeptically looking for a proof-Seeker for clear evidence of the effect. They support them-but only if they show their work and take concrete measures,” summarizes the report this archetype, which is also well informed.
“”Dedicated pioneers“, So committed pioneer: inside, make up the smallest“ green ”population with 14 percent. For these value -oriented pioneers: inside, ethics and sustainability are the most important.
“You have knowledge and life optimistic that changes are possible,” says the report. “Expert, committed and optimistic – committed pioneer: Inside, sustainability has made part of their identity. They expect brands to support their commitment with value -oriented transformation and systemic change.”
The remaining fifth of the German population is divided into “Sustainability Zombies” (7 percent), that is, those consumers: inside that are driven by the price and have little to nothing to do with sustainability, and “Sceptic Spectator” (13 percent), i.e. spectators: Inside on the edge that are looking for convenient solutions.
The report continues to encounter these archetypes with a “Sustainable Consumer Readiness” in order to help brands better understand their target groups that make their communication and branding more targeted.
Future Fatigue (not green fatigue)
Future tiredness describes an increasing psychological exhaustion that consumers: in the face of the future. It is not blind to the future; They do not put their heads in the sand, but experience a tiredness that is rather disillusionment: “What once seemed like exciting progress seem like a blurry horizon of overwhelming complexity, delayed change and broken promises,” explains the study.
Although younger consumers in particular are still committed to the inside, they are increasingly losing a reference to long -term visions. How can brands meet this future tiredness to build trust and commitment? You should make climate -friendly decisions visible, simple and socially secure. “Micro success, clear language and visible progress are counteracting paralysis and creates it,” advises the study.
The sustainability paradox
The contradictory feelings between what consumers want to be in terms of sustainable behavior inside, and what they actually do creates a “gnawing feeling of discomfort”. This means that you fall back on simple and understandable concepts.
Second-hand If one of them is, it has blossomed from a niche to the mainstream phenomenon. “In the past it was environmental issues and the price, today it reflects a number of motivations – from clever money and sustainability to social status and emotional satisfaction,” says the study.
Brand activism is another simple and understandable concept: “Consumers: Today, not only pay attention to product quality, they want brands that share their values and work for ecological and social issues. This change towards brand activism offers companies a great opportunity to build up sustainable relevance through the combination of transparency, responsibility and real effect,” knows Ekström.
Global drivers
The report has also identified six “global drivers”, i.e. fundamental changes or external forces that have the potential to change the future development of a brand or a company. “They help to contextualize decisions by taking into account why and how the world changes,” said the report.
In addition to sustainability, which falls under the heading “Fascination Urban Nature” and includes nature as well as health and well -being, five other drivers will influence market development in the next five years. For example, new technical progress such as blockchain, AI, apps and alternative scope, as well as the climate crisis and changes in weather, but also demographic realities with increasingly altarming identities (so-called “flat-ages”), social and economic challenges and “micro-globalization” in the face of conflict zones that revive domestic and national pride.
“German consumers: Inside, even more sustainable decisions want to be made in the current times of crisis. This report shows brands opportunities to support the archetypes of sustainable consumers: to support the inside with credible, clear, honest and emotionally appealing communication,” summarizes Max Gilgenmann, co-founder and co-CEO of Studio MM04.
The report is based on the answers from 1.306 in April and May 2025. “We used a nationwide representative basis of 1,005 German consumers: inside, weighted according to age, gender and region. In order to grasp the nuances of the developing attitudes, we have deliberately expanded the Gen z-sample to 601,” it explains explainable by the author: Inside.
The full report can now be downloaded from the Above The Clouds website.