Sustainability advertising: literature review and framework for future research

Abstract

A growing number of consumers want companies to act sustainably. Companies have responded by advertising their sustainability initiatives, practices, and products. This paper takes a fresh look at sustainability advertising, synthesizing empirical research involving two focal questions: (a) What makes a sustainability ad effective? and (b) What drives some consumers to adopt sustainable behaviors? To answer these questions, this paper is organized into three sections. First, the concept of sustainability is introduced, its dimensions are presented, and sustainability advertising is defined. Second, a framework for the effectiveness of sustainability advertising is introduced. Ad context, source characteristics, and message design influence an ad’s effectiveness, while consumer drivers enhance or attenuate this relationship. Finally, measures of ad effectiveness and the unintended consequences of sustainability advertising are discussed. In each section, empirical research is summarized, and future research opportunities are outlined. This paper provides a holistic view of the effectiveness of sustainability advertising in order to inspire new research in this timely and critical advertising arena.

Keywords:

• Sustainability
• advertising; advertising effectiveness
• green advertising

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Data availability statement

Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analyzed for the current paper.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Shelly Rathee

Shelly Rathee (PhD, University of Utah) is an assistant professor of Marketing in the Villanova School of Business at Villanova University. Shelly’s research focuses on sustainability, numerosity, letter-number cognition, and hedonic-utilitarian products.

Tyler Milfeld

Tyler Milfeld (PhD, University of Tennessee) is an assistant professor of Marketing in the Villanova School of Business at Villanova University. Tyler’s research focuses on sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and brand communication.