Looking for the gentle and looking for the strong: When and how precise vs. round green product claims influence consumer perceptions and preferences for green products.
(A2019-10061)

AUTHORS

Artemis Panigyraki, Imperial College Business School; Sven Mikolon, Imperial College Business School

KEYWORDS

Green consumption; Sustainability; Numerical information

ABSTRACT

Often green claims about product features or ingredients are communicated with numerical information. Yet, marketers still know little about how the use of number precision in green product claims can affect consumers’ preferences. The goal of this investigation is to gain a better understanding about when and why round versus precise numerical information in green product claims increases consumer preferences for green products. This study shows that numerical values trigger unique associations in itself, which will impact consumer preferences for green products, such that when strength-related consumption goals are salient, a green claim expressed in round numbers (e.g., 100% natural) will increase consumer preferences for the product whereas when gentleness-related consumption goals are salient, a green claim expressed in precise numbers (e.g., 93.4%) will increase consumer preferences.