The Influence of a Regional Public Brand on Consumers’ Purchase Intention and Behavior Toward Eco-Agricultural Products: A Chinese National Park Case

Abstract

Transforming ecological value into economic value is an important challenge regarding China’s protected natural areas. The key strategy is to develop a regional public brand and increase the premium of eco-products. A brand–quality–price model was proposed to analyze the factors influencing consumers’ purchase intention and behavior toward eco-agricultural products from China’s protected natural areas. The data came from a questionnaire survey sample of 300 consumers in Zhejiang Province. The results show that there is a gap between purchase intention and actual behavior: (1) For purchase intention, brand awareness, brand trust, perceived quality, and perceived price had significant positive influences. (2) For purchase behavior, brand awareness, and purchase intention had direct impacts. However, brand trust did not directly affect behavior. (3) Age, monthly income, and marital status had significant effects on purchase intention and behavior. However, purchase intention and behavior were not affected by gender, and the educational level had significant effects on purchase intention but had no significant effects on purchase behavior. (4) Consumers were willing to pay 17.13% more than the price of the ordinary products. This study provides important references for brand development and valuable experience for establishing ecological product value realization mechanisms in other protected natural areas.

1. Introduction

Ecological and environmental problems have become a key factor affecting sustainable development around the world. Protecting the environment while developing the economy is a common issue worldwide [1]. In China, based on the background of industrial civilization moving towards ecological civilization, the concept of eco-products was first proposed at the national policy level in 2010, referring to natural elements that maintain ecological security, ensure ecological regulation functions, and provide a good living environment, including fresh air, clean water sources, and pleasant climate [2]. This is close to the meaning of ecosystem services in the international academic field. In the Chinese academic research field, it is regarded as a narrow concept of eco-products [3,4]. In a broad sense, eco-products include not only natural elements, such as the support and regulation provided by the ecosystem, but also material and cultural products provided by green, low-carbon, and circular development [5,6] (Figure 1). How to transform the ecological value of eco-products into economic value is an important challenge in China [7]. The eco-product market is composed of both supply and demand. Therefore, targeted cultivation of trading markets for different types of eco-products should be carried out.

From the supply side, improving the supply capacity of eco-products is one of the main tasks in constructing protected natural areas [8]. Eco-products in protected natural areas are of good quality and sustainable supply, which can form a more stable supply side. Due to the nature of the extension of eco-products, their value realization depends on different markets, and the degree of perfection of different markets varies [9,10]. For example, eco-agricultural products and other ecological material products are tangible, and there is a mature market for their trading, so their value can be fully realized through market trading. Fresh air, clean water, landscape, and culture can realize ecological value through tourist tickets and markets. Eco-agriculture and tourism development are also the most market-oriented processes.

From the demand side, China is entering a transitional stage from quantity consumption to quality consumption and from commodity consumption to brand consumption. Consumers’ demand for safe, high-quality, healthy, and nutritious eco-agricultural products is expanding year by year, and their consumption habits for eco-agricultural products are being developed. Eco-products are not only a basic need for sustaining survival and development but also the high-level and diversified needs for high-quality resources, green food, and a beautiful environment after solving the demand for food and clothing in the new period, which implies the basic concept of cultivating a green lifestyle. With the increasing income and upgrading of the consumption structure of China’s residents and the frequent occurrence of food safety incidents, consumers are increasingly demanding the quality of eco-agricultural products [11,12]. This emerging eco-agricultural products trend of consumer behavior is creating a win-win situation not only for consumers but also for eco-agriculture [13]. Growing studies have found that eco-friendly branded products are attracting more and more consumers due to their production methods, which are less damaging to the environment and are healthier [14,15]. Brands have become an important basis for consumers to purchase eco-agricultural products [16,17,18]. Therefore, building a brand is not only a direct way to meet consumer demands for high-quality eco-friendly food but also an effective way to transform the ecological value of eco-products into economic value.

Based on the above background, the Chinese government has pointed out that it encourages the creation of distinctive regional public brands of eco-products, strengthening brand cultivation, and increasing the premium of eco-products. By relying on the high-quality landscape of ecological resources at the source of the Qiantang River, the Qianjiangyuan National Park pilot area has been vigorously used to develop the regional public brand of Qianjiangyuan in 2019, with more than 100 kinds of specialties, locally produced, high-quality eco-agricultural products, including rice, flour, grain, oil, meat, egg, tea, honey, and so on, being launched. Qianjiangyuan National Park has transformed ecological advantages into commodity advantages and resource income into brand economic income, attracting consumers sensitive to eco-agricultural products, and increasing the premium rate of eco-agricultural products. It is one of the most representative cases of China’s national parks exploring the value realization of eco-products.

Although consumers’ purchase intention of eco-agricultural products is a traditional topic, there is little research on the value realization of eco-products in protected natural areas from the perspective of consumer demand. Previous research has mainly been focused on basic theory connotation, value accounting, path exploration, and mechanism construction from the supply side of eco-products [19,20,21], and the research method used was mainly qualitative analysis. Mohd Suki found that knowledge of green brands was the most important determinant of willingness to purchase eco-products [22]. Phillips found that consumers were willing to pay a high price for eco-friendly products because when making a choice, the quality factor was more important to them than the cost factor [23]. Some studies showed that sociodemographic characteristics had effects on consumers’ purchase intention and behavior of pro-environmental products [24,25]. Some studies have been conducted from a psychological perspective, such as attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, personal norms, satisfaction, perceived risk, trust, and so on [26,27]. The Qianjiangyuan brand is an emerging brand of eco-products. What is the consumer perception of this brand? What factors will affect consumers’ purchase intention and behavior? What is the willingness to engage the level of brand premium payment? The above questions have not been answered.

