Green is the New White: How Virtue Motivates Green Product Purchase

Abstract

It is important to understand the drivers of green consumption, because of growing concern for the health of the planet. In this paper, the assumption that a virtue-green product relationship exists is tested. The objective is to understand how product morality (versus that of the person using it) can influence the valuation of green products. Relying on virtue theory and positive spillover as conceptual bases, the research implicitly and explicitly tests and confirms green (versus conventional) product virtue. The results demonstrate that perceived green product virtue leads to positive emotions, which explain heightened purchase intentions. In line with the conceptualization, I show that the effect is moderated by the importance consumers place on their own morality (i.e., cultivating personal virtue). Importantly, explicitly framing green products as virtuous activates positive spillover (i.e., prosocial behavior) by consumers; when green products are branded with a virtue cue, they encourage consumers to be more virtuous. Beyond being perceived as better people, when consumers interact with green products they effectively engage in more moral acts, such as making donations. The results confirm the perception of green products as moral agents and provide marketers with insights into the marketing value of virtue cues in green product consumption.