The influence of unfamiliar ingredients on the greenness evaluation of environmentally friendly products
Journal of Product & Brand Management
ISSN: 1061-0421
Article publication date: 25 June 2024
Issue publication date: 9 August 2024
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to assist brand and product managers in selecting appropriate ingredient names for environmentally friendly products. It investigates the effects of unfamiliar ingredients on consumers’ evaluations of environmental friendliness and their purchase intentions, based on the cue consistency theory.
Design/methodology/approach
Five experimental studies (n = 968) were conducted to achieve the research objectives. Study 1 found that consumers tended to avoid choosing unfamiliar ingredients. Study 2 examined the impact of ingredient familiarity on consumers’ perceived greenness. Study 3 investigated the mediating role of perceived naturalness. Studies 4 and 5, respectively, explored the moderating effects of emphasizing the importance of technology in environmental conservation and product category.
Findings
The findings indicate that when environmentally friendly products are labeled with unfamiliar ingredients (vs. familiar), consumers’ perceived greenness and purchase intentions decrease. This effect is mediated by perceived naturalness. Moreover, the negative impact of unfamiliar ingredients is mitigated by emphasizing the importance of technology and the high-tech product category.
Originality/value
This paper reveals the unique role of unfamiliar ingredients in shaping consumer attitudes toward environmentally friendly products. Based on cue consistency theory, it uncovers how unfamiliar ingredients influence the perceived greenness of environmentally friendly products through perceived naturalness. Furthermore, the paper demonstrates the impact of emphasizing the importance of technology (emphasis vs. control) and product category (high-tech vs. low-tech) on consumer attitudes and behaviors toward environmentally friendly products.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors of this work would like to thank the editors who provided comments.
This research is supported by the Major Program of the National Social Science Fund of China (Grant Number: 19ZDA362).
Author contributions: Qingyi Li, Hong Zhu, Yayu Zhou, Zhijun Li and Chunqu Xiao were responsible for this research’s idea and first draft. Qingyi Li was responsible for data collection and analysis.
Disclosure statement: This work has no competing financial, professional or personal interests from other parties.
Citation
Li, Q., Zhu, H., Zhou, Y., Li, Z. and Xiao, C. (2024), "The influence of unfamiliar ingredients on the greenness evaluation of environmentally friendly products", Journal of Product & Brand Management, Vol. 33 No. 6, pp. 684-701. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-09-2023-4741
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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