Can co-creation increase demand for green products?
(A2020-64406)

AUTHORS

Claudia Costa, Catolica Lisbon School of Business and Economics; Rita Coelho do Vale, Catolica Lisbon- School of Business and Economics

KEYWORDS

Co-creation; Sustainability; consumer-behaviour

ABSTRACT

When the product’s green claim is believable (trusted) consumers’ display higher behaviour intentions. Our study investigates circumstances whether trust in green claim of sustainable products can be enhanced. Specifically, we look at communication whether consumers were involved (or not) in innovation process, as a mechanism to increase consumer trust in the products’ green claims. Our findings show that green products are preferred when consumers trust on the product’s green performance. Interestingly, and against our theorizing we did not find higher consumer trust in the green claim for the co-created product. Nevertheless, consumers prefer co-created green products than company developed green products. In the case of non green products, consumers did not seem to differ in purchase intentions when learning that other consumers were involved in the development of the new (non green) product. One possible explanation is that co-creation was tested in a utilitarian and complex product. Past research has shown that utilitarian products are less likely to be influenced by a green claim (Lusch et al., 2010).