Greenwash, show your true colours: how verbal and visual messages influence consumers' perception?. (3rd February 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Basso, Kenny; Pauli, Jandir; Cerutti, Priscila; Perin, Marcia; Corte, Vitor Francisco Dalla; Moro, Leila Dal
• Is Part Of: International journal of environment and sustainable development. Volume 22:Number 2(2023)
• Page Start: 210
• Page End: 225
• Publication Date: 2023-02-03
• Subjects: cleaner production -- consumers -- environment -- greenwash -- perceptions -- sustainability; Natural resources -- Management -- Periodicals; Sustainable development -- Periodicals; 333.71505
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1474-6778

Abstract

There is a gap between information on green products or cleaner production presented by the companies using verbal and visual messages and the consumer's perception. In this respect, the current research aims to verify how verbal and visual messages differently influence consumers perceptions of greenwash in an advertisement. A single factor experiment was designed. The results indicate that people exposed to the text format presented a lower elaboration (M = 3.75) than the subjects exposed to the image format (M = 4.91). The communication through an image created a more suspicious and negative word of mouth about the text format. In this way, an image may require a level of cognitive effort that can harm the greenwash perception.