Logic vs Aesthetic: The Effect of Environmental Claim and Visual Design in Green Advertising

Hashella Kostan,Alice Salendu

doi:10.24856/mem.v35i2.1468

Abstract

<p>The surge in demand for green products leads to rampant practice of “greenwashing”, in which marketers deceitfully try to position their brand as more eco-friendly than it actually is. Past studies on green advertisements have indicated that visual cues in the advertisements can also play a part in affecting consumers’ evaluation of the product and its eco-friendly feature. This study was conducted to examine the effect of two essential elements in a green advertisement, which are the overall visual aesthetic quality of the advertisement and verbal environmental claim. The study was conducted using an experimental vignette method. Two hundred seventy-six respondents participated in this study. Through MANOVA statistical analysis, it was found that both aesthetic quality and environmental claim type used significantly affect green brand associations, as well as the attitude respondents, have towards the brand. However, this significant effect of ads visual aesthetic quality can be concerning since it might hinder consumers to objectively evaluate the environmental claim of the product.</p>

Highlights

Over the past decades, the environmental crisis that happens globally has enforced the importance of more responsible consumer behavior
A survey conducted by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) (2018) Indonesia and Nielsen company showed that 63% of urbanmiddle-up Indonesian consumers are willing to pay more for greener products— meaning all products produced in a certain way to ensure the conservation and harm minimization of the natural environment, energy, and resources (Ottman, 2006)
Based on the statistical analysis, we can conclude that both verbal environmental claims and visual aesthetic quality of green advertisements significantly affect consumers‘ evaluation of how green a brand is and overall attitude towards the brand

Summary

Introduction

The environmental crisis that happens globally has enforced the importance of more responsible consumer behavior. A survey conducted by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) (2018) Indonesia and Nielsen company showed that 63% of urbanmiddle-up Indonesian consumers are willing to pay more for greener products— meaning all products produced in a certain way to ensure the conservation and harm minimization of the natural environment, energy, and resources (Ottman, 2006). This growing demand for green products is a good thing, yet in reality, there are no products that can be considered as truly green since any products will inevitably affect the environment negatively (Pickett-Baker & Ozaki, 2006).

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion