The Power of Personal Norms and Green Message Framing Persuade Consumers’ Willingness to Pay Premium Prices at Eco-friendly Restaurants

Abstract

Although environmental issues are driving many consumers toward pro-environmental consumption, many more consumers may yet not engage in environmentally sound actions. Thus, this study aimed to understand factors influencing consumers’ willingness to consume eco-friendly products by exploring both internal and external factors that trigger consumers’ willingness to pay premium prices (WTP) at green restaurants. To the end, two studies were conducted to satisfy the research objectives. The results of the structural equation modeling from the study 1 showed that perceived seriousness of environmental problems (PSEP), ascription of responsibility (AR), and community attachment (CA) influenced personal norms resulting in customers’ WTP. Study 2 examined whether different green message formats influenced consumers’ internal drivers. The results showed that PSEP increased when the present-focused message was paired with narrative format, and the future-focused message paired with non-narrative format. Customers’ WTP was greater when the present-focused message was paired with narrative format.