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Cited by 364Environmental Sustainability in BusinessConsumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and IdentificationConsumer Perception and Purchasing Behavior

Can evoking nature in advertising mislead consumers? The power of ‘executional greenwashing'

Parguel, Béatrice, Benoit-Moreau, Florence, Russell, Cristel Antonia·2015·International Journal of Advertising
DOI 10.1080/02650487.2014.996116
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Abstract

This paper examines the ‘executional greenwashing’ effect, defined as the use of nature-evoking elements in advertisements to artificially enhance a brand's ecological image. Using classic models of information processing and persuasion, the research tests whether ‘executional greenwashing’ differs as a function of consumer knowledge about environmental issues in the product category and whether environmental performance information can counterbalance the effect by helping consumers form an accurate evaluation of the brand's ecological image. Three experiments with French consumers reveal that evoking nature does mislead consumers in their evaluation of a brand's ecological image, especially if they have low knowledge of environmental issues. Two indicators of environmental performance, based on current international policies, are tested to counteract ‘executional greenwashing’. Whereas a raw figure is not sufficient to help non-expert consumers revise their judgment, accompanying the figure with a traffic-light label eliminates ‘executional greenwashing’ amongst both experts and non-experts. Theoretical and regulatory implications are discussed.

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Crossref · 10.1080/02650487.2014.996116

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92 of 92 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Images of pleasant natural scenery can be misused in green advertising to induce false perceptions of a brand's greenness without referring to the actual environmental features of advertised products, known as executional greenwashing.

    “However, images of pleasant natural scenery can also be misused in green advertising to induce false perceptions of a brand's greenness without referring to the actual environmental features of advertised products in what is known as executional greenwashing (Parguel, Benoit-Moreau, and Russell 2015, p. 108).”

    From Misleading Consumers with Green Advertising? An Affect–Reason–Involvement Account of Greenwashing Effects in Environmental Advertising (2018) · cites this paper as Parguel, Benoit-Moreau, and Russell 2015

  • The mere presence of a nature-evoking picture in advertising positively affects consumers' perceptions of the advertised brand's ecological image, which in turn prompts more favorable attitudes toward the brand than attitudes prompted by the same advertising without imagery of nature.

    “Recent research indicates that the mere presence of a nature-evoking picture in advertising positively affects consumers' perceptions of the advertised brand's ecological image, which in turn prompts more favorable attitudes toward the brand than attitudes prompted by the same advertising without imagery of nature (Parguel, Benoit-Moreau, and Russell 2015).”

    From Misleading Consumers with Green Advertising? An Affect–Reason–Involvement Account of Greenwashing Effects in Environmental Advertising (2018) · cites this paper as Parguel, Benoit-Moreau, and Russell 2015

  • Objective knowledge about environmental issues is an important indicator of consumers' environmental involvement.

    “Another important indicator of consumers' environmental involvement is their objective knowledge about environmental issues (Ellen 1994; Mohr, Ero glu, and Ellen 1998; Parguel, Benoit-Moreau, and Russell 2015).”

    From Misleading Consumers with Green Advertising? An Affect–Reason–Involvement Account of Greenwashing Effects in Environmental Advertising (2018) · cites this paper as Parguel, Benoit-Moreau, and Russell 2015

  • The findings clarify how attitudes toward ads and brands are formed in response to exposure to deceptive ads.

    “Thus, whereas previous research investigated only the primary effects of deceptive advertising on attitudes toward brands (e.g., Newell, Goldsmith, and Banzhaf 1998; Parguel, Benoit-Moreau, and Russell 2015), our findings clarify how attitudes toward ads and brands are formed in response to exposure to deceptive ads.”

    From Misleading Consumers with Green Advertising? An Affect–Reason–Involvement Account of Greenwashing Effects in Environmental Advertising (2018) · cites this paper as Parguel, Benoit-Moreau, and Russell 2015

  • The mere presence of a nature-evoking image enhanced a brand's ecological image among consumers.

    “One exception is a study by Parguel, Benoit-Moreau, and Russell (2015), the results of which indicate that the mere presence of a natureevoking image enhanced a brand's ecological image among consumers.”

    From Misleading Consumers with Green Advertising? An Affect–Reason–Involvement Account of Greenwashing Effects in Environmental Advertising (2018) · cites this paper as Parguel, Benoit-Moreau, and Russell (2015)

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Authors
Parguel, B., Benoit-Moreau, F., & Russell, C. A.
Affiliations
  • Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
  • , ,
  • American University (US)
Corresponding author
Parguel, Béatrice
ORCID
Venue
International Journal of Advertising
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2015-01
Volume
34
Issue
1
Pages
107-134
ISSN
  • 0265-0487 (ISSN-L)
  • 1759-3948
DOI
10.1080/02650487.2014.996116
OpenAlex
W1535652297
Cited by
364
References
93
Citations by year
2026: 61 · 2025: 61 · 2024: 68 · 2023: 55 · 2022: 31 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 1
FWCI
21.53
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • International Journal of Advertising (publishedVersion)
  • HAL (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Environmental Sustainability in Business
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Consumer Perception and Purchasing Behavior
Keywords
greenwashing, consumer deception, environmental knowledge, traffic light labels, persuasion

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