Is it all for show?: Environmental brand identification on skin care and cosmetic websites

Abstract

ABSTRACT Research has emerged that found more companies providing details about how their brand or product is made beneficial to protecting the environment as a conceptual strategy for environmental brand identification. Literature also supports that green branding extends to Web-based communication aimed at consumers looking for brands and products aligned with their value system. Drawing from the literature on green advertising and marketing, CSR, and framing, we conducted a content analysis that looks at environmental brand identification on skin care and cosmetic websites and the various elements used to frame greenness consistent with pro-environmental stewardship. Overall, findings show improvements including more substantive claims and CSR activities on websites though associative claims still dominated framing brands green, and thus imply eco-friendly. The inclusion of additional substantive claims and details about CSR shows how skin care and cosmetic brands craft a green identity endorsing caring for the environment that is progressively becoming a core part of web-based communication.