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Building brand equity with environmental communication: an empirical investigation in France

Author

Listed:
  • Florence Benoît-Moreau

    (DRM - Dauphine Recherches en Management - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Béatrice Parguel

    (IRG - Institut de Recherche en Gestion - UPEM - Université Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée - UPEC UP12 - Université Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne - Paris 12)

Abstract

Purpose Using Keller's (1993, 2003) brand equity framework, this paper investigates the impact of the firm's environmental communication on brand equity, and specifically its impact on brand image, through the strength and favourability of brand environmental associations. Design/methodology/approach A between-subjects experimental design tests the hypotheses with a generalisable sample of 165 French consumers. Findings Environmental communication positively influences the strength and favourability of brand environmental associations, therefore improving brand equity. Two moderators reinforce the impact of environmental communication on brand equity through the strength of brand environmental associations: the perceived congruence between the brand and the cause, and the perceived credibility of the claim. Practical implications In the context of greater consumer pressure regarding business ethics, managers should favour environmental arguments in their corporate communication to improve brand image through societal associations. Doing so, they should focus their communication on causes that are congruent with their brands to facilitate brand equity building, and ensure they are credible when proclaiming these arguments. Originality/value of paper Despite existing research on corporate social responsibility (CSR), no studies focus on the specific impact of CSR communication on brand equity. This research provides initial empirical evidence about the positive effect of environmental claims on customer-based brand equity.

Suggested Citation

  • Florence Benoît-Moreau & Béatrice Parguel, 2011. "Building brand equity with environmental communication: an empirical investigation in France," Post-Print halshs-00634443, HAL.
  • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-00634443
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00634443
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Julie Pirsch & Shruti Gupta & Stacy Grau, 2007. "A Framework for Understanding Corporate Social Responsibility Programs as a Continuum: An Exploratory Study," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 70(2), pages 125-140, January.
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    5. Joëlle Vanhamme & Bas Grobben, 2009. "“Too Good to be True!”. The Effectiveness of CSR History in Countering Negative Publicity," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 85(2), pages 273-283, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Béatrice Parguel & Johnson Guillaume, 2021. "Beyond greenwashing: Addressing 'the great illusion' of green advertising," Post-Print halshs-03425494, HAL.
    2. Alessandra De Chiara, 2015. "Marchi ecologici e percorsi "credibili" di sostenibilit?: uno studio sulle imprese con l?Eu Ecolabel nel territorio italiano," MERCATI & COMPETITIVIT?, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2015(2), pages 111-138.
    3. Xhesilda Vogli & Erion c{C}ano, 2023. "CSRCZ: A Dataset About Corporate Social Responsibility in Czech Republic," Papers 2301.03404, arXiv.org.
    4. Grubor, Aleksandar & Milovanov, Olja, 2016. "Sustainable Branding," Proceedings of the ENTRENOVA - ENTerprise REsearch InNOVAtion Conference (2016), Rovinj, Croatia, in: Proceedings of the ENTRENOVA - ENTerprise REsearch InNOVAtion Conference, Rovinj, Croatia, 8-9 September 2016, pages 408-415, IRENET - Society for Advancing Innovation and Research in Economy, Zagreb.
    5. Ragna Nilssen & Geoff Bick & Russell Abratt, 2019. "Comparing the relative importance of sustainability as a consumer purchase criterion of food and clothing in the retail sector," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 26(1), pages 71-83, January.
    6. Mihai Stoica, 2021. "Green Marketing Communication Strategies: An Integrative Literature Review," Annals of Faculty of Economics, University of Oradea, Faculty of Economics, vol. 1(1), pages 388-396, July.
    7. Gonçalves, Tiago Cruz & Gaio, Cristina, 2023. "Corporate sustainability disclosure and media visibility: Mixed method evidence from the tourism sector," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 155(PB).
    8. Andrea Pérez & María del Mar García de los Salmones & Elisa Baraibar-Diez, 2020. "Effects of the Type of CSR Discourse for Utilitarian and Hedonic Services," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-22, June.
    9. Utkal Khandelwal & Kushagra Kulshreshtha & Vikas Tripathi, 2019. "Importance of Consumer-based Green Brand Equity: Empirical Evidence," Paradigm, , vol. 23(1), pages 83-97, June.
    10. Alessandra De Chiara, 2016. "Eco-labeled Products: Trend or Tools for Sustainability Strategies?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 137(1), pages 161-172, August.

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    Keywords

    CSR communication; environmental communication; brand equity; congruency; societal consciousness;
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