Saying It Without Saying It: The Advantages and Effectiveness of Implicit Sustainability Messages
(A2026-134275)

AUTHORS

Annika Hagen, WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management; Anna-Karina Schmitz, WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management; Conrad Homm, WHU � Otto Beisheim School of Management; WALTER HERZOG, WHU

ABSTRACT

Sustainability messages can elicit engagement or resistance depending on how explicitly they refer to environmental benefits and how strongly recipients value sustainability. Two experimental studies show that explicit sustainability claims are more persuasive when consumers’ values align with the message, whereas implicit claims lead to higher behavioral intentions among consumers who do not prioritize sustainability. A pilot study with experienced marketers reveals, however, that practitioners largely expect explicit claims to outperform implicit ones across consumer segments and do not anticipate the value-based interaction identified in this research. This miscalibration of marketers’ intuitions underscores the importance of recognizing psychological boundary conditions when designing sustainability communication.