Greenwashing and Consumer Green Perceived Value: The Mediation Mechanism of Green Consumer Confusion and Green Perceived Risk

The purpose of this research is to discover the effect of sustainable marketing of hospitality services on consumers’ attitudinal and behavioral brand loyalty. Additionally, this research also aims to discover the mediating effect of brand trust and brand affect on this relationship. A combination of descriptive and causal research was used, for which data was collected from 582 respondents and processed using structural equation modeling to establish multivariate relationships. The process method was used to approximate mediation effects. A reasonably valuable insight that arose is the significant role that brand trust and brand affect play in engendering attitudinal and behavioral brand loyalty among consumers, for hospitality organizations adopting sustainable marketing practices. Findings revealed that sustainable marketing practices result in enhanced brand trust, which further translates into higher levels of brand affect, thereby leading to attitudinal brand loyalty and further resulting in behavioral brand loyalty. This study also highlights the importance of brand affect in developing enduring behavioral brand loyalty. Research limitations/implications – Consumers today are changing their consumption habits, preferring to satisfy ideological and symbolic needs rather than just rational needs. So, hospitality marketers practicing sustainable marketing should aim to leverage brand trust and brand affect to ensure lasting behavioral brand loyalty. The examination of the effect of sustainable marketing practices on brand-related variables in hospitality organizations has contributed to a better understanding of the mechanism that underlines the operation of emotion-based enduring loyalty. The vast majority of studies that provided insights about sustainable marketing practices and consumer behavior thereof were dominated by European and American perspectives and very few studies exist with a focus on developing economies such as Uganda.

The negative impact that individuals have on the natural world led to the development of the concept of sustainable marketing. Increasing consumer trends regarding environmentally conscious consumers have created a fresh market chance for the global economic system. Sustainability refers to mankind's general capacity to engage with the many facets of our current situation that demand cognitive focus. In consequence, the objective of this study was to investigate how sustainability marketing practices have an influence on brand evaluation. This research shows how people think about the new sustainability marketing strategies. The current research also includes the mediating role of fashion consciousness among sustainable marketing practices and brand evaluation in the context of Oman. Non-random and convenient sampling techniques are used to collect the data from 336 respondents. SmartPLS 4.0 was employed for data analysis. Findings reveal that sustainable marketing practices have a significant impact on brand evaluation. However, fashion consciousness did not work as a mediator in between sustainable practices and brand evaluation as all concerned mediating hypotheses were not supported.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of sustainable marketing practices of firms on consumers’ attitudinal and behavioral brand loyalty. In addition, this study also aims to explore the mediating effect of brand trust and brand affect on this relationship.Design/methodology/approachA combination of descriptive and causal research has been used, for which data was collected from 582 respondents and processed using structural equation modeling to establish multivariate relationships. The PROCESS method was used to estimate mediation effects.FindingsA rather valuable insight that emerged is the significant role that brand trust and brand affect play in engendering attitudinal and behavioral brand loyalty among consumers, for firms adopting sustainable marketing practices. Findings revealed that sustainable marketing practices result in enhanced brand trust, which further translates into higher levels of brand affect, thereby leading to attitudinal brand loyalty and further resulting in behavioral brand loyalty. This study also highlights the importance of brand affect in developing enduring behavioral brand loyalty.Research limitations/implicationsConsumers today are changing their consumption habits, preferring to satisfy ideological and symbolic needs rather than just rational needs. So, marketers practising sustainable marketing should aim to leverage brand trust and brand affect to ensure lasting behavioral brand loyalty.Originality/valueThe examination of the effect of sustainable marketing practices on brand-related variables has contributed to a better understanding of the mechanism that underlines the operation of emotion-based enduring loyalty. The vast majority of studies that provided insights about sustainable marketing practices and consumer behavior thereof were dominated by European and American perspectives and very few studies exist with a focus on developing economies. This study attempts to fill this void by exploring the personal care market in India.

