Effects of Green Appeals and Message Framing on Green Consumption

Abstract

There are two types of appeals in green ads: those that emphasize self-focused reasons and those that emphasize other-focused reasons. This research investigates the effect of green appeals and message framing in green ads on the purchase intention of green products. Results indicate that for social-benefit green products from which consumers experience heightened public accountability for environment, consumers respond better to positively framed ads. For self-benefit green products, negatively framed ads can lead to greater purchase intention. Findings contribute to existing research on consumers’ green consumption decision making and provide evidence for the matching effect of message framing and green appeals.