Exploring the Impact of Integrated Marketing Communication Tools on Green Product Purchase Intentions among Diverse Green Consumer Segments
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Literature Review
2.1. Green Products and Green Consumers
2.2. Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC)
2.3. Media Richness Theory
3. Methods
3.1. Operational Definition and Measurement of Variables
3.1.1. Types of Green Behavior among Consumers
3.1.2. Types of IMC Tools
3.1.3. Characteristics of Communication Tools
3.2. Pretest Analysis Results
3.3. Data Collection and Research Sample
4. Analysis and Results
4.1. Types of Green Behavior among Consumers
4.2. Preference of Communication Tools
4.3. Model Fit Test on Communication Tools
4.4. Convergent and Discriminant Validity Tests on Communication Tools
4.5. Analysis of the Constructs of Media Richness in Communication Tools
5. Conclusions and Implications
Research Limitations and Recommendations for Future Research
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Appendix A
Appendix A.1. Questionnaire of This Study
Consumer Green Behavior | Never | Rarely | Occasionally | Often | Always | |
1 | I buy products that are low in pollutants. (e.g., environmentally friendly paints) | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
2 | I buy recycled products. (e.g., recycled paper) | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
3 | When choosing between two similar products, I buy the one that is less harmful to the environment. (e.g., regular air conditioners and energy-efficient air conditioners) | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
4 | I buy products that can be recycled. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
5 | I categorize household garbage for recycling. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
6 | Given a choice, I buy the least polluting products. (e.g., fans and air conditioners) | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
7 | Given the choice, I buy products with reusable or recyclable packaging. (e.g., laundry detergent that comes in refill packets). | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
8 | I refuse to buy products if I know they may be harmful to the environment. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
9 | I have successfully persuaded family or friends to refuse to buy certain products that are harmful to the environment. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
10 | I do not buy environmentally harmful household products. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
11 | I use recycled products. (e.g., recycled paper products) | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
12 | I reduce the use of products made from non-renewable resources. (e.g., plastics) | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
13 | I replace a product because I care about the environment. (e.g., electric cars instead of regular cars) | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
14 | I purchase products that are certified with green labels. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
15 | A company’s commitment to the environment affects my willingness to purchase products. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
16 | I participate in collective environmental activities. (e.g., beach cleanups, green marches, or green road races) | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
17 | I respond to collective fair trade activities. (e.g., refusing child labor, supporting small farm products) | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
18 | I donate to environmental organizations or groups concerned with environmental issues. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
Types of Communication Tools | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Newspaper | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
Magazine | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
Product Catalog | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
Radio | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
Television | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
Poster | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
Outdoor advertising | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
Online Advertisement | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
Official Website | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
Social Media | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
Packaging | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
Sales & Service | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
□ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
Characteristics of Communication Tools | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
1 | A communication tool that provides real-time product information. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
2 | A communication tool to update product information in real time. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
3 | A communication tool that introduces products in text. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
4 | A communication tool that introduces products with sound. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
5 | A communication tool that introduces products with images. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
6 | A communication tool that introduces products with pictures. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
7 | A communication tool to label the nutritional content of the product with figures. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
8 | A communication tool that describes the product’s environmental philosophy in words. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
9 | A communication tool that maximizes the use of easy-to-understand vocabulary to explain product information. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
10 | A communication tool that reminds me of my next purchase according to my purchasing cycle. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