Purpose This study examines how green marketing strategies—environmental commitment, customer perceived value, green brand communication, and ethical sourcing—influence FMCG brand image. We'll examine how these components affect consumers' perceptions and boost brand image. Structured questionnaires were delivered to 255 FMCG consumers using convenience sampling. Data analysis and hypothesis testing were done using SEM. Design/methodology/approach Sustainability and environmental responsibility boost company image, according to research. Value was a key aspect, showing how consumers value sustainable product benefits. Effective green brand marketing and ethical sourcing policies boost consumers' trust and loyalty. FMCG firms looking to include sustainable practices into their marketing strategies can learn from the study about the importance of authenticity in green communication and responsible sourcing for brand growth. Findings The findings of research on Green Marketing Strategies and Brand Image in the context of FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) generally focus on how environmental commitment, consumer perceived value, green brand communication, and ethical sourcing contribute to shaping brand image and influencing consumer behavior. Strong Positive Influence on Brand Image: Brands that are committed to environmental sustainability are often viewed more positively by consumers. This commitment can improve the brand’s reputation, as consumers are increasingly looking for eco-friendly practices in the brands they support. Originality Environmental commitment, ethical sourcing, green brand communication, and sustainable product offerings play a critical role in enhancing brand image and fostering long-term consumer loyalty. However, brands must ensure transparency and avoid greenwashing to maintain credibility. Overall, a well-executed green marketing strategy can create a strong, positive brand image that resonates with eco-conscious consumers and contributes to the brand’s success in competitive markets. Many consumers today consider the ethical sourcing of products to be just as important as the quality of the product itself. Research limitations/implications Mismatched Claims and Impact: Many FMCG brands may make environmental claims that don’t align with their actual environmental impact. This misalignment can lead to consumer disillusionment, but measuring the true environmental benefits of green initiatives can be complex. Difficulty in Measuring Full Environmental Impact: It's often challenging for researchers to measure the actual environmental impact of a product’s lifecycle—from sourcing to production to disposal—due to the complexity of global supply chains in the FMCG sector. Practical implications While research on green marketing strategies and brand image in the FMCG sector provides valuable insights, there are several limitations that hinder its generalizability and long-term applicability. These include challenges in measuring the true effectiveness of green marketing strategies, consumer perception variability, the complexity of global supply chains, and difficulties in defining and quantifying "green" practices. To overcome these limitations, future research should focus on longitudinal studies, standardized metrics for green marketing success, and the integration of cultural and regional differences in consumer behavior. Social implications The social implications of Green Marketing Strategies and Brand Image in the context of FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) are significant, as they shape how brands interact with society, influence consumer behavior, and contribute to broader environmental and social changes. Green marketing not only affects consumer perceptions but also impacts society in various ways, including ethical, social, and cultural dimensions. Below are some of the key social implications of green marketing strategies and brand image in the FMCG sector

The study at hand is an investigation of consumer behavior pertaining to sustainable marketing practices amongst tertiary students at selected universities in South Africa. A total of 2 02 questionnaires were used in data collection. The quantitative research method was used and data was collected using convenience sampling. Data analysis included descriptive and inferential analysis and SPSS version 24 and AMOS version 24 were utilised, respectively. For hypothesis testing structural equation modelling (SEM) was conducted using the partial least square method in path analysis. The major findings of this study show that customer awareness of sustainability matters and sustainable marketing efforts are linked to sustainability behaviour. However, the level of knowledge and perceived sustainability benefits were neither positively nor significantly related to sustainability behaviour. The results have also shown that even though customers regard the knowledge of sustainability as important they have shown that they lack information because they still consume products which are regarded as harmful to the environment. Thus, the major recommendations are that marketers, policymakers, universities and all other institutions of education should support consumers with guidance and support regarding the knowledge on sustainable marketing practices while enhancing customers’ knowledge on sustainability and its associated benefits.

Intelligent machines as information and communication technology and their influence on sustainable marketing practices for beneficial impact on business performance: A conceptual framework

This research endeavours to comprehensively examine the role of sustainable marketing practices in influencing consumer behaviour and cultivating brand loyalty within the contemporary marketplace. Specifically, it seeks to elucidate how consumers respond to companies employing eco-friendly packaging and ethical sourcing practices, aiming to shed light on the mechanisms through which sustainable initiatives impact consumer-brand interactions. We employed a rigorous mixed-methods approach, this study integrates qualitative and quantitative methodologies to provide a holistic understanding of the phenomenon under investigation. Qualitative data collection will involve in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with consumers from diverse demographics to capture nuanced insights into their perceptions, attitudes, and behaviours towards sustainable marketing practices. Subsequently, quantitative surveys will be administered to a large and diverse sample of consumers, allowing for statistical analysis employing techniques such as regression analysis and structural equation modelling. This combined approach enables the exploration of both the depth and breadth of consumer responses to sustainable marketing practices. The findings of this research underscore the significant influence of sustainable marketing practices on consumer behaviour and brand loyalty. It reveals that consumers exhibit heightened interest and favourable responses towards companies implementing eco-friendly packaging and ethical sourcing practices. Such initiatives not only influence consumers' purchasing decisions but also foster a sense of trust, affiliation, and loyalty towards brands committed to sustainability. Moreover, the study identifies various demographic and psychographic factors that moderate the relationship between sustainable marketing practices and consumer behaviour, providing valuable insights for marketers seeking to tailor their strategies effectively. This study contributes to the existing body of literature by offering empirical evidence on the effectiveness of sustainable marketing practices in driving consumer behaviour and fostering brand loyalty. The insights garnered from this research have practical implications for marketers, policymakers, and businesses, offering actionable strategies to enhance the adoption of sustainable practices and strengthen consumer-brand relationships in an increasingly environmentally conscious marketplace.

