Enhancing Brand Awareness for Sustainable Choices

Abstract

The objective of this research is to propose a brand management model guiding consumer choice toward sustainable options. The model assumes varying consumer awareness levels regarding product and service sustainability. Likewise, products and services are perceived to possess differing degrees of sustainability. Therefore, brands should focus on communicating their sustainability aspects to target consumers at the same awareness level. The model aims to create momentum by progressively conveying more information about product and service sustainability, leading to increased consumer awareness or at least improved consumer knowledge. Independent variables included brand image and price, while the dependent variable was participants’ purchase intentions. To test the model, field research consisting of a quasi-experiment involving 402 consumers has been conducted. Brand-level analysis of the results demonstrated that more sustainable brands gained preference among the participants after receiving information about the sustainability aspects. However, this gained preference was partially diminished when participants became aware of the product’s prices.