Based on these gaps, a brand–quality–price model was proposed to investigate the factors affecting consumers’ purchase intention and actual behavior regarding eco-agricultural products from China’s protected natural areas, including four explaining variables: brand awareness, brand trust, perceived quality, and perceived price. This study aims to use Qianjiangyuan National Park as a case to address two objectives. Firstly, the factors influencing consumers’ purchase intention and actual behavior regarding eco-agricultural products and verifying the effects of gender, age, monthly income, educational level, and marital status on consumers’ purchase intention and purchase behavior need to be analyzed. Secondly, consumers’ willingness to pay for the Qiangjiangyuan brand needed to be explored. Theoretically, this study provides a theoretical framework and essential data lacking in the research literature on the value realization of eco-products in China’s protected natural areas from the perspective of consumer demand and enriches the research on the impact of regional public brands on consumer purchasing behavior. In practice, this study provides important decision-making references for brand development and valuable experiences for other protected natural areas to establish mechanisms for realizing the value of eco-products.

2. Theoretical Foundation and Hypotheses

2.1. Theoretical Foundation

2.1.1. The Theory of Consumption Values

The theory of consumption values is a value-based model of consumption behavior proposed by Sheth, Newman, and Gross in 1991 [28]. It is used to evaluate the value of five different types of consumption. These values include functional value, emotional value, epistemic value, social value, and conditional value, which are independent and have different effects on different consumption behaviors. The theory is successful in explaining consumer decision-making behavior [29,30]. According to the characteristics of eco-agricultural products in protected natural areas and the research purpose, the focus of this study is on functional value. Functional value emphasizes the physical or functional value of the commodity itself, such as quality, price, function, etc. Previous studies found consumers’ purchase intention regarding eco-products is affected by quality [31], price [32,33], availability [34], and so on. The significant difference between eco-products and ordinary products is mainly reflected in the quality and price. Quality features mainly include being pollution-free, nutritional, healthy, and environmentally friendly. The prices tend to be higher than ordinary products. Consumers face high price barriers when making purchases. Thus, this study mainly focused on quality and price.

2.1.2. The Theory of Reasoned Action

The theory of reasoned action (TRA), proposed by Fishbein and Ajzen in 1975, aimed to explain and predict individuals’ behavioral intentions [35,36]. According to this theory, behavioral intention is a direct factor that determines actual behavior, and it is influenced by attitude and subjective norms. TRA has been widely used in the field of consumer behavior research. This theory is mainly used to analyze how attitudes consciously affect individual behaviors, focusing on the formation process of attitudes based on cognitive information. Its basic assumption is that people are rational and will consider the meaning and consequences of their behaviors by synthesizing various information before committing a certain behavior. In this study, the regional public brand of Qianjiangyuan is a new brand of eco-agricultural products sourced from protected natural areas. There have been many studies on the impact of brand awareness [37], brand trust [38], brand knowledge [39], brand image [40], and so on. Among them, brand awareness and brand trust represent the attitude toward the brand and products. Therefore, this study mainly measures the influence of attitude on consumers’ purchase intention and behavior from two aspects: brand awareness and brand trust.

2.2. Literature Review and Hypotheses

There are many studies that analyze factors influencing consumers’ eco-product purchase intention and behavior based on product brand and product characteristics [24,41,42]. However, there is currently no clear consensus on the factors influencing consumers’ purchase intention and behavior in different situations and products. In addition, consumers are not a homogeneous group, and there are differences in sociodemographic characteristics. Hence, this study examined the impact of sociodemographic factors on purchase intention and actual behavior.

2.2.1. Brand Awareness

Brand awareness is the degree to which a brand exists in the consumers’ minds and the ability to identify or recall a specific product or service [43,44]. In this study, brand awareness is the consumers’ familiarity with the brand of eco-agricultural products from protected natural areas. Macdonald and Sharp found that customers tended to purchase products when they were familiar with the brand [37]. Buying eco-agricultural products often requires more information, such as the production process, the source of the raw materials, and the status of certification. Well-known brands often present their product information more transparently and openly. In this way, consumers can more easily obtain related information. This also increases consumers’ trust in the product and their intention to purchase.

However, previous studies paid more attention to the relationship between brand awareness and purchase intention and less to actual behavior. In addition, current studies mostly focus on generalized eco-products, while brand-specific products are relatively weak. Therefore, this study attempted to test the effect of brand awareness on consumers’ purchase intention and actual behavior regarding eco-agricultural products from protected natural areas. The hypotheses are as follows:

H1: 

Brand awareness has a positive effect on consumers’ purchase intention regarding eco-agricultural products in protected natural areas.

H2: 

Brand awareness has a positive effect on consumers’ purchase behavior regarding eco-agricultural products from protected natural areas.

