From greenwashing to green trust: Understanding the consumer behavior in the fashion industry.

The effects of collectivistic and authority-based green advertising on green purchasing behavior for apparel among gen Z and Y Asian consumers in an emerging market.

Amidst growing consumer concern for environmental sustainability, firms increasingly leverage environmental advertising claims to promote green products. To construct a theoretical model of how environmental advertising claims influence consumers' green purchasing intention, this study integrates the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) framework, the Affect-Reason-Involvement (ARI) model, attribution theory, and the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) to develop a comprehensive theoretical framework compromising consumer characteristics with information processing, including information content, processing mechanisms and outcomes. Experiment 1 (n=189) revealed that substantive claims significantly outperform associative claims in enhancing purchase intentions, and that perceived greenwashing negatively mediates this relationship, while green warmth positively mediates the relationship between claim type and purchase intention. Experiment 2 (n=193) demonstrates that environmental concern and environmental knowledge jointly moderate the effect of environmental advertising claims on purchase. Consumers with low environmental concern will not be interested in any environmental information. Therefore, there is no difference in the persuasive effect of either substantive claims or associative claims. When individuals have high motivation and ability, they tend to rely on central cues, i.e., substantive claims have a better persuasive effect. When a person has high motivation and low ability, they tend to use peripheral cues, i.e., associative claims are more effective in the persuasive effect. Collectively, these findings advance our understanding by establishing an integrative framework that delineates how the interplay between message characteristics (claim type), psychological mechanisms (rational and affective processing), and individual differences (environmental concern and knowledge) shapes consumer responses to green advertising. It also provides actionable insights for designing credible environmental advertisements and segmenting green consumers.

As the demand for "green" products grows, companies are utilizing green advertising to appeal to consumers. Unfortunately, this trend has been accompanied by a rise in the phenomenon of greenwashing, which has led to skepticism and distrust among green consumers. Drawing on construal-level theory, this study explores features of green messages that affect motivated resistance to persuasion, greenwashing perceptions, and purchase intentions. We crafted fictitious advertisements varying in psychological distance of consequences (proximal vs. distal outcomes) of consequences and in verb modality (definite vs. probable language). Using an experimental survey (N = 1,617), we found that messages that contained two low-construal features (psychological distance of consequences: proximal, and verb modality: definite) produced the most resistance to persuasion. Motivated resistance to persuasion was found to increase perceptions of greenwashing, while perceptions of greenwashing were found to reduce purchase intentions. The experiment additionally found that the combination of proximal consequences and definite language reduced purchase intentions through serial mechanisms of increased motivated resistance to persuasion and perceptions of greenwashing. These findings enrich the growing understanding of green messaging and carry both practical and theoretical implications. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Purpose This study examines the influence of perceived green marketing authenticity (PGMA) and greenwashing perception (GWP) on green purchase intentions (GPI), with emotional trust (ET) as a mediating factor in digital green advertising. It aims to address the gap in understanding affective mediators in digital contexts, leveraging psychological contract theory and affect-as-information theory. Design/methodology/approach A 2 × 2 factorial experimental design was employed, involving 400 young, social media-active consumers (aged 18–35) who viewed mock Instagram ads for an eco-friendly product, manipulating PGMA and GWP. Responses were measured using a survey with validated scales, including a newly developed ET scale (Cronbach’s α = 0.90). Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the relationships and mediation effects. Findings The results indicate that authentic green claims enhance ET, which fully mediates the positive effect of PGMA on GPI. Conversely, greenwashing perceptions erode ET, partially mediating the negative effect of GWP on GPI. The model demonstrated strong fit and explained substantial variance in purchase intentions, highlighting ET’s critical role. Originality/value This study extends prior research by introducing ET as a key mediator in digital green advertising, absent in studies focusing on cognitive trust. It advances Psychological Contract Theory (PCT) by applying it to affective trust and Affect-as-Information Theory by emphasizing emotions in digital contexts. Practically, it guides marketers to prioritize transparent, emotionally resonant green claims to foster trust and drive sustainable purchases, while cautioning against greenwashing. Limitations include the use of mock ads and a young sample, with future research recommended for real-world campaigns and broader demographics.

