Abstract
The concept of green brand equity has recently been introduced to business research. Chen (J Bus Ethics 93:307–319, 2010) found green brand equity to be positively influenced by green brand image via green satisfaction and green trust as parallel mediators in an Asian electronic product customer sample. Our research aims at replicating and extending these findings. Based on a German sample (N = 358), we replicate this mediation model in a different cultural context (a Western culture), extend it to service brands, and show that the model is valid for female as well as male consumers. Furthermore, we extend the original model by providing first empirical evidence for the relevance of green brand equity as a predictor of key economic indicators of consumer response (i.e., brand attitude, positive word-of-mouth communication). Finally, we discuss the implications of green brand equity for management as one determinant of a company’s success in a highly competitive business world.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
As both constructs, brand attitude and green brand equity, are evaluative constructs concerning the same entity, that is, the brand, we used confirmatory factor analysis models to examine whether they really capture different aspects. We compared a two-factor model, with the two factors brand attitude and green brand image, to a one-factor model with just one overall evaluative factor. Analyses showed that the two-factor model fitted the data very well, χ2(19, N = 358) = 25.11, p < .157, χ2/df = 1.31, CFI = 1.00, RMSEA = .03, 90 %CIRMSEA = [.00; .06], SRMR = .03, AIC = 59.11, and substantially better than the one-factor model, χ2(20, N = 358) = 533.93, p < .001, χ2/df = 26.70, CFI = .67, RMSEA = .27, 90 %CIRMSEA = [.25; .29], SRMR = .16, AIC = 565.93. A χ2-difference test indicated a significantly worse fit of the latter model, χ2diff (1) = 508.82, p < .001. These analyses confirm that brand attitude and green brand equity are not the same concept and should be treated as separate constructs.
Including sex, age, student status (yes/no), people per household, and brand category as covariates into the analyses did not change the pattern of results obtained: (non)significant effects remained (non-)significant and significant effects remained significant. Thus, our findings did not depend on the presence or absence of covariates (Simmons et al. 2011).
As our analyses are based on cross-sectional data sharing common method the obtained relations might at least to some extent be a result of common method variance, rather than of associations between the underlying constructs themselves (see for review: Podsakoff et al. 2003). Therefore, within each of the reported mediation analyses this study tested each path (i.e., from predictor to criterion, from predictor to mediator, from mediator to criterion) by using the correlational marker technique (see Richardson et al. 2009) developed by Lindell and Whitney (2001) and recommended by Grant and Campbell (2007) as well as Sendjaya et al. (2008). We used the five dimensions of the BFI-10 (Rammstedt and John 2007) as marker variables which were partialed out from the tested relations. In no case was a regression weight substantially influenced in its size or significance (i.e., in no case did we observe that a previously significant association was no longer significant or vice versa), thus indicating that our mediation findings are relatively unlikely to be explained by methodological artifacts instead of actual associations between the observed constructs.
