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The Brand Implications of Green Demarketing

Brännstam, Adrian LU ; Eliasson, Simon and Schott, Oliver (2021) FEKH29 20202
Department of Business Administration
Abstract
A significant part of the marketing profession consists of stimulating and expanding the demand for products and services. However, as society’s level of consumption increases at the same time as our resources decrease, the marketer’s role faces an inevitable change if the global environmental goals are to be achieved. In order to adapt and ultimately benefit from this transformation, marketers need further knowledge of new strategies, tools, and methods.

Green demarketing is a relatively untested but constantly growing communication strategy that intends to reduce the consumption of a product at the category level and at the same time increase sales at a brand level for the benefit of the environment. The communication strategy thus... (More)
A significant part of the marketing profession consists of stimulating and expanding the demand for products and services. However, as society’s level of consumption increases at the same time as our resources decrease, the marketer’s role faces an inevitable change if the global environmental goals are to be achieved. In order to adapt and ultimately benefit from this transformation, marketers need further knowledge of new strategies, tools, and methods.

Green demarketing is a relatively untested but constantly growing communication strategy that intends to reduce the consumption of a product at the category level and at the same time increase sales at a brand level for the benefit of the environment. The communication strategy thus challenges the traditional sustainability communication, which on the contrary encourages consumers to buy more sustainable products for the benefit of the environment.

This study aimed to examine how a green demarketing strategy affects consumer behavior and brand attitudes according to the variables of corporate credibility, word-of-mouth, and purchase intention. The study was conducted using a quantitative method where the respondents were exposed to and allowed to respond to one of two ads designed according to either a green demarketing- or a traditional green advertising strategy. The study found that green demarketing generated significantly greater positive effects on corporate credibility and that the strategy generated a greater organic dispersion via word-of-mouth. In terms of purchase intention, no significant difference could be demonstrated between the two campaign formats.

In summary, this study indicates that green demarketing on many levels outperforms traditional sustainability communication and that it has the potential to benefit brand equity in both the short and long term. Based on the results of this study, there is thus evidence for companies to dare to stand out from the crowd and take the environmental issue seriously by encouraging their customers to consume less for the benefit of the environment. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Marknadsförarens roll består i hög utsträckning av att stimulera och expandera efterfrågan på produkter och tjänster. I takt med att konsumtionen i samhället växer och resurserna samtidigt minskar står dock marknadsförarens roll inför en oundviklig förändring om de globala miljömålen ska uppnås. För att anpassa sig och i slutändan kunna dra fördel av denna transformation krävs vidare kunskap kring nya strategier, verktyg och metoder.

Green demarketing är en relativt oprövad men ständigt växande kommunikationsstrategi som har för avsikt att minska konsumtionen av en produkt på kategorinivå och samtidigt öka försäljningen på en varumärkesnivå till förmån för miljön. Kommunikationsstrategin utmanar således den traditionella... (More)
Marknadsförarens roll består i hög utsträckning av att stimulera och expandera efterfrågan på produkter och tjänster. I takt med att konsumtionen i samhället växer och resurserna samtidigt minskar står dock marknadsförarens roll inför en oundviklig förändring om de globala miljömålen ska uppnås. För att anpassa sig och i slutändan kunna dra fördel av denna transformation krävs vidare kunskap kring nya strategier, verktyg och metoder.

Green demarketing är en relativt oprövad men ständigt växande kommunikationsstrategi som har för avsikt att minska konsumtionen av en produkt på kategorinivå och samtidigt öka försäljningen på en varumärkesnivå till förmån för miljön. Kommunikationsstrategin utmanar således den traditionella hållbarhetskommunikationen som istället uppmanar konsumenter att handla fler hållbara produkter till förmån för miljön.

Denna studie ämnade undersöka hur en green demarketing-strategi påverkar konsumentbeteende och varumärkesattityder utefter variablerna corporate credibility, word-of-mouth och köpintention. Studien genomfördes med en kvantitativ metod där respondenterna i en webbenkät exponerades för och tilläts reagera på en utav två annonser som utformats enligt en green demarketing- respektive en traditionell green advertising-strategi. Studien fann att green demarketing genererade signifikant större positiva effekter på corporate credibility samt att strategin indikerade en större organisk spridning via word-of-mouth. Vad gällde köpintention kunde ingen signifikant skillnad påvisas mellan de två annonsformaten.

Sammanfattningsvis indikerar denna studie att green demarketing på många plan utkonkurrerar traditionell hållbarhetskommunikation och att den har potential att gynna varumärkeskapitalet både på kort och lång sikt. Med bakgrund i denna studies resultat finns det därmed belägg för företag att våga sticka ut ur mängden och ta miljöfrågan på allvar genom att uppmuntra sina kunder till att konsumera mindre till förmån för miljön. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Brännstam, Adrian LU ; Eliasson, Simon and Schott, Oliver
supervisor
organization
alternative title
How does encouraging your customers to consume less for the sake of the environment affect brand attitudes and consumer behavior?
course
FEKH29 20202
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Green demarketing (GD), Green advertising (GA), Sustainability marketing, Corporate Credibility (CC), Word-of-mouth (WoM), Purchase intention
language
Swedish
id
9040558
date added to LUP
2021-03-01 11:21:30
date last changed
2021-03-01 11:21:30
@misc{9040558,
  abstract     = {{A significant part of the marketing profession consists of stimulating and expanding the demand for products and services. However, as society’s level of consumption increases at the same time as our resources decrease, the marketer’s role faces an inevitable change if the global environmental goals are to be achieved. In order to adapt and ultimately benefit from this transformation, marketers need further knowledge of new strategies, tools, and methods.

Green demarketing is a relatively untested but constantly growing communication strategy that intends to reduce the consumption of a product at the category level and at the same time increase sales at a brand level for the benefit of the environment. The communication strategy thus challenges the traditional sustainability communication, which on the contrary encourages consumers to buy more sustainable products for the benefit of the environment.

This study aimed to examine how a green demarketing strategy affects consumer behavior and brand attitudes according to the variables of corporate credibility, word-of-mouth, and purchase intention. The study was conducted using a quantitative method where the respondents were exposed to and allowed to respond to one of two ads designed according to either a green demarketing- or a traditional green advertising strategy. The study found that green demarketing generated significantly greater positive effects on corporate credibility and that the strategy generated a greater organic dispersion via word-of-mouth. In terms of purchase intention, no significant difference could be demonstrated between the two campaign formats.

In summary, this study indicates that green demarketing on many levels outperforms traditional sustainability communication and that it has the potential to benefit brand equity in both the short and long term. Based on the results of this study, there is thus evidence for companies to dare to stand out from the crowd and take the environmental issue seriously by encouraging their customers to consume less for the benefit of the environment.}},
  author       = {{Brännstam, Adrian and Eliasson, Simon and Schott, Oliver}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{The Brand Implications of Green Demarketing}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}