2.2.2. Brand Trust

Trust is generally considered a prerequisite for commodity exchange and an important factor in establishing a bond between consumers and products [26]. The concept of brand trust was proposed from the perspective of the brand–consumer relationship [45]; consumers were willing to rely on the brand from an uncertain perspective because they expected the brand to bring positive results [46]. Brand trust was also seen as the tendency of consumers to rely on the brands [47]. In this study, brand trust is the tendency of consumers to trust the brand of eco-agricultural products from protected natural areas.

It is worth noting that the establishment of brand trust requires a long-term accumulation process. As a newly established brand, brand trust is recognized as a key factor in building relationships between brands and consumers, which enhances their purchasing decisions. Several studies have analyzed the impact of brand trust on consumers’ purchase intentions [26,48]. Generally, consumers who trust a brand are more willing to purchase [49]. If brand trust is developed, then the willingness to purchase increases [50]. Brand trust increases the likelihood that consumers choose its products [51]. However, we found no studies that explored the effects of brand trust on actual purchase behavior. Thus, the hypotheses are as follows:

H3: 

Brand trust has a positive effect on consumers’ purchase intention regarding eco-agricultural products from protected natural areas.

H4: 

Brand trust has a positive effect on consumers’ purchase behavior regarding eco-agricultural products from protected natural areas.

2.2.3. Perceived Quality

In the current living environment, food safety and health are gaining more and more attention from consumers, which makes the market for eco-agricultural products more and more important [52]. Eco-agricultural products are often considered to be of higher quality than ordinary agricultural products because they are produced naturally and generally without the use of chemical fertilizers [53]. Consumers are often willing to buy eco-agricultural products because they are healthier and safer [54,55].

Perceived quality is different from objective quality because all quality is perceived by someone, referring to consumers’ excellent or outstanding judgments [56]. Some studies found that perceived quality was the result of comparing consumer expectations with the actual products’ performance [57]. In this study, perceived quality refers to consumers’ subjective perception of the quality of eco-agricultural products in protected natural areas. Meanwhile, perceived quality was considered a factor associated with consumers’ purchase intention in different scenarios, such as organic private-label food in Turkey, pork with a safety certificate in China, and private-label products in China [58,59,60,61]. Thus, hypothesis five is as follows:

H5: 

Perceived quality has a positive effect on consumers’ purchase intention regarding eco-agricultural products from protected natural areas.

2.2.4. Perceived Price

In the agricultural product market, eco-agricultural products are expensive but more beneficial to consumers than ordinary agricultural products. At the same time, high prices are also an important barrier to the purchase of eco-agricultural products [62,63]. Unlike objective price, perceived price is a subjective interpretation of the monetary value of a product, considering whether the product is cheap or expensive based on the buyers’ knowledge and experience [64,65]. Calvo-Porral and Lévy-Mangin defined perceived price as the consumers’ judgment of a product’s affordability [66]. In this study, perceived price refers to the consumer’s subjective perception of the overall price of eco-agricultural products from regional public brands using protected natural areas, considering products as cheap or expensive based on their knowledge and affordability. Some studies have found that a low and affordable price increases purchase intention [66,67]. Some studies have found that the high price perceived by consumers reduces purchase intention [68]. In this study, perceived price was measured in terms of relative reasonableness and value for money rather than absolute high or low prices. Thus, hypothesis six is as follows:

H6: 

The perceived price has a positive effect on consumers’ purchase intention regarding eco-agricultural products from protected natural areas.

2.2.5. Purchase Intention

In this study, purchase intention referred to a consumer’s tendency or desire to purchase eco-agricultural products from protected natural areas. According to the theory of reasoned action and the theory of planned behavior, intention is a powerful predictor of actual behavior [35,69]. It is a consensus that consumers’ purchase intention is important for understanding the actual purchase behavior related to eco-products [70]. However, it is worth noting that there are two gaps between purchase intention and actual purchase behavior, as well as between payment intention price and actual payment price. Previous studies have shown that willingness often exceeds reality, and a gap is always observed [71]. Sultan et al. found that perceived communication, satisfaction, and trust could lessen the gap between purchase intention and actual purchase behavior for organic food in Australia [72]. Kim and Lee found that ease of purchase and eco-label credibility could lessen the gap between intention and behavior to purchase eco-friendly products in Korea [73]. In general, such differences are objective and unavoidable. Currently, few researchers have studied the actual purchase behavior of Chinese consumers toward eco-agricultural products in the context of realizing the value of eco-products from China’s protected natural areas. Therefore, this study is of great significance in exploring actual purchase behavior. Unfortunately, the conceptual model of this study did not explore the reasons for this difference. Hence, hypothesis seven is as follows:

H7: 

Purchase intention has a positive effect on consumers’ actual purchase behavior regarding eco-agricultural products from protected natural areas.

Based on the above hypotheses, the brand–quality–price model was proposed in this study (Figure 2).