This study examines the relationships between green advertising, green brand image, green awareness, and green purchase intention. A quantitative approach was employed using non-probability sampling with a purposive sampling technique. The sample consisted of 150 respondents who met the specified criteria: aged 17 years or older, domiciled in Surabaya, and having purchased The Body Shop products more than twice within the last six months. The results indicate that green advertising and green brand image have a significant positive effect on green awareness. Furthermore, both green advertising and green brand image significantly and positively influence green purchase intention. The findings also reveal that green awareness plays a mediating role in these relationships. Specifically, green advertising and green brand image significantly affect green purchase intention indirectly through green awareness. These findings highlight the importance of effective green marketing strategies in enhancing consumer awareness and encouraging environmentally responsible purchase intentions.

Green product purchasing among young adults in Malaysia has become increasingly important in supporting sustainable consumption practices. Despite increasing interest in green consumption, limited studies integrate marketing-related factors with psychological determinants within the Malaysian youth context. This conceptual paper aims to identify the key determinants influencing green product purchase behaviour among young adults in Malaysia. Specifically, the study focuses on the effects of eco-labels, attitude, environmental consciousness, green advertising, and green perceived quality on green product purchase behaviour. Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), the proposed framework explains how these factors shape young adults’ purchasing decisions toward green products. This paper synthesises existing literature and develops a conceptual model to guide future empirical research. It is anticipated that findings from subsequent empirical studies will provide valuable insights for marketers and policymakers in designing effective strategies to promote sustainable consumption among young adults in Malaysia.

This study examines how digital green advertising, attitude toward advertisements, environmental concern, and advertising appeal types influence consumers’ green purchase intention in Pakistan. It contributes to digital green marketing literature by focusing on an emerging-market context. Data were collected through an online survey of 450 respondents from Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad. The proposed hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling and PROCESS macro analysis. Digital green advertising positively influenced attitude toward the advertisement (β = 0.42, p < 0.001), while attitude toward the advertisement significantly enhanced green purchase intention (β = 0.51, p < 0.001). Attitude toward the advertisement partially mediated the relationship between digital green advertising and green purchase intention (indirect effect = 0.21, p < 0.01). Environmental concern also moderated the attitude–intention relationship (interaction β = 0.38, p < 0.001), with the effect being stronger among consumers with high environmental concern (β = 0.68) than those with low environmental concern (β = 0.34). Among the advertising appeal types, emotional appeals had the strongest effect on consumer attitude (β = 0.48, p < 0.001), followed by normative appeals (β = 0.35, p < 0.05) and informational appeals (β = 0.31, p < 0.05). The model explained 42% of the variance in green purchase intention. The findings show that digital green advertising can strengthen green purchase intention by shaping favorable attitudes toward advertisements, particularly among environmentally concerned consumers. The study also highlights the importance of emotional appeals in green advertising campaigns. By examining these relationships in Pakistan, this research extends green marketing knowledge in the context of a developing South Asian economy.

How Influencer Type and Interest Appeals in Green Advertising Drive Pro-Environmental Behavior: The Moderating Role of Attribute Centrality

