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This study aims to develop a comprehensive conceptual framework to investigate how green brand positioning strategies positively impact consumer response. It focusses on uncovering the causal mechanism in which such effect is mediated by brand stereotypes. Additionally, it outlines the moderating role of construal level in this formation process.

Three experimental studies were conducted to examine the hypotheses. Study 1 tests the positive influence of green brand positioning on consumer response. Study 2 tests the dual mediating effect of warmth and competence in the relationship between green brand positioning and consumer response. Study 3 further examines the moderating role of construal level in the effects of green brand positioning on brand stereotypes.

The findings reveal that green emotional positioning strategies are predominantly stereotyped as warm while green functional positioning strategies are predominantly stereotyped as competent. Both warm and competent mediate the effects of green brand positioning on consumer response. Furthermore, a congruency between green emotional positioning and high-level construal, as well as the match between green functional positioning and low-level construal, leads to more warmth and competence perception.

This study contributes to green brand management literature by proposing a brand stereotype-based mechanism to explain how green brand positioning strategies trigger consumers’ stereotyping process, leading to positive consumer response. This study also identifies the construal level as a moderating variable that impacts consumers’ warmth and competence perceptions towards two kinds of green brand positioning strategies. Managerially, the findings of this study provide managerial ideas for developing green branding strategies.

Proposes a set of strategic options for green brand positioning, based either on functional brand attributes or on emotional benefits. The aim of the study is to test the suggested green positioning strategies against one another, assessing their effect on perceived brand positioning and brand attitude.

A theoretical model of the dimensionality and attitudinal effects of green brand positioning was developed. Both suggested alternatives to green brand positioning, along with a combined functional and emotional strategy, were tested in an experimental online setting. The hypothesized model was tested in the scope of exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling.

Results indicate an overall positive influence of green brand positioning on brand attitude. Further findings suggest distinct functional and emotional dimensions of green brand positioning with the interaction of both dimensions in the formation of brand attitude. Highest perceptual effects were achieved through a green positioning strategy that combined functional attributes with emotional benefits.

The measures used, while providing good reliability and validity, have their limitations, especially in the case of the emotional dimension of green brand associations. Future research should concentrate on the further development of the constructs used in the study, particularly that of the emotional dimension of green brand associations and replicate the study under “real‐life” conditions within different product categories and with a representative sample.

A well implemented green positioning strategy can lead to a more favourable perception of the brand, giving support to the green marketing approach in general. This study supports significant attitude effects of both functional and emotional green positioning strategies. Thus, brand managers should deliver emotional benefits through the brand, at the same time making sure that target groups perceive real environmental benefits.

Although green marketing has been an important research topic for more than three decades, hardly any research has been conducted that focuses specifically on green branding. This paper analyses the dimensionality of green brand positioning, offers green branding insight and suggests strategic tools for brand managers.

The purpose of this paper is to offer a perspective of brand-based analysis on green brand positioning differentiation through a network analysis approach.

This study employs centrality and distinctiveness as bases to develop a matrix framework of green brand positioning differentiation. The two dimensions are measured from the techniques of network analysis, including analysis of the core-periphery structure and adjacency matrix.

The results yield four clusters with different positions in a 2×2 matrix, including 23 core brands with high-positioning distinctiveness, ten core brands with low-positioning distinctiveness, ten peripheral brands with high-positioning distinctiveness, and seven peripheral brands with low-positioning distinctiveness.

The results contribute to providing brand researchers with different analytical perspectives on the existing knowledge about green brand positioning and offer strategic positioning information for green brand practitioners.

This research contributes to the literature in three ways. First, this research is a first attempt to offer a brand-based perspective on differentiation of green brand positioning. Second, this research advances the existing knowledge that uses network analysis on green brand positioning by offering different techniques for brand differentiation analysis. Finally, this research complements the strategic positioning information of the current business environment in the context of green branding.

The purpose of this paper is threefold: to assess the impact of green brand positioning, consumers’ attitude toward green brands, and green brand knowledge on green product purchase intention; to investigate the influence of green brand knowledge on consumers’ attitude toward green brands; and to examine the moderating effect of green brand knowledge on the relationship between green brand positioning and green product purchase intention.