2.2.6. Sociodemographic Factors

The consumers of eco-agricultural products involved in this study are not a homogeneous group, and there are differences in the sociodemographic characteristics. Many studies have shown that consumers’ intentions and behaviors of pro-environmental purchases (e.g., organic food, green products, and eco-agricultural products) are influenced by sociodemographic characteristics, such as gender, age, educational level, income, and so on. For example, Zámková et al. found that consumers aged between 26 and 35 years old with a university degree were the most likely to purchase organic agriculture and food products during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic [24]. Sawicka et al. found that young people from Generation Z declared their willingness to purchase environmentally friendly products in Poland [25] Witek and Ku’zniar found that gender, age, education level, personal financial situation, and the number of children in the family influenced green purchase behavior [74]. However, due to differences in specific products and the research context, the results are inconsistent and even conflicting. Hence, it is necessary to examine the influence of sociodemographic factors on purchase intention and actual behavior in this study, as this will help to put forward targeted brand development suggestions. This study mainly considers whether gender, age, monthly income, educational level, and marital status influence purchase intention and actual behavior. The reason for considering marital status is that in the daily eating habits of China, married people are more willing to cook at home than unmarried people, so there may be more attention paid to the health of the family diet. Thus, hypotheses 8–12 are as follows:

H8a: 

Gender affects consumers’ purchase intention regarding eco-agricultural products from protected natural areas.

H8b: 

Gender affects consumers’ purchase behavior regarding eco-agricultural products from protected natural areas.

H9a: 

Age affects consumers’ purchase intention regarding eco-agricultural products from protected natural areas.

H9b: 

Age affects consumers’ purchase behavior regarding eco-agricultural products from protected natural areas.

H10a: 

Monthly income affects consumers’ purchase intention regarding eco-agricultural products from protected natural areas.

H10b: 

Monthly income affects consumers’ purchase behavior regarding eco-agricultural products from protected natural areas.

H11a: 

Educational level affects consumers’ purchase intention regarding eco-agricultural products from protected natural areas.

H11b: 

Educational level affects consumers’ purchase behavior regarding eco-agricultural products from protected natural areas.

H12a: 

Marital status affects consumers’ purchase intention regarding eco-agricultural products from protected natural areas.

H12b: 

Marital status affects consumers’ purchase behavior regarding eco-agricultural products from protected natural areas.

3. Methodology

3.1. The Study Area

Qianjiangyuan National Park is located in Kaihua County, Zhejiang Province, East China, and covers an area of 252 km², including 4 townships and 21 administrative villages [75]. In December 2022, it was selected for inclusion in the Green List of the IUCN and was awarded the title of World’s Best Protected Nature in July 2023. It is an ecological barrier and important water conservation area in Zhejiang Province and even East China, with a typical vegetation landscape and rare flora dominated by the mid-subtropical broad-leaved evergreen forest; its ecosystems and the large tracts of the primitive low-elevation mid-subtropical broad-leaved evergreen forests in a primitive state are rare in the world. This study chose Qianjiangyuan National Park to explore consumers’ purchase intention and behavior toward eco-agricultural products, which are mainly considered from three aspects: the uniqueness of geographical location, the representativeness of realizing the value of eco-products from national parks, and the typicality of the Qianjiangyuan brand.

Firstly, Qianjiangyuan National Park provides a solution to the contradiction between ecological protection and economic development in China’s protected natural areas with high population density. Qianjiangyuan National Park is one of the first ten pilot areas of the national park system in 2016 and the only pilot area in the economically developed areas of the Yangtze River Del. In addition to its unique ecological value, it also has the characteristics of a relatively developed economy, large population density, and high proportion of collective land. These lands have been owned by local village collectives for a long time and are used as forest land, farmland, and other development and utilization, which is the livelihood of local villagers. One of the challenges in the construction of Qianjiangyuan National Park was dealing with the contradiction between the development and utilization of collective land and ecological protection. The administrative department has explored the reform of the system of servitude rights, aiming to achieve unified management without changing land ownership regarding collective forest land and farmland. For example, farmland production subjects can enjoy easement subsidies of 800 CNY/mu/year (1 mu = 666.67 m²) of farmland under the premise that the use of pesticides and fertilizers is prohibited, straw burning is prohibited, wild animals entering the farmland are not harmed, and protected animals such as crested ibises are allowed to forage [76]. The production of crops is purchased at a guaranteed price, and product sales subsidies and brand licensing are implemented. The relevant trademarks or logos of Qianjiangyuan are uniformly used for external sales. Brand appreciation can accelerate the realization of value for eco-products. This model is being extended within Qianjiangyuan National Park, and when the conditions are optimal, it will radiate to the villages and towns around Qianjiangyuan National Park.

Secondly, based on the above background, Qianjiangyuan National Park has been actively building the brand of national park products and exploring constructing a brand value-added system, relying on its huge advantages in ecology and resources. Qianjiangyuan National Park is a typical representative of realizing the value of eco-products through the construction of a regional public brand, and it has an important leading role in exploring the path of realizing the value of eco-products in China’s protected natural areas. In December 2019, the Qianjiangyuan brand was officially launched to the public, which mainly covered eco-agricultural products and tourism commodities, such as Longding tea, Qingshui fish, camellia oil, Chinese traditional honey, Chinese herbal medicine, etc. The brand is positioned as a limited-edition agricultural product of Kaihua County. Agricultural products in China are generally categorized into two main groups according to environmental requirements and quality standard requirements, including ordinary agricultural products and eco-agricultural products. Eco-agricultural products are harmless, nutritious, and healthy agricultural products produced under the premise of protecting and improving the agricultural ecological environment, which meets the quality and safety requirements for agricultural products. The differences in environmental technology and quality standards mainly include pollution-free agricultural products, green food, organic food, and so on. Compared with ordinary agricultural products without standardization requirements, the environmental requirements and quality standard requirements of pollution-free agricultural products, green food, and organic food are gradually increasing, respectively. In this study, the eco-agricultural products of the Qianjiangyuan brand refer to the pollution-free, nutritious, and healthy high-quality agricultural products of Kaihua County selected on merit concerning the standards of China’s ecological agricultural products; however, not all products have been certified as pollution-free agricultural products, green food, and organic food. Representative products, such as Long Ding tea, Qing Shui fish, camellia oil, etc., have been certified as green food and organic food and have also been certified as national geographical indication products. Overall, a portion of the brand’s products are certified, and even those that are not certified are produced and screened according to China’s standards for eco-agricultural products and can be considered high-quality eco-agricultural products. As an emerging regional public brand of national parks, the administrative authority is committed to building the PRBQ into a first-class ecological environment certification label and a golden sign of a beautiful economy.