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine whether differences exist between young American and Japanese consumers' green consumption behaviors. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual framework is formulated based on five constructs: independent self-construal (INDE), attitude toward green advertising, self-expression and brand-familiarity to measure purchase intention. Data were collected from 266 Americans and 199 Japanese consumers. The structural equation model was used to test and compare hypothesized relationships between the proposed constructs for the two countries. Findings The results reveal that the moderating effects of self-construal patterns on brand familiarity and self-expression help explain Americans' green consumption decisions. The results from the US sample also confirm that both self-construal patterns guide young Americans' green consumption behaviors. Japanese green consumption behaviors are influenced by their dominant interdependent self-construal. They used a context-dependent thinking mode to process advertising and brand information. Research limitations/implications Using Gen-Z consumers may limit the generalizability of this study. The results may not be representative of or applicable to other demographic groups. As age was controlled in this research, similar studies need to be replicated with various segments of green consumers to validate the relationships identified in this study. In addition, to raise the external validity of this research, future researchers may replicate this study by comparing countries other than the two under examination in this study. Practical implications For practical implications, marketing communication programs may focus on social interaction strategies by using content or influencer marketing on social media to raise brand awareness. To appeal to Americans' self-expressive values, brand communication may focus on a personalized message that conveys the positive image of green product users. Use both traditional media and digital media to engage with Japanese consumers. To appeal to Japanese collectivist values, the ad message may emphasize the positive effects of the brand and its products on contributing to the well-being of society. Social implications This study detects no evidence of an increase in individualism in Japanese consumers' green consumption behaviors. The results show that consumers' attitudes and behaviors toward green marketing cues are consistently guided by their dominant self-construal patterns and situational factors could activate either self within their self-schema. This also supports the notion that aspects of culture are changeable depending on varying situations. Originality/value This study provides evidence that self-construal types influence young American and Japanese consumers' green consumption behaviors. This is the first research to demonstrate that brand-familiarity can be a group identifier for consumers with different cultural orientations.

Companies have adopted green advertising in response to consumer demands for environmentally responsible practices and as part of their efforts to secure a competitive advantage. Moreover, banking institutions are known to employ emotional appeals to strengthen their brand equity. However, poorly executed campaigns may hinder consumers from forming emotional bonds and, consequently, from developing customer loyalty. Although previous studies have examined the relationships among corporate social responsibility, emotional advertising and brand equity, there remains a paucity of research linking these three dimensions. No prior study has empirically analysed this phenomenon through neuroscientific methods. This exploratory study aims to fill this gap by comparing individuals’ implicit and explicit emotional responses to two bank advertisements: one with a sustainability appeal and another without. For this purpose, the skin conductance levels and explicit emotional perceptions of university students were measured. The results indicated higher levels of emotional arousal in response to advertisements with a sustainability-focused narrative, consistent with the explicit data. This pattern was observed in both average skin conductance levels and peak responses. The findings provide relevant practical insights for marketing professionals in the banking sector, as they highlight the potential of neurophysiological methods to objectively assess and monitor brand-building strategies.

Aim: This study investigates consumer responses to award-winning green advertising campaigns addressing water conservation in Türkiye. Focusing on campaigns by Finish and Cif, the research explores how consumers perceive the environmental messaging, product quality, and authenticity of green claims, while also reflecting on broader societal and governmental engagement with sustainability. Method: Adopting a qualitative research design, the study utilizes thematic analysis of 629 consumer comments extracted from YouTube, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) under Finish and Cif’s green advertising campaigns, which received Effie Awards between 2020-2022. MAXQDA 2020 software was used for coding and analysis, following Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-step procedure. Intercoder reliability was assessed using Cohen’s Kappa (κ = 0.86), ensuring high agreement. Results: The analysis revealed five key themes: brand-related, campaign-related, reviewer-related, community-related and policy-related comments. Consumers were found to have a dual attitude – admiring the environmental goals and creative elements of the campaigns, while many were skeptical of greenwashing and questioning product quality. They were also found to make actionable suggestions to improve environmental authenticity, criticizing societal indifference to sustainability and calling for stronger government policies and education. Conclusion: Green advertising can effectively promote environmental awareness, but its credibility relies on actual brand practices and transparent communication. The study highlights the active role of consumers as co-creators of environmental discourse and offers practical implications for brands and policymakers seeking to promote sustainability. It is recommended that future studies expand to broader demographics and integrate a variety of data collection methods beyond social media comments.