Abbreviations
- BA:
-
Brand attitude
- PWOM:
-
Positive word-of-mouth
- WOM:
-
Word-of-mouth
References
Aaker, D.A.: Managing Brand Equity: Capitalizing on the Value of a Brand Name. The Free Press, New York (1991)
Aaker, D.A.: The value of brand equity. J. Bus. strategy 13, 27–32 (1992)
Ajzen, I.: The theory of planned behavior. Organ. Behav. Hum. Decis. Process. 50, 179–211 (1991)
Alniacik, U., Alniacik, E., Genc, N.: How corporate social responsibility information influences stakeholders’ intentions. Corp. Soc. Responsib. Environ. Manag. 18, 234–245 (2011)
Arcury, T.A., Scollay, S.J., Johnson, T.P.: Sex differences in environmental concern and knowledge: the case of acid rain. Sex Roles 16, 463–472 (1987)
Babiak, K., Trendafilova, S.: CSR and environmental responsibility: motives and pressures to adopt green management practices. Corp. Soc. Responsib. Environ. Manag. 18, 11–24 (2011)
Babin, B.J., Lee, J.-K., Kim, E.-J., Griffin, M.: Modeling customer satisfaction and word-of-mouth: restaurant patronage in Korea. J. Serv. Mark. 19, 133–139 (2005)
Batra, R., Ray, M.L.: Affective responses mediating acceptance of advertising. J. Consum. Res. 13, 234–249 (1986)
Bloemer, J., de Ruyter, K., Peeters, P.: Investigating drivers of bank loyalty: the complex relationship between image, service quality and satisfaction. Int. J. Bank Mark. 16, 276–286 (1998)
Borin, N., Lindsey-Mullikin, J., Krishnan, R.: An analysis of consumer reactions to green strategies. J. Prod. Brand Manag. 22, 118–128 (2013)
Brown, J.J., Reingen, P.H.: Social ties and word-of-mouth referral behavior. J. Consum. Res. 14, 350–362 (1987)
Buil, I., Martínez, E., de Chernatony, L.: The influence of brand equity on consumer responses. J. Consum. Mark. 30, 62–74 (2013)
Chang, C.-H., Chen, Y.-S.: Managing green brand equity: the perspective of perceived risk theory. Qual. Quant. 48, 1753–1768 (2013)
Chen, Y.-S.: The driver of green innovation and green image—green core competence. J. Bus. Ethics 81, 531–543 (2008a)
Chen, Y.-S.: The positive effect of green intellectual capital on competitive advantages of firms. J. Bus. Ethics 77, 271–286 (2008b)
Chen, Y.-S.: The drivers of green brand equity: green brand image, green satisfaction and green trust. J. Bus. Ethics 93, 307–319 (2010)
Chen, Y.-S., Chang, C.-H.: Enhance environmental commitments and green intangible assets toward green competitive advantages: an analysis of structural equation modeling (SEM). Qual. Quant. 47, 529–543 (2013)
Chen, Y.-S., Lin, C.-L., Chang, C.-H.: The influence of greenwash on green word-of-mouth (green WOM): The mediation effects of green perceived quality and green satisfaction. Qual. Quant. 48, 1–15 (2013)
Chiou, J.-S.: The antecedents of consumers’ loyalty toward internet service providers. Inf. Manag. 41, 685–695 (2004)
Cobb-Walgren, C.J., Ruble, C.A., Donthu, N.: Brand equity, brand preference, and purchase intent. J. Advert. 24(3), 25–40 (1995)
Cui, G., Lui, H.-K., Chan, T.-S., Joy, A.: Consumers’ attitudes toward marketing: a cross-cultural study of China and Canada. J. Int. Consum. Mark. 20, 81–93 (2008)
Cui, G., Lui, H.-K., Chan, T.-S., Joy, A.: Decomposition of cross-country differences in consumer attitudes toward marketing. J. Consum. Mark. 29, 214–224 (2012)
Davidson, D., Freudenburg, W.: Gender and environmental risk concerns: a review and analysis of available research. Environ. Behav. 28, 302–339 (1996)
Delgado-Ballester, E., Munuera-Alemán, J.L.: Does brand trust matter to brand equity? J. Prod. Brand Manag. 14, 187–196 (2005)
Diamantopoulos, A., Schlegelmilch, B.B., Sinkovics, R.R., Bohlen, G.M.: Can socio-demographics still play a role in profiling green consumers? A review of the evidence and an empirical investigation. J. Bus. Res. 56, 465–480 (2003)
