How green are you, really? Consumers’ skepticism toward brands with green claims

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between perceptions of brands advertising claims of environmental sustainability, intention to purchase such brands and the role of trust.

Design/methodology/approach

Adapted scales were used to measure perceptions of price–value perception, environmental concern, brand trust and purchase intention. Relationships were tested using simple regression and structural equations modeling.

Findings

The results suggest that consumers who did not report high environmental concern had high brand trust but no significant purchase intention; consumers who reported high environmental concern had significant intention to purchase green products, but negative trust in brands which were advertised with a claim to be green.

Research limitations/implications

Efforts to advertise green claims may only be effective for consumers without an intention to purchase green products, and may alienate consumers who are interested in purchasing such products. Structural equations modeling was tested on a post hoc basis with a sample size that did not warrant very good fit ratios.

Originality/value

The present study indicates that green claims may be misguided, and that products that have genuine green benefits may need to find alternative methods of communicating those benefits to consumers who intend to engage in sustainable consumption behavior.

Citation

Ulusoy, E. and Barretta, P.G. (2016), "How green are you, really? Consumers’ skepticism toward brands with green claims", Journal of Global Responsibility, Vol. 7 No. 1, pp. 72-83. https://doi.org/10.1108/JGR-11-2015-0021