Due to consumers’ rising environmental concerns, companies increasingly engage in green advertising, aiming to showcase environmental responsibility. Drawing on signaling theory, we investigated the association between consumers’ exposure to green advertising and their environmental optimism regarding beliefs in fulfilling climate goals described in the Paris Agreement in 2015 over time. Based on the Elaboration Likelihood Model, we further examined the role of environmental knowledge. Findings of a two-wave panel study (N W2 = 511) indicated that exposure to green advertising at Wave 1 (W1) was positively related to environmental optimism at Wave 2 (W2). While environmental knowledge (W2) was negatively related to environmental optimism (W2), it did not moderate the positive relationship between exposure to green advertising (W1) and environmental optimism (W2) over time. Additionally, environmental optimism (W1) was negatively associated with support for green advertising regulations (W2) over time. Implications for green advertising practitioners and scholars are discussed.

ABSTRACT The review examines consumer buying behavior towards eco‐friendly packaging over the last 10 years using the PRISMA framework. A total of 141 studies were analyzed to map theoretical and methodological progress in the field. The thematic analysis is conducted, which identified three major themes: marketing and branding influence, psychological drivers, and green purchase behavior across seven sub‐themes. The findings indicate that eco‐labelling, green advertising, green brand image, and product aesthetics are significant factors shaping sustainable purchase decisions. However, barriers such as green skepticism, distrust, limited product availability, higher pricing, and inadequate packaging knowledge collectively contribute to the intention‐behavior gap. The trend highlights the growing scholarly attention in emerging economies like China and India, with most empirical research grounded in the theory of planned behavior and employing quantitative methods. Additionally, a conceptual model illustrating the green purchase behavior is proposed, and 20 future directions are suggested utilizing the TCCM framework.

Climate change remains one of the most pressing global challenges of the 21st century, with the Philippines among the most vulnerable due to recurring typhoons, flooding, and sea-level rise. Higher education institutions are tasked with equipping students, particularly in business and marketing, to integrate sustainability into professional practice. This study examined the relationship between climate change awareness and sustainable marketing practices among Bachelor of Science in Business Administration–Marketing Management students at Pilgrim Christian College (PCC). Specifically, it aimed to assess awareness, evaluate sustainable practices, analyze demographic differences, and test the relationship between awareness and practice. Using a descriptive–correlational design, 86 stratified respondents participated through a validated questionnaire and interviews. Results showed that students were generally “Highly Aware” (M = 3.39) of human causes and global warming, but less informed on biodiversity and food security. Sustainable marketing practices were also rated “Highly Sustainable” (M= 3.41), though gaps were noted in peer advocacy, evaluation of green advertising, and project participation. Significant differences emerged by sex and internet use, with female students and research-driven users showing stronger engagement. Correlation analysis revealed that attitudes toward climate action and access to environmental information significantly predicted sustainable practices (p < .05), while knowledge alone did not affect ethical advertising awareness. The study concludes that awareness, while necessary, is insufficient without experiential learning, structured curriculum integration, and peer-led initiatives. Accordingly, the proposed Sustainability Integration in Marketing Education (SIME) framework emphasizes applied projects, institutional partnerships, and advocacy-oriented learning to enhance sustainability literacy and professional practice.

This study examined the role of eco-labels, green advertisements, government support, attitude toward green products, and social media marketing on purchase intention. Data was collected from 464 adult customers in Indonesia and analyzed using the the WarpPLS structural equation model (SEM). The research showed that there was a positive influence between eco-labels and green advertisements, eco-labels and government support, green advertisements and attitude toward green products, government support and attitude toward green products, and attitude toward green products and purchase intention. Unfortunately, social media is not able to moderate the effect of attitude toward green products on purchase intention. This study uses unclassified respondents and only describes adult customers in Indonesia. The practical implementation of this research is the importance of eco-labels to increase purchase intention through green advertisements and government support. This will be very beneficial for both consumers and producers because of the support from the government.