Thirdly, many regional public brands are producing agricultural products in China, and these can promote the sale of agricultural products in specific regions. Compared with other regional public brands, the particularity of the brand lies in the fact that it is from China’s national parks. It is an important challenge for China to transform the ecological value of eco-products into economic value in national parks. Compared with other common areas, the quality of eco-agricultural products in national parks is better, and the quantity is limited. The Qianjiangyuan brand was put forward earlier, which is typical and exemplary for other nature reserves. Therefore, this study takes Qianjiangyuan National Park and the Qianjiangyuan brand as the study area and objective to examine the impact of the brand on consumption decision-making and provide references for other protected natural areas to realize the value of eco-products.

3.2. Questionnaire Design

The questionnaire has three parts. The first is the background and purpose of the survey and demographic characteristics. The second is six latent variables measured by a five-point Likert scale, including brand awareness (BA), brand trust (BT), perceived quality (PQ), perceived price (PP), purchase intention (PUI), and purchase behavior (PUB) (

Table 1. Measurement items.

Variable	Items and Sources
BA	Brand awareness [77,78]
BA1	I know___about the regional public brand of Qianjiangyuan.
BA2	I know___about eco-agricultural products of the regional public brand of Qianjiangyuan.
BA3	I know___about the regional public brand’s related environmental information (e.g., green food, organic food).
BT	Brand trust [47,79,80]
BT1	I believe that eco-branded products are conducive to the sustainable development of the environment.
BT2	I believe that eco-brands are more authentic than ordinary brands.
BT3	I think the eco-brand of a product is a sign of product reliability.
PQ	Perceived quality [13,58,70]
PQ1	The eco-products of national parks are safety products derived from nature.
PQ2	The eco-products of national parks are conducive to human health.
PQ3	The quality of eco-products in national parks is better than that of ordinary agricultural products.
PP	Perceived price [81,82]
PP1	If the price of eco-products in national parks is reasonable, I would like to purchase them.
PP2	If the eco-products of national parks are worth the money, I would like to purchase them.
PP3	If the eco-products of national parks are genuine goods at a fair price, I would like to purchase them.
PUI	Purchase intention [27,83,84]
PUI1	If I go to eco-tourism destinations like national parks next time, I am willing to purchase local eco-products.
PUI2	I am willing to pay more for eco-products.
PUI3	I will consider buying eco-products from e-commerce platforms and local supermarkets.
PUB	Purchase behavior [27,70]
PUB1	When I used to travel in eco-tourism places such as national parks, I___bought local eco-products.
PUB2	I___purchase eco-products with higher prices.
PUB3	I___purchase buy eco-products from e-commerce platforms and local supermarkets.

). Specifically, brand awareness ranges from very little (1) to very much (5), brand trust, perceived quality, perceived price, and purchase intention range from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5), and purchase behavior ranges from never (1) to always (5). The measurement items are mainly derived from existing research on consumers’ green purchase behavior with minor modifications to make them suitable for our research.

The third part is the consumers’ willingness to pay for a brand premium, which involves two questions. First, in terms of whether a buyer is willing to purchase eco-agricultural products from the Qianjiangyuan brand in the future, the choice has two categorical variables: yes or no. If the participant selected no, no further details are needed. If the participant chooses yes, they are instructed to proceed to the second question. Second, the unique ecological resource advantage of the national park produces high-quality eco-agricultural products. We asked the participants how much more they would pay compared to similar ordinary products. The options are 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 100%, 100–150%, 151–200%, and >200%.

3.3. Data Collection

To ensure representativeness for a preliminary survey online, the study surveyed 40 respondents in Zhejiang Province who visited Qianjiangyuan National Park in the past year and obtained 33 valid samples. The scales’ reliability of using six latent variables was acceptable based on Cronbach’s alpha coefficients greater than 0.7. The inaccurate language expression in the original questionnaire was modified. Then, the formal survey was conducted on the professional online survey platform Wenjuanxing in China. Since the Qianjiangyuan brand is mainly promoted and sold in Zhejiang Province, the interviewees were targeted in Zhejiang Province. This survey distributed 330 questionnaires from 1 to 31 March 2023 and collected 300 valid questionnaires. The demographic characteristics are shown in

Table 2. Demographics of respondents (n = 300).

Variable	N	%	Variable	N	%
Gender			Age
Male	71	23.67	≤20	4	1.33
Female	229	76.33	21–30	152	50.67
Education Level			31–40	90	30.00
High School Degree and Below	28	9.33	41–50	32	10.67
Associate Degree	42	14.00	≥51	22	7.33
Bachelor Degree	214	71.33	Monthly Income (CNY)
Postgraduate Degree	16	5.33	≤5000	160	53.33
Marital status			5001–10,000	91	30.33
Unmarried	147	49.00	10,001–15,000	26	8.67
Married	153	51.00	≥15,001	23	7.67

.

