Big business returns on B Corp? Growing with green & lean as any label is a good label

Abstract

This current research contributes to the concept of consumer-based food label equity (CBFLE) by testing the predictive validity of a scale developed by Coderre et al. (2022) in the sustainability and health domains of seafood products. In Study 1 (N = 301; between-within subjects), we found that scores on all subscales, except the (Dis)honesty subscale, were significantly related to willingness to buy fish fillets without a label in comparison with the B Corp sustainability label and a fictitious label. There were no differences between labels. In Study 2 (N = 200; within-subjects), we found similar results for fillets with a health-related label: the American Heart Association Heart-Check. However, scores on the awareness subscale were not significantly associated with willingness to buy fish fillets. Overall, our results suggest that the CBFLE and the scale predict WTB in the context of sustainability and health signaling.