Three-Pillar Sustainability and Brand Image: A Qualitative Investigation in Thailand’s Household Durables Industry

Abstract

Many companies nowadays implement sustainable practices internally, and build brand images that communicate sustainability. However, there are different degrees of ‘sustainability’. This study examines the extent to which full three-pillar sustainability (environmental, social, economic) translates into a sustainable brand image among consumers in Thailand. Nine major companies producing household durables were scored based on their website information, using the Dow Jones Sustainability Index to identify those having high-, mid-, and low-level sustainability implementation. In-depth interviews were conducted with three managers in one company at each level, and three consumers who mainly buy household durables from each company were also interviewed. Manager interviews confirmed that the level of sustainability implementation evident on the website is fairly accurate. Consumers roughly translate this into brand image reflecting the degree of the company’s sustainability, but the mapping is not exact. Stronger communications about the company’s sustainability seem able to improve consumer perceptions somewhat. Consumers are quite aware of three-pillar sustainability, but often do not explicitly consider all three pillars in their product decisions. However, the long-term trend seems to be toward merging the separate market segments into a comprehensive, three-pillar sustainability-oriented segment.