Green consumption and message framing
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While research on green consumption has typically investigated how people choose green over non-green products, this thesis investigates consumers’ attitudes toward green product messages focusing on the environmental vs. utilitarian value of the product. The author argues that environmental (vs. utilitarian) appeals are more effective for consumers from socioeconomically defined lower classes because moral implications associated with environmental appeals provide a better opportunity for socioeconomically lower-class consumers to perceive their difference in terms of morality. Meanwhile, green product messages that focus on the utilitarian (vs. environmental) value of products may elicit stronger purchase intention for consumers who have higher (vs. lower) skepticism toward brands’ environmental claims.