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What you see is meaningful: Does green advertising change the intentions of consumers to purchase eco‐labeled products?

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  • Ying Sun
  • Biao Luo
  • Shanyong Wang
  • Wenpei Fang

Abstract

Consumers are increasingly worried that their current consumption patterns have negative environmental impacts, which in turn shapes their green purchase intentions. Based on the signaling theory and stimulus–organism–response model, the purpose of this research is to construct a theoretical framework to understand consumer intentions to buy eco‐labeled products. Empirical results from 671 questionnaires show that as expected, green advertising receptivity positively affects intention, and the relationship between green advertising receptivity and intention is also moderated by promotion focus and mediated by system trust and personal trust. However, the relationship between green advertising receptivity and purchase intention is not moderated by prevention focus. Hence, this research suggests that stakeholders should conduct truthful green advertising campaigns to dispel consumer suspicion and target different consumers with different green advertising and marketing campaigns to increase sales.

Suggested Citation

  • Ying Sun & Biao Luo & Shanyong Wang & Wenpei Fang, 2021. "What you see is meaningful: Does green advertising change the intentions of consumers to purchase eco‐labeled products?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(1), pages 694-704, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:30:y:2021:i:1:p:694-704
    DOI: 10.1002/bse.2648
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    4. Menzel, Tobias & Teubner, Timm, 2024. "Signaling sustainability and regionality in the electricity market: An eye-tracking study on visual labels," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 353(PB).
    5. Di Kuang & Xiao-Fei Li & Wen-Wen Bi, 2021. "How to Effectively Design Referral Rewards to Increase the Referral Likelihood for Green Products," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-16, June.
    6. Zhengkai Wang & Debing Ni & Kaiming Zheng, 2022. "The Role of False-Claims Ban Regulation in Greenwashing of Firms with Imprecise Greenness Information," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-25, October.
    7. Ryoo, Yuhosua & Kim, WooJin, 2023. "Price-ethicality association: When price discounts inhibit ethical purchasing," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    8. Sun, Ying & Leng, Ke & Xiong, Haitao, 2022. "Research on the influencing factors of consumers’ green purchase behavior in the post-pandemic era," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    9. Shan, Minghui & Zhu, Zhenzhong & Song, Chunlei & Chen, Haipeng (Allan), 2023. "The effectiveness of advertising appeals: A culturally-derived power perspective," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    10. Jiatong Dai & Guanghua Sheng, 2022. "Advertising strategies and sustainable development: The effects of green advertising appeals and subjective busyness on green purchase intention," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(7), pages 3421-3436, November.
    11. Lan Gao & Liang Wan, 2023. "Does corporate environmental responsibility contribute to financial performance? A dual path analysis through operational efficiency and the cost of debt," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(1), pages 308-323, January.
    12. Jessica Müller & Ángel Acevedo-Duque & Sheyla Müller & Prateek Kalia & Khalid Mehmood, 2021. "Predictive Sustainability Model Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior Incorporating Ecological Conscience and Moral Obligation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-16, April.
    13. Jessica Müller-Pérez & Ángel Acevedo-Duque & Pilar Valenzuela Rettig & Elizabeth Emperatriz García-Salirrosas & Mirtha Mercedes Fernández-Mantilla & Sandra Sofía Izquierdo-Marín & Rina Álvarez-Becerra, 2023. "Consumer Behavior after COVID-19: Interpersonal Influences, eWOM and Digital Lifestyles in More Diverse Youths," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-13, April.
    14. Rusitha Wijekoon & Mohamad Fazli Sabri, 2021. "Determinants That Influence Green Product Purchase Intention and Behavior: A Literature Review and Guiding Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-40, May.
    15. Saddam A. Hazaea & Ebrahim Mohammed Al-Matari & Khaled Zedan & Saleh F. A. Khatib & Jinyu Zhu & Hamzeh Al Amosh, 2022. "Green Purchasing: Past, Present and Future," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-28, April.
    16. Santa, Juana Castro & Drews, Stefan, 2023. "Heuristic processing of green advertising: Review and policy implications," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    17. Jiang, Kan & Mo, Silan & Qin, Meilian, 2024. "Descriptive or injunctive? The effect of sustainable normative appeals and advertising orientations on environmentally responsible consumption behavior in a collective action perspective," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    18. Muhammad Ishfaq Khan & Shahbaz Khalid & Umer Zaman & Ana Ercília José & Paulo Ferreira, 2021. "Green Paradox in Emerging Tourism Supply Chains: Achieving Green Consumption Behavior through Strategic Green Marketing Orientation, Brand Social Responsibility, and Green Image," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-24, September.
    19. Evangelia Ktisti & Leonidas Hatzithomas & Christina Boutsouki, 2022. "Green Advertising on Social Media: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-25, November.

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