A questionnaire was utilized to gather the data (n=300) for this study. The purposive sampling technique was used, involving respondents who practice a green lifestyle and have had green product purchasing experience. The partial least squares (PLS) method, which is a variance-based technique for the analysis of structural equation modeling, was used to analyze the data, with the assistance of the SmartPLS computer program version 2.0.

Based on the standardized path coefficients of the structural model from the PLS results, green brand knowledge was found to be the most significant determinant of green product purchase intention. Knowledge of green brands has caused consumers to develop positive green marketing awareness and has bolstered their interest in fortifying the environment whilst preventing its degradation. Furthermore, green brand knowledge also impacted consumers’ attitude toward green brands. However, this factor was an insignificant moderator of the impact between green brand positioning and green product purchase intention.

Green brand positioning can be used by firms and businesses to better market their products and improve consumers’ green brand knowledge and attitude toward green brands, as well as increase green brand purchase intentions. Successful green brand positioning is seen as an advantage for marketers that can be used to differentiate their products from the available competitors, giving the impression that their products are distinguishable, and thus creating more demand and generating increased intention to purchase more green products.

The empirical results of this study address the gap in the prevailing body of literature in reference to the impact of green brand positioning and consumer attitude toward green brands, as well as the effect of green brand knowledge on green product purchase intention. This study found that green brand knowledge does not moderate the relationship between green brand positioning and green product purchase intention, thus providing insight into this subject matter, which has not been clearly examined in previous studies.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how green brand positioning facilitated by utilitarian environmental benefits and nature connectedness may influence green brand image, as mediated by green perceived value (GPV) and brand innovativeness and how brand type moderates these relationships.

Data were collected using an online survey method, and structural equation modeling was employed to test the research hypotheses with a sample of 826 Chinese respondents.

The results demonstrate that utilitarian environmental benefits directly enhance green brand image. Both utilitarian environmental benefits and nature connectedness indirectly influence green brand image through GPV and brand innovativeness. Subsequently, green brand innovativeness positively affects GPV. The moderating effects of brand type on the relationships in the model are also established.

Organisations should enhance green value and brand innovativeness when adopting green brand positioning tools to strengthen green brand image and implement diverse green branding strategies between brands of physical goods and services.

Although previous studies have investigated how perceived benefits affect the development of brand image, the issue has not been examined based on the human associative memory framework from a green branding perspective. No empirical study has simultaneously included both green brand innovativeness and GPV in this formation process. Additionally, the moderating role of brand type in the model has not been explored previously.

Drawing on the service-dominant logic and taking a multi-stakeholder brand value co-creation perspective, this paper aims to investigate whether positioning a place brand around sustainability helps or hinders stakeholders’ ability to co-create value for themselves and the brand.

This paper is based on a case study of Bristol’s city branding following its award of European Green Capital, drawing on 29 in-depth interviews with key informants from multiple stakeholder groups. These interviews are supported by secondary material and field observations.

The findings evidence a “tale of two cities”. When sustainability is used as a positioning device, tensions are identified across three elements of brand co-creation: brand meanings; extraordinary versus mundane brand performances; and empowerment and disempowerment in branding governance. These tensions create stakeholder experiences of both engagement and estrangement.

This paper is based on one case study and evaluates face-to-face stakeholder interactions. Future research could access further stakeholders, across multiple cities and also examine their digital engagement.

Positioning a brand as sustainable (i.e. green) requires strong commitment to other ethical principles in practice. Brand practitioners and marketers may benefit from advancing stakeholders’ everyday brand performances to reduce disillusionment.

Rallying around virtuous associations, i.e. sustainability, does not in itself facilitate the generation of value for stakeholders and the brand, but instead can illuminate power imbalances and tensions in stakeholder interactions that result in a co-destruction of value.

The purpose of this paper is to extend the concept of green brands to destinations and to examine the application and limitations of green destination brands for nations adopting this positioning strategy.

