Consumer attitudes towards green marketing messages: Environmental versus personal benefits

This study examined whether consumers’ purchase intentions were influenced by the type of green marketing communications message they were exposed to, and whether this effect was moderated by their level of green attitude. A sample of university students (N=171) were shown an ad stimulus promoting a neutral benefit, a personal benefit or a generic environmental benefit to environmental purchase behaviour. Participants’ purchase intention was measured along with their level of green attitude. Results showed that the level of environmental affect felt by participants moderated the effect of the ad stimuli. The findings demonstrate that purchase intention for green products is affected by consumers’ affect towards the environment; marketers of green products could therefore appeal to the emotionality of consumers.