Sustainable marketing practice is essential for developing a more comprehensive understanding of consumers’ purchase decisions in dynamic digital marketing environments. Scholars and practitioners conceive sustainable marketing practices as episodic, predicated on temporal practices in response to emerging digital environments. Consumers are increasingly becoming aware of the ecological issues that their consumption creates in the marketplace. Despite the importance of sustainable practices, when and how sustainability occurs regarding the consumer’s purchase decision remains largely unexplored. In part, this is because the practices of sustainability in the emerging computer-mediated marketing environments (CMMEs) are difficult to anticipate and study. Much of what we know about sustainable marketing practice is mainly focused on customer–brand relationships. Prior literature examining sustainable marketing practice through CMMEs remains sparse, despite consistent emphasis on the benefits of sustainable marketing practices in the emerging digital world.

Innovative managerial and social changes, such as sustainable marketing practices considerably improve organizational performance. Although the RMG sector of Bangladesh is widely known to global consumers through the ‘Made in Bangladesh’ tagline, effective implementation of sustainable marketing in the country has been proven as a difficult task. This research examines the current state and implications of sustainable marketing in the RMG sector of Bangladesh. Primary data were collected from 20 RMG factories located in Dhaka and Gazipur that were selected using convenience sampling techniques and 120 officials were selected using convenience and snowball sampling techniques. Data were analyzed using the content analysis technique where the theoretical framework was informed by the theory of planned behavior. The research shows that knowledge about sustainable marketing of most factories is limited and often they are not interested in practicing it. It also evidences that RMG manufacturers have been late in emphasizing and adopting sustainable marketing practices. They have not yet started showing concerns in this respect. Lack of supporting information systems often impedes the implementation of sustainable marketing practices. Legal requirements and the mandatory rule for sharing information regarding sustainable marketing work as the main motivations to adopt sustainable marketing practices.

This research examines sustainable fisheries marketing strategies and their role in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a focus on integrating SDGs into fishery product marketing practices. The study addresses the global challenge of overfishing and declining fish populations through a quantitative approach, surveying middle-up management personnel at PT. XYZ. Using Structural Equation Modeling with Partial Least Square analysis, the research investigates the relationships between fish stock measurement, ecosystem impact assessment, and local community welfare in sustainable marketing practices. The findings demonstrate significant positive relationships between these environmental and social factors with sustainable marketing practices, which in turn influence SDG integration in the fisheries sector. The research contributes theoretically to sustainable marketing model development in fisheries and provides practical recommendations for industry stakeholders and policymakers. Results emphasize the importance of integrating environmental, social, and economic aspects in fisheries marketing strategies to achieve sustainable development objectives.

In recent years, corporations' sustainable marketing practices have gone beyond just selling mere products or services and present significant challenges. This study examines the moral, ethical, and practical challenges encountered by sustainable marketing, specifically from the standpoint of business communication. This research explains the notion of sustainable marketing and discerns its ethical dilemmas by examining the current body of scholarly literature. The discussion focuses on stakeholder theory, ethical consumerism, and communication theories. The study employs a qualitative research methodology, gathering data through comprehensive interviews and case analysis. The participants comprise marketing professionals, consumers, and companies that place sustainability as a top priority. The findings illustrate that organisations face many moral and ethical challenges while creating and executing sustainable marketing strategies. For example, challenges arise when trying to balance the desire for genuineness and openness and the success of marketing communications, as well as conflicts between moral evaluations and business goals. These challenges substantially impact the company's communication strategy, as they are directly connected to consumer trust and brand image. This study offers valuable insights for companies creating and implementing sustainable marketing strategies. It highlights the crucial role of managing moral and ethical factors to achieve long-term success. Moreover, the discoveries can aid policymakers and regulatory agencies formulate criteria and recommendations to foster sustainable corporate practices.