11 | A communication tool that provides me with appropriate purchasing options based on my purchasing habits. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
12 | A communication tool that provides information about green products in my neighborhood. | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
Your age | □ Under 18 years old □ 18–25 years old □ 26–35 years old □ 36–45 years old □ 46–55 years old □ 56–65 years old □ 65 years old and above |
Your gender | □ Male □ Female |
Your occupation | □ Agriculture, forestry, fishery and livestock raising □ Manufacturing □ Financial services □ Food and beverage services □ Technology □ Military, police, public officials □ Commercial administration □ Healthcare personnel □ Freelance □ Student □ Household □ Retiree □ Other |
Your education level | □ Junior high school or below □ High school (vocational) □ University (specialized) □ Institute (or above) |
Appendix A.2. Demographic Distribution of Respondents
Characteristics of Subjects | Classification | Percentage of Total Data (%) | Percentage of Light Green (Including Colorless) Data (%) | Percentage of Medium-Green Data (%) | Percentage of Dark Green Data (%) |
Age | Under 18 years | 0.47% | 1.08% | 0.00% | 0.44% |
18~25 years | 21.99% | 32.97% | 21.72% | 13.27% | |
26~35 years | 11.55% | 16.22% | 10.86% | 8.41% | |
36~45 years | 14.40% | 18.38% | 13.12% | 12.39% | |
46~55 years | 25.79% | 18.38% | 28.51% | 29.20% | |
56~65 years | 19.78% | 9.73% | 17.65% | 30.09% | |
65 years & above | 6.02% | 3.24% | 8.14% | 6.2% | |
Gender | Male | 40.51% | 41.62% | 39.37% | 40.71% |
Female | 59.49% | 58.38% | 60.63% | 59.29% | |
Occupation | Students | 22.15% | 35.68% | 21.72% | 11.50% |
Military, Police, and Public Officials | 15.98% | 12.97% | 16.29% | 18.14% | |
Retirees | 9.81% | 5.95% | 12.22% | 10.62% | |
Technology | 6.96% | 4.32% | 6.33% | 9.73% | |
Business Administration | 6.96% | 8.11% | 6.79% | 6.19% | |
Freelance | 6.65% | 5.95% | 4.98% | 8.85% | |
Finance | 6.01% | 3.78% | 4.07% | 9.73% | |
Household Management | 6.01% | 5.95% | 6.33% | 5.75% | |
Manufacturing | 4.27% | 2.70% | 3.17% | 6.64% | |
Food and Beverage Services | 2.69% | 2.70% | 2.71% | 2.65% | |
Healthcare workers | 1.58% | 2.16% | 1.36% | 1.33% | |
Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry | 0.32% | 0.54% | 0.00% | 0.44% | |
Others | 10.60% | 9.19% | 14.03% | 8.41% | |
Education level | Graduate (or above) | 36.87% | 44.32% | 32.13% | 35.40% |
University (College) | 53.96% | 49.73% | 57.47% | 53.98% | |
High School (Vocational) | 8.23% | 5.41% | 9.05% | 9.73% | |
Junior high school (including) | 0.95% | 0.54% | 1.36% | 0.88% |
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Component | Correlation Coefficient | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Eigenvalues | Explained Variation% | Accumulated Explained Variation% | Cronbach’s α | |
Factor 1 | 3.03 | 25.26 | 25.26 | 0.82 |
Factor 2 | 2.38 | 19.80 | 45.06 | 0.77 |
Factor 3 | 2.09 | 17.45 | 62.51 | 0.74 |
Questions and Total Scores Used in This Cluster | The Name of Cluster | Cluster Size (Number) | Cluster Center Point (Point) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
The first time cluster analysis | Questions 16~18, a total of three questions, with a total score of 15 points | Dark green consumer cluster | 226 | 11.29 |
Other consumer cluster | 406 | 6.92 | ||
The second time cluster analysis | There are a total of 9 questions except questions 16~18, with a total score of 45 points. | Light green (including colorless) consumer cluster | 160 | 27.65 |
Medium green consumer cluster | 246 | 35.80 |
Communication Tool | F-Value | p-Value | Difference between Clusters |
---|---|---|---|
Newspaper | 3.13 | 0.04 | C1 > C2 |
Radio | 3.19 | 0.04 | C1 > C2 |
8.74 | 0.00 | C1 > C2, C1 > C3 | |
Magazine | 1.19 | 0.18 | ns |
Product Catalog | 1.42 | 0.28 | ns |
TV | 1.28 | 0.26 | ns |
Poster | 1.55 | 0.27 | ns |
Outdoor Advertising | 1.44 | 0.28 | ns |
Online Advertisement | 1.29 | 0.27 | ns |
Official Website | 1.34 | 0.28 | ns |
Social Media | 1.22 | 0.14 | ns |
Packaging Description | 1.27 | 0.11 | ns |
Sales and Service | 1.49 | 0.27 | ns |
Construct | Correlation Coefficient | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
A | B | C | D | |
A. Feedback | 0.93 | |||
B. Multiple cues | 0.70 | 0.77 | ||
C. Language variety | 0.68 | 0.80 | 0.76 | |
D. Personal focus | 0.60 | 0.61 | 0.65 | 0.84 |
Construct and Sub-Construct | F-Value | Brown–Forsythe Statistic | p-Value | Difference between Clusters |
---|---|---|---|---|
Feedback | 3.23 | - | 0.04 | C2 > C3 |
F1 | 3.00 | - | 0.05 | C2 > C3 |
F2 | 3.78 | - | 0.02 | C2 > C3 |
Multiple cues | - | 1.10 | 0.33 | ns |
MC1 | - | 2.21 | 0.11 | ns |
MC2 | 0.55 | - | 0.58 | ns |
MC3 | 0.22 | - | 0.80 | ns |
Language variety | 1.33 | - | 0.26 | ns |
LV1 | 1.69 | - | 0.19 | ns |
LV2 | 2.25 | - | 0.11 | ns |
LV3 | 1.14 | - | 0.32 | ns |
Personal focus | 7.51 | - | 0.00 | C1 > C3, C2 > C3 |
PF1 | 9.96 | - | 0.00 | C1 > C3, C2 > C3 |
PF2 | - | 5.66 | 0.00 | C1 > C3, C2 > C3 |
PF3 | 9.90 | 0.00 | C1 > C3, C2 > C3 |
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Chen, C.-S.; Yu, C.-C.; Tu, K.-Y. Exploring the Impact of Integrated Marketing Communication Tools on Green Product Purchase Intentions among Diverse Green Consumer Segments. Sustainability 2023, 15, 16841. https://doi.org/10.3390/su152416841
Chen C-S, Yu C-C, Tu K-Y. Exploring the Impact of Integrated Marketing Communication Tools on Green Product Purchase Intentions among Diverse Green Consumer Segments. Sustainability. 2023; 15(24):16841. https://doi.org/10.3390/su152416841
Chicago/Turabian StyleChen, Chun-Shuo, Chih-Ching Yu, and Kuan-Yu Tu. 2023. "Exploring the Impact of Integrated Marketing Communication Tools on Green Product Purchase Intentions among Diverse Green Consumer Segments" Sustainability 15, no. 24: 16841. https://doi.org/10.3390/su152416841
APA StyleChen, C. -S., Yu, C. -C., & Tu, K. -Y. (2023). Exploring the Impact of Integrated Marketing Communication Tools on Green Product Purchase Intentions among Diverse Green Consumer Segments. Sustainability, 15(24), 16841. https://doi.org/10.3390/su152416841