Beyond Green Promises: How Concrete Information Sparks Pride and Drives Sustainable Fashion

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between trust and pride and their collective influence on sustainable consumption within the fashion industry. We hypothesized that concrete marketing communications would enhance consumer trust, which in turn would directly, and indirectly via increased pride, encourage sustainable consumption intentions. Through an experimental design involving 199 participants, we tested the effects of concrete versus abstract sustainability claims on trust, pride, and sustainable consumption intentions such as word-of-mouth endorsement and the willingness to buy sustainable products. Our findings show concrete (as opposed to abstract) marketing information significantly strengthen trust, and that trust directly encourage sustainable consumption intentions and indirectly promotes them by boosting pride. This dual pathway underscores the crucial role of trust in sustainable fashion marketing, serving as both a direct motivator of consumption intentions and a catalyst for generating pride. Our study offers valuable insights for marketers on effectively communicating sustainability and fostering genuine consumer engagement with sustainable fashion.