Descriptive or injunctive? The effect of sustainable normative appeals and advertising orientations on environmentally responsible consumption behavior in a collective action perspective

Abstract

This research investigates the relationship between sustainable normative appeals and advertising orientations on environmentally responsible consumption behavior from a collective action perspective. It is based on attribution theory and construal level theory. The research, which involved four studies (N = 951), found that a descriptive appeal is appropriate for a product-oriented advertisement, and an injunctive appeal is suitable for a cause-oriented advertisement. The match between sustainable normative appeals and advertising orientations encourages caring and responsibility attribution, leading to environmentally responsible consumption behavior. Collective goal attributes also moderated the interaction effect, especially in the abstract collective goal, and only caring mediated the interaction between descriptive appeal and product-oriented advertisement on behavior. This study provides a new perspective and advertising strategies that can be applied to corporate sustainability marketing.