The paper identifies characteristics of green destination brands, drawing on established concepts in corporate branding, destination branding and green marketing. The paper demonstrates the application and limitations of the concept through an in‐depth case study analysis of New Zealand's destination brand to explain the possibilities and problems of building green destination brands at a national level.

The findings suggest that a holistic, strategic approach to building a green destination brand which emphasizes and qualifies the green essence of a nation's brand is required to avoid the pitfalls, cynicism and criticisms of greenwashing.

The research findings are embedded in the context studied – New Zealand's destination brand. Additional case studies at multiple levels – nations, regions, cities – would offer a rich database to gain a better understanding of the concept and the implications of green destination branding.

Barriers to executing a credible green destination brand position are identified and the implications for destination marketing organizations and their stakeholders are discussed.

A conceptualization of green destination brands is provided and the application and limitations of the concept are demonstrated through an in‐depth case study of a nation that has adopted this positioning strategy. Rather than taking a snapshot research approach, a historical perspective enabled the development of the destination's brand positioning strategy to be captured.

The purpose of this paper is to build a comprehensive model and examine the relationship among green brand positioning (GBP), green brand knowledge (GBK), attitude toward green brand (AGB), and green purchase intention (GPI).

A questionnaire survey was deployed to collect data from the members of Taiwan's Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) Club, obtaining 425 valid samples which were analyzed with structural equation modeling.

GBP and GBK influence green brand attitudes separately. GBK affects green brand attitudes. Meanwhile, green brand attitudes influence GPIs. Another finding indicates that the mediating effects exist.

By applying the environmental knowledge-attitude-intention paradigm to green brand research, it was empirically supported the existence of a GBK-attitude-intention hierarchy in the context of GPIs.

GBP can be used as brand marketing strategy to improve consumers’ GBK and form positive green brand attitudes as well as enhance GPIs.

Proposing two novel concepts, i.e. GBK and green brand attitude to develop and test the framework of this study.

This paper aims to analyze the impacts of distinct advertising appeals on brand attitudes and purchase intentions toward green brands across two different product categories (technology-intensive and technology non-intensive) among the young adult consumers.

On the basis of focus group discussion, recyclable shopping bags (technology non-intensive) and hybrid cars (technology intensive) were identified as two product categories for the final study. A total of eight advertisement copies were developed (three in each product class + two control group ads) and distributed across 240 young consumers. A 4 (three advertising appeals + one control group) × 2 (product classes) between group experimental design was used to test the hypotheses formulated.

The study findings show that all the three advertisement appeals significantly influence attitudes and purchase intentions toward green brands across both the product categories. However, it was also found that functional appeal generated significantly lower mean scores for brand attitude and purchase intention for recyclable shopping bags compared to hybrid cars, whereas emotional appeal generated significantly lower mean scores for brand attitude, as well as purchase intention for hybrid cars compared to bags. This implies that functional green ad appeal would be more effective for technology-intensive products and emotional green ad appeal would be more effective for technology non-intensive products. Self-expressive green ad appeal was found to be equally effective in impacting brand attitudes and purchase intentions across both product categories.

The value of this research lies in investigating how the effects of distinct green brand advertising appeals on brand attitude and purchase intention can vary across technology-intensive and technology non-intensive products.

Environmental sanctions and pressure from governments and customers can play an essential role in driving the manufacturing industry to adopt more sustainable practices and reduce their environmental impact. Thus, this study explores how pressures from customers and governments influence sustainable firm performance and customer satisfaction through green production, green creativity, green brand innovativeness and green brand image in the Chinese manufacturing industry? Further, the moderating role of green knowledge was analyzed.

640 valid responses from the Chinese manufacturing industry were collected through web-based and physical surveys and later assessed through structural equation modeling.

The findings of this study validated the direct relationship between the proposed construct. Mediation analysis found the mediating role of green brand innovativeness, green brand image green and customer satisfaction. Furthermore, the moderating impact of green knowledge was also proved.

The empirical findings of this research filled the literature gap on cleaner production and sustainable firm performance by focusing on green production, green creativity and green knowledge in the Chinese manufacturing industry context.