The effect of ‘green’ messages on brand purchase and brand rejection

•The paper considers brand rejection of ‘green’ and non-green brands.•‘Green’ brands are small because of low awareness and not conscious rejection.•Not being ‘green’ is not a reason for brand rejection.•‘Green’ brands should build more relevant memory structures to be salient for many customers.

The paper considers consumer brand rejection of ‘green’ and non-green brands. We find empirically that ‘green’ brands are not considered largely because they are unfamiliar, rather than being consciously rejected. Consumers do not think about these brands in a buying situation, suggesting that their single ‘green’ message is not enough to make it into the shoppers’ consideration set. Additionally, not being ‘green’ was not a reason for rejection of non-green brands. These findings highlight the importance of brand advertising to build multiple, relevant memory structures for any brand, thereby increasing the probability of being thought of during a buying occasion.