3.4. Data Analysis

As shown in Figure 3, the structural equation model was used to verify hypotheses 1–7 using Mplus 8. Firstly, the confirmatory factor analysis was performed. The internal consistency reliability of each latent variable was verified with combined reliability (CR) [85]. The construct validity was explained by convergence validity and discriminant validity. The convergent validity was tested by using the standardized factor loading and the average variance extracted (AVE) [86]. The discriminant validity was tested by correlation coefficients and AVE [87]. Secondly, the mediating role of purchase intention was tested using the bootstrap method with 1000 samples and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

For hypotheses 8–12, the independent-sample t-test using SPSS 27 was used to verify the effects of gender (male vs. female), age (≤30 years old vs. >30 years old), monthly income (≤CNY 5000 vs. >CNY 5000), and marital status (unmarried vs. married) on purchase intention and actual purchase behavior. The one-way ANOVA and post hoc LSD multiple comparison tests using SPSS 27 were used to verify the effects of educational level (associate degree or below vs. bachelor degree vs. postgraduate degree) on purchase intention and actual purchase behavior. It should be noted that the reason for age classification is that for many people, 30 years old is a turning point, marking the transition from youth to middle age. At this point, many people have already married and had children, beginning to take on more family and social responsibilities. The consumption behavior of eco-agricultural products is a manifestation of family and social responsibility. In addition, individuals with higher educational qualifications often possess a greater awareness of environmental issues and consumer trends. Thus, the educational level was divided into three groups, which would enhance the comprehensiveness of the study and provide a more nuanced understanding of the impact of education on consumer behavior, ultimately improving the representativeness of the research findings.

For consumer willingness to pay for brand premium rate (BPR), this study uses Formula (1) to measure it, as follows:

$$\mathrm{B}\mathrm{P}\mathrm{R}=\sum _{\mathrm{i}=0}^{\mathrm{n}}{\mathsf{\beta }}_{\mathrm{i}}{\mathrm{X}}_{\mathrm{i}}$$

(1)

where BPR is consumers’ willingness to pay for a brand premium rate, X_i is the willingness to pay, β_i represents the distribution frequency of the number of consumers who choose these options, and n is the number of options.

4. Results

4.1. Measurement Model Evaluation

For the measurement model, the goodness-of-fit was good (χ²/df = 2.661, CFI = 0.962, TLI = 0.951, RMSEA = 0.074, SRMR = 0.034) [88]. The CR values were between 0.848 and 0.958 (>0.60), suggesting the internal consistency was acceptable [85]. The standardized factor loadings were between 0.633 and 0.967 (>0.60, p < 0.001) [89], suggesting the latent variables were effectively measured by observed variables [90]. The AVE values were between 0.651 and 0.884 (>0.36) [91], suggesting the convergent validity was acceptable. The correlation coefficients were lower than the square root of the AVE values, suggesting the discriminant validity was good [87]. This scale had acceptable reliability and validity (

Table 3. Descriptive statistics and consistency reliability of latent variables.

Variable	Item	Mean	S.D.	Std. Loading	T-Value	CR
BA	BA1	2.027	1.171	0.900		0.883
	BA2	2.043	1.140	0.979	22.790
	BA3	2.807	1.068	0.627	12.754
BT	BT1	4.050	0.763	0.751		0.888
	BT2	3.820	0.889	0.888	15.830
	BT3	3.920	0.842	0.912	16.459
PQ	PQ1	3.897	0.814	0.914		0.934
	PQ2	3.887	0.788	0.933	27.607
	PQ3	3.827	0.828	0.881	23.551
PP	PP1	4.097	0.741	0.926		0.958
	PP2	4.090	0.746	0.957	32.287
	PP3	4.117	0.729	0.939	30.272
PUI	PUI1	3.833	0.779	0.873		0.848
	PUI2	3.517	0.909	0.769	15.535
	PUI3	3.820	0.798	0.774	16.216
PUB	PUB1	2.947	1.126	0.878		0.938
	PUB2	2.763	1.110	0.939	24.528
	PUB3	2.987	1.082	0.921	23.688

and

Table 4. Convergent and discriminant validity of latent variables.

Dim	Convergence Validity	Discrimination Validity
	AVE	BA	BT	PQ	PP	PUI	PUB
BA	0.723	0.850
BT	0.727	0.245	0.853
PQ	0.826	0.232	0.844	0.909
PP	0.884	0.148	0.654	0.742	0.940
PUI	0.651	0.302	0.788	0.843	0.727	0.807
PUB	0.834	0.486	0.477	0.420	0.268	0.581	0.913

Note 1: Diagonal values indicate the square root of AVE of each latent variable. Note 2: Underneath the diagonal indicates the correlation matrix of latent variables.

).

4.2. Structural Model Evaluation

For the structural model, the goodness-of-fit (χ²/df = 2.776, CFI = 0.947, TLI = 0.948, RMSEA = 0.077, SRMR = 0.041) was acceptable [88]. In addition, the BQP model had a good predictive ability for purchase intention (R² = 0.746) and purchase behavior (R² = 0.431).