Dichter, E.: How word-of-mouth advertising works. Harvard Bus. Rev. 44(6), 147–166 (1966)
Eagly, A.H., Chaiken, S.: The psychology of attitudes. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College Publishers, Orlando (1993)
Godes, D., Mayzlin, D.: Using online conversations to study word-of-mouth communication. Mark. Sci. 23, 545–560 (2004)
Grant, A.M., Campbell, E.M.: Doing good, doing harm, being well and burning out: the interactions of perceived prosocial and antisocial impact in service work. J. Occup. Organ. Psychol. 80, 665–691 (2007)
Grohmann, B.: Gender dimensions of brand personality. J. Mark. Res. 14, 105–119 (2009)
Grove, S., Fisk, R.P., Pickett, G.M., Kangun, N.: Going green in the service sector: social responsibility issues, implications and implementation. Eur. J. Mark. 30, 56–66 (1996)
Haddock-Fraser, J., Fraser, I.: Assessing corporate environmental reporting motivations: differences between ‘close-to-market’ and ‘business-to-business’ companies. Corp. Soc. Responsib. Environ. Manag. 15, 140–155 (2008)
Halstead, D., Dröge, C.: Consumer attitudes toward complaining and the prediction of multiple complaint responses. Adv. Consum. Res. 18, 210–216 (1991)
Harrison-Walker, J.L.: The measurement of word-of-mouth communication and an investigation of service quality and customer commitment as potential antecedents. J. Servi. Res. 4, 60–75 (2001)
Hayes, A.F.: PROCESS: A versatile computational tool for observed variable moderation, mediation, and conditional process modeling [White paper]. Retrieved from http://www.afhayes.com/public/process2012.pdf (2012)
Herr, P.M., Kardes, F.R., Kim, J.: Effects of word-of-mouth and product-attribute information on persuasion: an accessibility-diagnosticity perspective. J. Consum. Res. 17, 454–462 (1991)
Hirsh, J.B.: Personality and environmental concern. J. Environ. Psychol. 30, 245–248 (2010)
Huang, C.W., Tai, A.: Different cultural values reflected in customer value perceptions of products: a comparative study of Chinese and American. J. Int. Mark. Mark. Res. 28, 37–56 (2003)
Huang, Y.-C., Yang, M., Wang, Y.-C.: Effects of green brand on green purchase intention. Mark. Intell. Plan. 32, 250–268 (2014)
Hunter, L.M., Hatch, A., Johnson, A.: Cross-national gender variation in environmental behaviors. Soc. Sci. Q. 85, 677–694 (2004)
Jeong, E., Jang, S.S., Day, J., Ha, S.: The impact of eco-friendly practices on green image and customer attitudes: an investigation in a café setting. Int. J. Hosp. Manag. 41, 10–20 (2014)
Kang, S., Hur, W.-M.: Investigating the antecedents of green brand equity: a sustainable development perspective. Corp. Soc. Responsib. Environ. Manag. 19, 306–316 (2011)
Keller, K.L.: Conceptualizing, measuring, and managing customer-based brand equity. J. Mark. 57, 1–22 (1993)
Keller, K.L., Lehmann, D.R.: Brands and branding: research findings and future priorities. Mark. Sci. 25, 740–759 (2006)
Kiecker, P., Cowles, D.: Interpersonal communication and personal influence on the Internet: a framework for examining online word-of-mouth. J. Euromarket. 11, 71–88 (2002)
Kinnear, T.C., Taylor, J.R., Ahmed, S.A.: Ecologically concerned consumers: who are they? J. Market. 38(2), 20–24 (1974)
Kozinets, R.V., de Valck, K., Wojnicki, A.C., Wilner, S.J.S.: Networked narratives: understanding word-of-mouth marketing in online communities. J. Mark. 74, 71–89 (2010)
Kumar, P.K., Anand, B.: A new consumer behavior model towards green products: scale development and validation. Asian J. Res. Soc. Sci. Hum. 4, 177–193 (2014)
