Green information quality and green brand evaluation: the moderating effects of eco-label credibility and consumer knowledge

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to examine the effects of three green information quality dimensions – persuasiveness, completeness and credibility – on green brand evaluation and whether this is mediated by green brand credibility. It also examines the moderating effects of eco-label credibility and consumer knowledge on green information quality dimensions and green brand credibility relationships. Design/methodology/approach Using a structured questionnaire on environmentally-friendly electrical goods/electronics, cosmetic and apparel product advertisements, involving an elaboration task, this study collected usable data from 1,282 Indian consumers across 50 cities. It also undertook an assessment for three different product groups using structural equation modelling to examine proposed hypotheses and assessed moderated mediation using the Hays process model. Findings The study indicates that: green brand credibility mediates the effects of green information quality dimensions on green brand evaluation; consumer knowledge moderates the effects of persuasiveness and completeness on green brand credibility and eco-label credibility moderates the effects of persuasiveness and credibility on green brand credibility. Research limitations/implications In green information processing, this study supports the relevance of the elaboration likelihood model and the mediation effect of green brand credibility. It also presents evidence that credible eco-labels enhance green information processing. While the results are broadly consistent across the three product categories, the results may only generalizable to the environmentally-aware urban populations. Practical implications Help brand managers to design advertisements that add brand credibility in environmentally-aware urban markets. Originality/value It helps to define green information quality and the interacting effects of eco-label credibility and consumer knowledge in green information processing.

Towards green product consumption: Effect of green marketing stimuli and perceived environmental knowledge in Indian consumer market

“…From the viewpoint of green marketing instruments, such a phenomenon, however, was marginally studied in India as against other Asian and emerging nations underpinned by the measures such as environmental labels, environmental brands, environmental advertisements, eco-trust (Chin et al, 2018;Chen et al, 2020;Kumar et al, 2021). Therefore, the present study postulates a conceptual model and examined based on "self-beliefsbehaviour" relationship, incorporating consumers' perception towards the three green marketing tools namely, eco-label, eco-brand, advertisements along with the cognitive measure of perceived environmental knowledge to predict the phenomenon of green purchasing behaviour in the backdrop of the Indian market.…”

“…Prior literature studied how environmental advertisements carve out consumers' favourable perception and trust towards ads' claims (Banerjee et al, 1995;Chang, 2011;Tucker et al, 2012) and how such perceptions affect their buying decision of green brands and eco-label (Kumar et al, 2021). Concerning this, scholars (Chang, 2011;Kumar et al, 2021;Tucker et al, 2012) found that environmental advertisement enhances consumers' green cognizance and persuasiveness towards green brands and labels, which further influence their purchase decision-making for sustainable product consumption.…”

“…It is also important to note that Indian consumers are increasingly becoming concerned and aware of the ecological concerns and the advantages of sustainable consumption (Jaiswal and Singh, 2018;Khare and Kautish, 2021;Yadav and Pathak, 2016). However, green consumption patterns were found to be disparate in developing nations such as India and China on account of consumers' cognitive perception towards sustainable behaviour in their diverse cultural settings (Kumar et al, 2021;Jaiswal et al, 2021b;Sreen et al, 2020). Therefore, any dilemmas and concerns in green values and ecological certifications would discourage individuals towards their pro-environmental behaviours (Taufique et al, 2017).…”

“…To promote green products aimed to encourage a green lifestyle in developing nations (Pham et al, 2018;Chen et al, 2020). Moreover, scholars have also revealed that the novel construct of eco-branding has been scantly reported and has garnered limited emphasis in the backdrop of emerging consumer markets like India (Kumar et al, 2021;Rahbar and Abdul Wahid, 2011;Mohd Suki, 2016). On the other hand, there is no explicit policy that promotes manufacturing or use of green products at a strategic level in the Indian market, while the country is counted as one of the first few nations to initiate indigenous eco-labelling scheme of "Ecomark" which aims to promote green products in the state (Green Purchasing Network of India, 2014; Jaiswal et al, 2021a;Thomsen and McAloone, 2015).…”

“…Based on the extant literature, the operationalization of marketing stimuli approach of green buying decision has remained scant in an emerging market like India underpinned by the measures of green marketing stimuli (tools) such as eco-label, eco-brand and environmental advertisements (Kumar et al, 2021;Jaiswal et al, 2021a;Muralidharan, et al, 2017;Thomsen and McAloone, 2015). To fill this crucial research gap, the research questions are outlined as How does consumers' perception of green marketing stimuli affect their green purchasing behaviour?…”