Sustainable marketing is a vital strategy that supports the long-term success of sports businesses by integrating elements such as environmental responsibility, consumer demand, competitive advantage, cost savings, and reputation management. Sustainable marketing practices also provide a competitive edge for sports businesses, enhance the value of eco-conscious brands in the eyes of consumers, and have a positive impact on sales. Therefore, the present study aimed to design a sustainable marketing model in the Iranian sports sector using a grounded theory approach. This study employed a mixed-methods (qualitative–quantitative) exploratory design using grounded theory. The qualitative population consisted of experts and elites in the national sports industry, including professors in sport management with expertise in marketing and environmental domains. From this group, 12 individuals were selected through purposive sampling for in-depth interviews, which continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. In the quantitative phase, 250 managers, specialists, and stakeholders in Iran’s sports sector were selected via convenience sampling. In the qualitative section, research validity was confirmed based on criteria of credibility, transferability, and confirmability; in the quantitative section, it was confirmed through face and content validity. Reliability in the qualitative phase, using the test-retest method, was 0.79, and in the quantitative phase, the composite reliability and Cronbach’s alpha were greater than 0.70. For data analysis, open, axial, and selective coding were used in the qualitative phase, and structural equation modeling with PLS software was applied in the quantitative phase. According to the findings, 80 indicators were identified for sustainable marketing in Iran’s sports industry, categorized into 13 criteria and 5 dimensions. The causal factors included environmental concerns, planning, and branding; contextual factors included customer orientation, innovation, and infrastructure development; intervening conditions included governmental and cultural issues; strategies included digitalization, support, and communication; and consequences included empowerment and managerial outcomes. Furthermore, based on the model validation results, the research findings demonstrated a good model fit. The structural model’s significance coefficients (t-values) indicated that all relationships between causal, contextual, intervening, strategic, and consequential factors were significant and positive. The study concluded that sustainable marketing indicators in Iran’s sports industry require attention to environmental, planning, and branding elements as causal factors, and to customer orientation, innovation, and infrastructure development as contextual components.

Sustainable business in the hospitality sector should be designed and restructured to offer services meant to satisfy the customers aware of the ethical behavior toward environment. Green environmental marketing strategies (GES) are based on the desire of the customers to access hospitality services with zero or a less negative impact with the adaptation of greening activities. Therefore, this research aims to explore the direct effects of green environmental strategies on ethical consumption and the indirect influence of green marketing and its mediating effect between green environmental strategies and ethical consumption links. Additionally, this research also reveals that psychological aspects play the moderating role in the relationship between GES and ethical consumption. The data were collected from a sample of 545 respondents with the support of Saudi tourism companies, and a structural equation model was used to process them. The findings confirm the positive relationship between green environmental strategy and ethical consumption. The outcomes also corroborate that green marketing is interplaying between green environmental strategy and ethical consumption. In addition, this study validates that psychological aspects strengthen the link between GES and ethical consumption. This study adds to the knowledge in the literature through emphasizing the crucial role of psychological factors in improving green environmental strategies and developing ethical consumption habits among members to increase ethical consumption among tourism companies. The findings support companies from the hospitality sector implementing green sustainable services, to stimulate ethical consumption and to use their competitive advantage in green marketing strategies.

Type of the article: Research ArticleAbstractThe growing relevance of innovations in green logistics and green marketing is transforming the business models of the transport sector. Modern technologies now enable continuous vehicle condition monitoring and cargo tracking, improving both safety and operational efficiency. Sustainability considerations further drive the optimization of logistics processes. The implementation of innovative solutions, such as green logistics and green marketing practices, contributes to these objectives and supports environmental protection. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the impact of innovation on green marketing and green logistics. A literature review was conducted to identify the main theoretical and empirical approaches in this field. At the same time, a multi-criteria method was applied to assess the influence of technological development on the marketing strategies of transport companies. The findings indicate that innovations, particularly in green electric vehicles, significantly influence green logistics and marketing strategies. The analysis highlights strong interconnections between innovation adoption, green logistics, and sustainable marketing practices. The most critical criteria identified include the perceived benefits of green options and brand value. The results can serve as a foundation for developing comprehensive green strategies and implementing sustainable logistics practices. The study emphasizes that adopting green strategies in cooperation and logistics processes reduces operating costs, improves customer service quality, and accelerates logistics operations.

Global warming, adverse climate change, and depletion of resources indicate the danger of sustainability on earth. The ignorance of companies on such severe issues in emerging markets may be disastrous for them as well as for their customers. The companies operating in emerging markets that are in the process of executing sustainable marketing programmes are truly showing the way forward. This chapter captures the opportunities and challenges of different sustainable marketing practices adopted by companies in emerging markets. The study is qualitative and exploratory. It uses the phenomenological type of qualitative research. Data was analyzed to propose the conceptual framework of sustainable marketing practices in emerging markets. The chapter concludes on the context based on challenges and opportunities for companies practising in emerging markets. The results suggest that apart from environmental and social value for money (economic), other factors are essential for sustainable marketing practices. The well-developed viable marketing strategy which strives for a sustainable future brings organizations competitive advantage and growth opportunities. The insights on the development of emerging markets were utilized to develop a framework for sustainable marketing practices.