How Are Consumers Reacting to Brand Sobriety: An Analysis of Perceived Coherence and Message Tone in a Canadian Context

Abstract

The sobriety approach is gaining traction in the market, with many brands seeking to address new environmental challenges by adopting zero-waste manufacturing processes and promoting moderate product usage. This positioning raises major questions for brands related to the coherence of this strategy with their initial brand image and consumer reactions to this strategy. Through an experiment conducted with 241 participants in Canada, this study examines the coherence effect (strong vs. weak) and its interaction with the communications tone (optimistic vs. pessimistic) on consumers perceptions and responses to brand sobriety. The results show that strong coherence reduces perceptions of brand hypocrisy and increases perceptions of brand relevance, as well as emotional attachment and purchase intention. The study also shows that reactions are reinforced or diminished based on the communicational tone chosen; only the optimistic tone enhances consumers perceptions and responses when the coherence is weak. The theoretical and managerial implications of this study will be discussed.