Lindell, M.K., Whitney, D.J.: Accounting for common method variance in cross-sectional research designs. J. Appl. Psychol. 86, 114–121 (2001)
Lintukangas, K., Hallikas, J., & Kähkönen, A.-K. (in press). The role of green supply management in the development of sustainable supply chain. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management
Lowe, A.C., Corkindale, D.R.: Differences in ‘cultural values’ and their effects on responses to marketing stimuli: a cross-cultural study between Australians and Chinese from the People’s Republic of China. Eur. J. Mark. 32, 843–867 (1998)
Mattenklott, A.: Emotionale Werbung [Emotinal Advertising] (Wirtschaftspsychologie [Economic Psychology]). Springer, Heidelberg (2007)
Mclntosh, A.: The impact of environmental issues on marketing and politics in the 1990s. J. Res. Market Res. Soc. 33, 205–217 (1991)
McStay, J.R., Dunlap, R.E.: Male-female differences in concern for environmental quality. Int. J. Women´s Stud. 6, 291–301 (1983)
Mitchell, A.A., Olson, C.J.: Are product attribute beliefs the only mediator of advertising effects on brand attitude? J. Mark. Res. 18, 318–332 (1981)
Mont, O.K.: Clarifying the concept of product-service system. J. Clean. Prod. 10, 237–245 (2002)
Mourad, M., Ahmed, Y.S.E.: Perception of green brand in an emerging innovative market. Eur. J. Innov. Manag. 15, 514–537 (2012)
Muck, P.M., Hell, B., Gosling, S.D.: Construct validation of a short Five-Factor model instrument. A self-peer study on the german adaptation of the ten-item personality inventory (TIPI-G). Eur. J. Psychol. Assess. 23, 166–175 (2007)
Muthén, B., Kaplan, D.: A comparison of some methodologies for the factor analysis of non-normal Likert variables. Br. J. Math. Stat. Psychol. 38, 171–189 (1985)
Nazari, E., Ghasemi, B., Saeidi, S.S.: Explaining the relationship between green brand image, green satisfaction and green trust and factors affecting on green brand equity. Bull. Georg. Natl Acad. Sci. 9, 487–494 (2015)
Ng, P. F., Butt, M. M., Khong, K. W., & Ong, F. S. (2013). Antecedents of green brand equity: an integrated approach. J. Bus. Ethics, 1–13
Oliver, R.L.: Whence consumer loyalty? J. Mark. 63, 33–44 (1999)
Ottman, J.A.: Green Marketing. NTC Business Books, Lincolnwood (1994)
Papista, E., Krystallis, A.: Investigating the types of value and cost of green brands: proposition of a conceptual framework. J. Bus. Ethics 115, 75–92 (2013)
Pappu, R., Quester, P.G., Cooksey, R.W.: Consumer-based brand equity: improving the measurement—empirical evidence. J. Prod. Brand Manag. 14, 143–154 (2005)
Parguel, B., Benoît-Moreau, F., Larceneux, F.: How sustainability ratings might deter ‘greenwashing’: a closer look at ethical corporate communication. J. Bus. Ethics 102, 15–28 (2011)
Park, S.-J., Choi, S., Kim, E.-J.: The relationships between socio-demographic variables and concerns about environmental sustainability. Corp. Soc. Responsib. Environ. Manag. 19, 343–354 (2012)
Peattie, K.: Environmental Marketing Management. Pitman Publishing, London (1995)
Pechyiam, C., Jaroenwanit, P.: The factors affecting green brand equity of electronic products in Thailand. The Macrotheme Rev.: A Multidiscip. J. Glob. Macro Trends 3, 1–12 (2014)
Peine, K., Heitmann, M., Herrmann, A.: Getting a feel for price affect: a conceptual framework and empirical investigation of consumers’ emotional responses to price information. Psychol. Mark. 26, 39–66 (2009)
Podsakoff, P.M., MacKenzie, B., Lee, J.-Y., Podsakoff, N.P.: Common method biases in behavioral research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. J. Appl. Psychol. 88, 879–903 (2003)
Preacher, K.J., Hayes, A.F.: Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behav. Res. Methods 40, 879–891 (2008)
