How Downplaying Product Greenness Affects Performance Evaluations: Examining the Effects of Implicit and Explicit Green Signals in Advertising

Despite frequent reports that they favor products with environmental benefits, consumers often purchase conventional alternatives. One reason for this is the performance liability associated with green products, in which consumers perceive them as being less effective. This research examines the concept of “green understatement” (i.e., communication of implicit green signals) compared with “green emphasis” (i.e., communication of explicit green signals) in green product advertising as a strategy to enhance performance evaluations. We test whether, why, and when an implicit (versus explicit) advertising strategy leads to higher performance evaluation for green products. We suggest and show that implicit green signals are more effective in conditions under which consumers have more concerns about the product’s performance or have lower expectations about its greenness. More specifically, the results of two experimental studies show that implicit (versus explicit) communication about greenness leads to higher performance evaluations for products that are less commonly green (Study 1) and for products that have an optional green mode (Study 2). The findings aid in the understanding of how a green product advertising strategy may influence performance evaluations and provide managerial implications for green product promotion

Examining how companies’ support of tourist attractions affects visiting intentions: The mediating role of perceived authenticity

As public funding for the restoration of tourist attractions decreases, assistance is often sought from the private sector in the form of corporate social responsibility (CSR). However, research has yet to understand how such CSR activities impact the beneficiary, namely tourist attractions. Thus, extending past CSR literature, we explore whether differing company CSR motivations can influence a tourists’ visiting intentions. The results of two experimental studies show low company altruism (e.g., demanding to acquire naming rights of the site), compared to high company altruism (e.g., demanding nothing in return), decreases visiting intentions. Furthermore, we show that perceived authenticity of the site mediates this effect. Finally, we find the negative effect of low altruistic CSR is mitigated in the case of no heritage. Based on the results, we show tourist attraction managers should be wary of companies displaying nonaltruistic intentions, as such activity may have harmful consequences

Overcoming the Performance Liability of Environmentally Friendly Products: An Examination of Subtle Signals and Green Attribute Optionality.

With the ever-growing threat posed by climate change in the minds of the world’s population, consumers are being asked to alter their consumption behavior, in the hope that such a change may help address current and future climate challenges. Thus, conventional wisdom would suggest that firms should develop and promote a product based on its environmental credentials. In doing so, consumers are likely to feel as though they are making a positive impact on the environment. However, despite the importance of environmental consumption, green products are often viewed as orthogonal with product performance. Given the importance placed on a product’s performance ability, firms seeking to promote green products may find that their previously assumed asset has become a liability. In the present thesis, we aim to explore two unique strategies in which a firm can enhance a green product’s perceived performance ability. The first is that of green product communication strategy. While firms may desire a communication strategy whereby the product environmental attribute is the focal component, we posit that such an approach maybe have negative consequences. Therefore, we develop and test the concept of green understatement. In this strategy, a firm employs subtle (vs. explicit) environmental attribute signals to communicate a green product’s environmental aspect. The results of three experiments show that a green understatement communication strategy leads to higher performance evaluations. Moreover, we introduce several boundary conditions, whereby this effect becomes stronger in situations of higher performance criticality (Experiment 1) and far social distance (Experiment 2) but is mitigated when the environmental attribute becomes optional (Experiment 3). Furthermore, we examine the mediating mechanism of autonomous motivation, whereby a green understatement communication strategy positively impacts on a consumers’ sense of autonomy, thus enhancing performance evaluations. The second strategy that we explore is the role of green attribute optionality, whereby the green attribute becomes optional via two distinct default policies (i.e. opt-in and opt-out). Thus, although the green attribute is present and may enhance the products’ environmental characteristics, it is not required for it to function. The findings of three experiments demonstrate that the opt-in green attribute optionality strategy increases performance evaluations compared to the non-optional and opt-out strategies (Experiment 4). Moreover, we find that this effect is negated when an individual possesses an analytical, as compared to a holistic, mindset (Experiment 5). Finally, we show that green product typicality mediates the relationship between green attribute optionality and performance evaluations (Experiment 6). Specifically, when the product is seen as typical to the green product category, performance evaluations erode. Our findings help advance our theoretical understanding of the role of green product communications and attribute optionality. Moreover, we provide managerial insights into the promotion and the production of green products to alleviate the sustainability liability