Natural claims and sustainability: The role of perceived efficacy and sensorial expectations

Abstract

Natural claims have been increasingly used by brands across a variety of product categories to address the growing concerns about sustainable and healthy consumption. To add insights to this body of knowledge, this research aims to investigate the influence of natural claims on consumers' judgments and purchase intentions of personal care products. Findings from two studies suggest that natural claims are broadly used in personal care product packaging to influence consumers' purchase intentions, due to the natural-is-better bias and the health halos evoked by such claims. This research also contributes to the literature by investigating the underlying mechanisms of perceived efficacy, safety, sensorial expectations, and greenwashing perceptions. Moreover, environmental consciousness moderates the effects of natural claims on consumers' judgments of perceived efficacy. The findings thus not only enhance our understanding of the natural-is-better bias but also shed light on the role played by perceived safety and sensorial expectations on intentions to purchase natural-claimed products. Relevant implications for brands and policymakers in terms of sustainable consumption are also discussed.