Rammstedt, B., John, O.P.: Measuring personality in one minute or less: a 10-item short version of the big five inventory in English and German. J. Res. Pers. 41, 203–212 (2007)
Richardson, H.A., Simmering, M.J., Sturman, M.C.: A tale of three perspectives: examining post hoc statistical techniques for detection and correction of common method variance. Organ. Res. Methods 12, 762–800 (2009)
Rundle-Thiele, S., Bennett, R.: A brand for all seasons? A discussion of brand loyalty approaches and their applicability for different markets. J. of Prod. Brand Manag. 10, 25–37 (2001)
Schafer, J. L. (1999). NORM: Multiple imputation of incomplete data under a normal model, version 2. Software for Windows 95/98/NT. http://sites.stat.psu.edu/~jls/misoftwa.html. Accessed 11 November 2013
Schurr, P.H., Ozanne, J.L.: Influences on exchange processes: buyers’ preconceptions of a seller’s trustworthiness and bargaining toughness. J. Consum. Res. 11, 939–953 (1985)
Sendjaya, S., Sarros, J.C., Santora, J.C.: Defining and measuring servant leadership behaviour in organizations. J. Manag. Stud. 45, 402–424 (2008)
Siemsen, E., Roth, A., Oliveira, P.: Common method bias in regression models with linear, quadratic, and interaction effects. Organ. Res. Methods 13, 456–476 (2010)
Silvera, D.H., Austad, B.: Factors predicting the effectiveness of celebrity endorsement advertisements. Eur. J. Mark. 38, 1509–1526 (2004)
Simmons, J.P., Nelson, L.D., Simonsohn, U.: False-positive psychology undisclosed flexibility in data collection and analysis allows presenting anything as significant. Psychol. Sci. 22, 1359–1366 (2011)
Singh, J.: Consumer complaint intentions and behavior: definitional and taxonomical issues. J. Mark. 52, 93–107 (1988)
Soares, A.M., Farhangmehr, M., Shoham, A.: Hofstede’s dimensions of culture in international marketing studies. J. Bus. Res. 6, 277–284 (2007)
Spörrle, M., Bekk, M.: Nachhaltiges Konsumentenverhalten [Sustainable consumer behavior]. In: Moser, K. (ed.) Wirtschaftspsychologie, pp. 285–302. Springer, Heidelberg (2015)
Srinivasan, V., Park, C.S., Chang, D.R.: An approach to the measurement, analysis, and prediction of brand equity and its sources. Manag. Sci. 51, 1433–1448 (2005)
Swaminathan, V., Page, K.L., Gürhan-Canli, Z.: ‘My’ brand or ‘our’ brand: the effects of brand relationship dimensions and self-construal on brand evaluations. J. Consum. Res. 34, 248–259 (2007)
Torres, A., Bijmolt, T.H., Tribó, J.A., Verhoef, P.: Generating global brand equity through corporate social responsibility to key stakeholders. Int. J. Res. Mark. 29, 13–24 (2012)
Vlachos, P.A., Tsamakos, A., Vrechopoulos, A.P., Avramidis, P.K.: Corporate social responsibility: attributions, loyalty, and the mediating role of trust. J. Acad. Mark. Sci. 37, 170–180 (2009)
Westbrook, R.A.: Product/consumption-based affective responses and postpurchase processes. J. Mark. Res. 24, 258–270 (1987)
Wilkie, W.: Consumer Behavior. Wiley, New York (1986)
Yasin, N.M., Noor, M.N., Mohamad, O.: Does image of country-of-origin matter to brand equity? J. Prod. Brand Manag. 16, 38–48 (2007)
Yieh, K., Chiao, Y.-C., Chiu, Y.-K.: Understanding the antecedents to customer loyalty by applying structural equation modeling. Total Qual. Manag. Bus. Excell. 18, 267–284 (2007)
Yoo, B., Donthu, N.: Developing and validating a multidimensional consumer-based brand equity scale. J. Bus. Res. 52(1), 1–14 (2001)
Yoo, B., Donthu, N., Lee, S.: An examination of selected marketing mix elements and brand equity. J. Acad. Mark. Sci. 28, 195–211 (2000)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Magdalena Bekk and Matthias Spörrle have contributed equally to this work.