The results showed that brand awareness (β_BA→PUI = 0.018, t = 2.650, p < 0.01), brand trust (β_BT→PUI = 0.248, t = 2.755, p < 0.01), perceived quality (β_PQ→PUI = 0.455, t = 4.661, p < 0.001), and perceived price (β_PP→PUI = 0.196, t = 3.163, p < 0.01) positively influenced consumers’ purchase intention. Thus, H1, H3, H5, and H6 were supported. Brand awareness (β_BA→PUB = 0.347, t = 7.091, p < 0.001) and purchase intention (β_PUI→PUB = 0.427, t = 4.455, p < 0.001) positively influenced consumers’ purchase behavior. Thus, H2 and H7 were supported. However, brand trust (β_BT→PUB = 0.045, t = 0.474, p > 0.05) had no direct positive effects on consumers’ actual purchase behavior. Thus, H4 was rejected (Figure 4).

4.3. The Mediating Test of Purchase Intention

All results are shown in

Table 5. The results of the mediating effect of purchase intention.

Path	Effect	Estimate	Bias-Corrected Percentile		Percentile
			Lower	Upper	Lower	Upper
BA→PUB	Total effects	0.393 ***	0.282	0.503	0.282	0.503
	Indirect effects	0.046 *	0.014	0.093	0.011	0.087
	Direct effects	0.347 ***	0.237	0.453	0.242	0.455
BT→PUB	Total effects	0.151	−0.037	0.312	−0.030	0.313
	Indirect effects	0.106 *	0.032	0.251	0.023	0.230
	Direct effects	0.045	−0.138	0.225	−0.141	0.222

Note 1: *** significance at p < 0.001, * significance at p < 0.05.

. The bias-corrected percentile CI of indirect effects (0.014–0.093) and direct effects (0.237–0.453) for brand awareness and purchase behavior did not contain a 0 value, suggesting there were indirect and direct effects [92]. Thus, purchase intention was a partial mediating role. The indirect effects were 0.046 (β_{BA→PUI→PUB} = 0.046), the direct effects were 0.347 (β_BA→PUB = 0.347), and the total effects were 0.393 (β_{BA→PUI→PUB+BA→PUB} = 0.393).

In addition, the bias-corrected percentile CI of indirect effects (0.032–0.251) for brand trust and purchase behavior did not contain a 0 value, suggesting that the mediating effects existed. The bias-corrected percentile CI of direct effects (−0.138–0.225) contained 0, suggesting there were no direct effects. Thus, purchase intention played a fully mediating role between brand trust and purchase behavior. The indirect effects were 0.106 (β_{BT→PUI→PUB} = 0.106).

4.4. The Independent-Sample T-Test and the One-Way ANOVA

Regarding purchase intention, the results of the independent-sample t-test showed that there was no difference between males and females (t = −1.825, p = 0.069) (

Table 6. The results of the independent-sample t-test and one-way ANOVA.

Variables	Grouping	N	PUI			PUB
			Mean	T/F-Value	Sig.	Mean	T/F-Value	Sig.
Gender	Male	71	3.587	−1.825	0.069	2.939	0.370	0.711
	Female	229	3.766			2.886
Age	≤30	156	3.547	−4.532	<0.001	2.703	−3.469	<0.001
	>30	144	3.914			3.111
Monthly income	≤5000 CNY	160	3.588	−3.541	<0.001	2.731	−3.018	0.003
	>5001 CNY	140	3.879			3.090
Marital status	Unmarried	147	3.510	−5.212	<0.001	2.703	−3.234	0.001
	Married	153	3.928			3.087
Educational level	Associate degree or below	70	3.881	4.467	0.012	3.110	2.044	0.131
	Bachelor degree	214	3.648			2.823
	Postgraduate degree	16	4.041			2.979

). The mean value of females was higher than males. There were differences in terms of age (t = −4.532, p < 0.001), monthly income (t = −3.541, p < 0.001), and marital status (t = −5.212, p < 0.001). The mean values showed that consumers who are older (>30), have higher monthly income (>5000), and are married have higher purchase intentions than those who are younger (≤30), have lower monthly income (≤5000), and are unmarried. The results of the one-way ANOVA showed that there were differences in different educational levels (F = 4.467, p = 0.012). Then, the multiple comparisons utilizing the post hoc LSD test were used to analyze pairwise differences, and the result showed that there was a significant difference between an associate degree or below, a postgraduate degree, and a bachelor degree. However, there was no significant difference between an associate degree or below degree and a postgraduate degree. The mean values showed that consumers with postgraduate degrees have the greatest purchase intention, followed by associate degrees or below, and finally, bachelor degrees. Thus, H9a, H10a, H11a, and H12a are supported, and H8a is rejected.

Regarding purchase behavior, the results of the independent-sample t-test showed that there was no difference for gender (t = 0.370, p = 0.711). The mean value showed that males were higher than females. There were differences for age (t = −3.469, p < 0.001), monthly income (t = −3.018, p < 0.001), and marital status (t = −3.234, p < 0.05). The mean values showed that consumers who are older (>30), have a higher monthly income (>5000), and are married have higher purchase behaviors than those of younger (≤30), have lower monthly income (≤5000), and are unmarried. The results of the one-way ANOVA showed that there was no difference in different educational levels with a confidence level of 95% (F = 2.044, p = 0.131,

Table 7. The results of multiple comparisons utilizing the post hoc LSD test.

