“Go green, breathe clean.”
“If you cannot reuse, refuse.”
“Better environment, better tomorrow.”
These slogans may rhyme (sometimes), but do they stick with you?
That might depend on your culture.
As climate and the environment become an increasingly hot topic (no pun intended), green product advertisers face the challenge of both pushing consumers toward sustainable products and retaining public interest.
In a world focusing more and more on sustainable consumption and production, driving change in consumers’ unsustainable habits is paramount.
But for advertisers, a greener future is not yet clear.
Essential to clarifying it are the cultural underpinnings that shape consumers’ motives for buying and consumption.
That’s where cultural research comes in.
This study dissects the role of cultural value orientation in environmental behavior, particularly in consumer preferences for green products.
Horizontal Individualism vs. Vertical Collectivism & Green Motivation
The primary goal of this study was to unravel the influence of horizontal individualism and vertical collectivism on consumers’ attitudes toward green products and their purchase intentions.
The study also aimed to dissect the role of environmental responsibility as a mediator in the relationship between these cultural values and consumers’ green product attitudes.
Collecting data from two distinct cultures that represent both extremes – Pakistan (vertical collectivism) and Finland (horizontal individualism) – the study found that environmental responsibility connected positively with cultural values in both countries, showing a shared commitment to environmental protection.
And, in fact, environmental responsibility didn’t just play a supporting role; it was a full mediator in the relationship between cultural values and consumers’ attitudes towards green products.
Consumers Believe in Their Role
Findings showed that consumers in both cultures believe they’re responsible for taking an active role in issues related to environmental protection, ultimately shaping positive attitudes towards green products.
The results encourage a shift in focus, with a recognition that HI and VC consumers harbor a unique sense of environmental responsibility that guides their choices.
For the VC-Pakistan culture, embracing eco-consciousness can serve as a status symbol, appealing to their desire to display social status and fulfill in-group and family obligations.
Marketers should weave these themes into their advertising messages to promote the purchase and consumption of green products.
In contrast, HI-Finland consumers seek uniqueness and self-reliance in their surroundings.
Therefore, marketers targeting this group should craft messages that emphasize these merits, showcasing how green products can make them stand out and express self-reliance in environmental protection.
In order to advance their agenda, multinational companies should apply these findings, adapting their green marketing and advertising strategies to resonate with the prevailing cultural values in each country.
The larger implication is clear: to foster a greener future, green marketing and advertising should not merely rely on economic and status benefits but should also convey the importance of environmentally responsible consumption.
Cause-related, socially responsible, environmentally friendly, and mindful consumption messages can ignite the demand for green products.