Appendix
Appendix
English version | German version |
---|---|
Green brand image | |
The brand is regarded as the best benchmark of environmental commitments | Die Marke gilt als sehr hoher Maßstab im Bereich Umweltengagement |
The brand is professional about environmental reputation | Die Marke genießt im Umweltschutz ein professionelles Ansehen |
The brand is successful about environmental performance | Die Marke ist erfolgreich in ihrem Einsatz für die Umwelt |
The brand is well established about environmental concern | Die Marke hat sich in Umweltangelegenheiten einen guten Namen gemacht |
The brand is trustworthy about environmental promises | Die Marke ist vertrauenswürdig hinsichtlich ihrer Versprechen zum Umweltschutz |
Green satisfaction | |
You are happy about the decision to choose this brand because of its environmental commitments | Sie glauben, dass es aufgrund der Leistungen die diese Marke für die Umwelt erbringt richtig ist, Angebote, Produkte oder Dienstleistungen von ihr zu kaufen oder zu nutzen |
You believe that it is a right thing to purchase this brand because of its environmental performance | Im Großen und Ganzen sind Sie aufgrund der Umweltfreundlichkeit dieser Marke froh, Angebote, Produkte oder Dienstleistungen von ihr zu kaufen oder zu nutzen |
Overall, you are glad to buy this brand because it is environmental friendly | Sie sind zufrieden mit der Entscheidung diese Marke aufgrund ihres Umweltengagements zu wählen |
Overall, you are satisfied with this brand because of its environmental concern | Im Großen und Ganzen sind Sie mit dieser Marke zufrieden, weil ihr Umweltangelegenheiten ein Anliegen sind |
Green trust | |
You feel that this brand’s environmental commitments are generally reliable | Sie haben den Eindruck, dass das Umweltengagement dieser Marke generell glaubwürdig ist |
You feel that this brand’s environmental performance is generally dependable | Sie haben das Gefühl, dass die Marke in ihrem Einsatz für die Umwelt generell verlässlich ist |
You feel that this brand’s environmental argument is generally trustworthy | Sie glauben, dass das Bekenntnis dieser Marke für die Umwelt insgesamt vertrauenswürdig ist |
This brand’s environmental concern meets your expectations | Das ökologische Anliegen dieser Marke entspricht Ihren Erwartungen |
This brand keeps promises and commitments for environmental protection | Diese Marke hält ihre Versprechen und ihre Zusagen für den Umweltschutz |
Green Brand Equity | |
It makes sense to buy this brand instead of other brands because of its environmental commitments, even if they are the same | Es ist sinnvoll, diese Marke aufgrund ihres Umweltengagements anstelle von Alternativmarken zu kaufen oder zu bevorzugen, selbst wenn diese gleich sind |
Even if another brand has the same environmental features as this brand, you would prefer to buy this brand | Selbst wenn eine Alternativmarke die gleichen ökologischen Eigenschaften wie diese Marke besäße, würden Sie es vorziehen, diese Marke zu kaufen oder ihr Angebot zu nutzen |
If there is another brand’s environmental performance as good as this brand’s, you prefer to buy this brand | Auch dann wenn es eine Alternativmarke mit den gleichen Leistungen für die Umwelt wie jene dieser Marke gibt, würden Sie es vorziehen, diese Marke zu kaufen oder ihr Angebot zu nutzen |
If the environmental concern of another brand is not different from that of this brand in any way, it seems smarter to purchase this brand | Auch wenn sich das ökologische Anliegen einer Alternativmarke in keiner Art und Weise von jenem dieser Marke unterscheidet, scheint es klüger zu sein, diese Marke zu kaufen oder ihr Angebot zu nutzen |
Brand attitude | |
Negative/positive | Negativ/positiv |
Unpleasant/pleasant | Unangenehm/angenehm |
Good/bad | Schlecht/gut |
Sympathetic/unsympathetic | Sympathisch/unsympathisch |
Positive word-of-mouth communication | |
I mention this service organization to others quite frequently | Ich erwähne diese Marke gegenüber anderen oft positiv |
I seldom do more than mention the name of this service organization to others | Ich lasse keine Gelegenheit aus, anderen von dieser Marke zu erzählen |
I have only good things to say about this service organization | Ich kann nur Gutes über diese Marke sagen |
I am proud to tell others that I use this service organization | Ich bin stolz anderen erzählen zu können, dass ich Angebote, Produkte oder Dienstleistungen dieser Marke kaufe oder nutze |
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bekk, M., Spörrle, M., Hedjasie, R. et al. Greening the competitive advantage: antecedents and consequences of green brand equity. Qual Quant 50, 1727–1746 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-015-0232-y
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-015-0232-y