Consumer reactions to sustainable packaging: The interplay of visual appearance, verbal claim and environmental concern

More and more companies are developing sustainable packaging. In two studies on detergent and mixed nuts packages, we manipulated their visual appearance and verbal sustainability claims that communicate eco-friendliness, and tested the influence of these elements on consumers' affective attitudes and purchase intention. Drawing on two non-student samples, the results show that consumers' level of environmental concern influenced their responses to the visual appearance and verbal sustainability claims of packages. Low (high) environmental concern consumers were (not) sensitive to incongruence in visual appearance and verbal sustainability claim and showed negative (positive) responses. Next, we demonstrate that brand ethicality mediated the relationship between the interaction of the visual appearance, the verbal sustainability claim and environmental concern and purchase intention.