Purpose This study aims to investigate the role of consumer knowledge structures, specifically topic knowledge and agent knowledge, in moderating the impact of message strategies on attitudes and booking intentions toward green hotels. Building on the persuasion knowledge model (PKM), the research seeks to develop effective communication strategies for environmentally friendly hotels. Design/methodology/approach Two online experiments (n = 565) tested the effects of message appeal (rational vs emotional) and framing (gain vs loss vs control) on consumer responses to green hotels. Participants viewed scenarios featuring fictitious influencers endorsing a green hotel brand. Study 1 was focused on the moderating role of topic knowledge (i.e. environmental knowledge), while Study 2 helped explore the influence of agent knowledge (i.e. perceived informativeness of influencers) as a moderator. Findings Rational appeals were more effective than emotional appeals for consumers with low topic or agent knowledge, but the differences were not observed among those with high knowledge levels. Message framing did not significantly influence consumer responses. Attitudes mediated the relationship between message strategies and booking intentions only when consumer knowledge was low. Practical implications Rational messages are most effective for consumers with low topic or agent knowledge. Practitioners should match message appeals and influencer partnerships to audience knowledge levels to enhance attitudes and booking intentions. Originality/value This study extends the PKM by revealing a knowledge-threshold effect in green hotel advertising. It also offers a PKM-based framework for designing sustainability communication with influencers.

Sidoarjo Regency, known as the "City of SMEs" due to its various superior regional products supporting the One Village One Product (OVOP) program, has led to increasingly fierce competition, thus demanding product differentiation, one of which is through a Green Marketing approach. The partner in this community service is the Nabila Art Gallery SME, an aromatherapy lamp manufacturer that still faces obstacles in the form of low competitiveness due to a lack of understanding of environmentally friendly promotions, product differentiation, and the use of sustainable packaging. The objective of the activity is to increase the competitiveness of partners through the implementation of Green Marketing strategies that include Green Products, Green Advertising, and Green Brands. The implementation methods include socialization, training, implementation assistance, and achievement evaluation using surveys with 15 participants. The results show that SMEs experienced a 45% increase in understanding of the Green Marketing concept, a 38% increase in branding ability, and an average increase in sales of 22%. The application of eco-friendly labels, consumer education, and differentiation based on local uniqueness have proven relevant to boosting the position of OVOP products in Sidoarjo.

This systematic review investigates how sustainability campaigns influence consumer and market responses by integrating the Theory–Context–Characteristics–Methodology (TCCM) framework with keyword co-occurrence and temporal overlay analyses. Following PRISMA, 94 peer-reviewed studies from Scopus and Web of Science were synthesized. Behavioral theories, notably the Theory of Planned Behavior, remain dominant yet context-dependent, with predictive validity conditioned by credibility cues and relational dynamics captured by social-psychological and marketing perspectives. Research is concentrated in China and the United States, and campaign formats include corporate environmental initiatives, corporate social responsibility programs, green advertising, and digital engagement. Environmental concern and responsibility reliably predict intention, while price sensitivity, trust, and perceived authenticity govern behavior and help explain the intention–behavior gap; post-purchase outcomes such as loyalty and continued use remain underexplored. Quantitative, cross-sectional designs dominate, while longitudinal and configurational approaches are rare. The review develops a campaign-centered synthesis that clarifies how credibility, reciprocity, and digital affordances transform consumer intention into sustained engagement, advancing five agendas: theoretical integration, broader contextual diversity, deeper behavioral scope, stronger methodological rigor, and standardized sustainability terminology. Practically, the findings highlight the importance of credible disclosure, culturally adaptive narratives, and continuous, digitally supported engagement for fostering enduring behavioral change.

Advertising green products on brands’ official social media accounts or mega-influencer accounts?