Variables	(I) Educational Level	(J) Educational Level	Mean Difference (I–J)	Sig.
PUI	<Bachelor	=Bachelor	0.233 *	0.019
		>Bachelor	−0.160	0.418
	Bachelor	<Bachelor	−0.233 *	0.019
		>Bachelor	−0.393 *	0.035
	Postgraduate	<Bachelor	0.160	0.418
		=Bachelor	0.393 *	0.035

Note 1: * significance at p < 0.05.

). The mean values showed that consumers with associate degrees have the greatest purchase intention, followed by postgraduate degrees and, finally, bachelor degrees. However, these mean differences are not statistically significant. Thus, H9b, H10b, and H12b are supported. H8b and H11b are rejected. It should be noted that there is a gap between the purchase intention and behavior of each group, and the intention is higher than the behavior.

4.5. Consumers’ Willingness to Pay for Brand Premium

According to the survey, 65.00% of respondents purchased brand eco-agricultural products in the past, while only 16.67% of respondents purchased eco-agricultural products with the brand of Qianjiangyuan. However, 86.7% of respondents are willing to purchase the brand’s eco-products in the future. Of those willing to purchase, 7.69% are not willing to pay a brand premium, 41.54%, 27.69%, 11.54%, 2.31%, 5.38%, and 0.38% are willing to pay a 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, and 60% brand premium, respectively. A total of 1.15% are willing to pay 70%, 80%, and 90% brand premiums. According to Formula (1), the results show that the expected value of brand premium payment willingness is 17.13%, indicating that consumers are willing to pay 17.13% more than the price of ordinary products to buy eco-agricultural products from the Qianjiangyuan brand.

5. Discussion

5.1. Theoretical Contributions

This study provides a theoretical framework and essential data lacking in the research literature on the value realization of eco-products from China’s protected natural areas with insights into consumer demand and the impact of regional public brands on consumer purchasing behavior regarding eco-agricultural products from a Chinese national park. To fill this gap, this study makes the following two noteworthy theoretical contributions.

Firstly, a conceptual brand–quality–price model was developed based on the theory of consumption values and the theory of reasoned action. This study provides evidence that the model had a good predictive ability for consumers’ purchase intention (R² = 0.746) and actual behavior (R² = 0.431) regarding purchasing eco-agricultural products from protected natural areas. The results showed that brand awareness, brand trust, perceived quality, and perceived price had significant positive influences on consumers’ purchase intention. The results were similar to those of existing studies on consumers’ intention to purchase eco-products [31,32,37,50]. In particular, perceived quality was the most important factor contributing to the formation of consumers’ purchase intention. This result is consistent with the current consumption of agricultural products in China [11,12]. In recent years, the trend of upgrading agricultural consumption has become obvious, and consumers are moving from satisfying consumption to quality consumption. For example, when buying agricultural products such as rice, fruit, meat, and poultry, consumers are increasingly concerned about quality. Compared with ordinary agricultural products, eco-agricultural products with regional public brands have more unique flavor, higher nutritional value, and better-quality assurance, which can meet the needs of consumers for taste, health, and safety at the same time, and become an important indicator of consumption upgrading and quality improvement. On the other hand, this study has made up for the shortcomings of previous studies on the relationship between brands and consumers’ actual purchase behavior. Purchase intention played a partly mediating role between brand awareness and actual behavior. The direct impact of brand awareness on actual purchase behavior was much higher than that of purchase intention (β_BA→PUB = 0.347; β_BA→PUI = 0.018). The results confirmed previous research results showing that consumers are more willing to choose brands they are familiar with to avoid risks [37]. However, brand trust did not directly affect consumers’ decisions in actual purchase behavior. The purchase intention had fully mediating impacts between brand trust and actual purchase behavior. The possible reasons why brand trust does not have a direct and significant impact on actual purchase behavior are as follows: Firstly, although brand trust can affect consumers’ purchase intention, it is not the only determining factor. Other factors, such as perceived quality, perceived price, and brand awareness, are equally important. In addition, brand trust needs to be transformed into actual purchase behavior through the combined effects of other factors. Secondly, brand trust needs to be combined with other marketing strategies to achieve maximum effectiveness. For example, even if a brand has a high level of trust, if the product’s quality or price does not meet consumer needs, consumers will still not make a purchase. Therefore, brand trust needs to work together with other marketing strategies such as high-quality service, reasonable prices, etc. Finally, building brand trust requires time and sustained effort. Consumer trust in a brand is gradually established through multiple enjoyable shopping experiences. If a brand encounters problems in a certain aspect, such as substandard product quality or inadequate service, it will affect consumers’ trust in the brand. Therefore, brands need to continuously provide high-quality products and services to maintain and enhance consumer trust, ultimately translating into actual purchase behavior.

Secondly, the findings contribute to the literature on customers’ regarding the choice criterion of eco-agricultural products in protected natural areas and expand the existing knowledge system of eco-agricultural product marketing. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to examine the value-added benefits and premium level of the Qianjiangyuan brand from the perspective of consumers’ willingness to pay. This study proves that creating a regional public brand is an effective way to realize the value of eco-products in China’s protected natural areas. Brand awareness and brand trust have direct or indirect effects on consumers’ purchase intention and actual behavior. Based on the survey, the results showed that consumers were willing to pay 17.13% more than the price of ordinary products, which provided a theoretical reference for brand pricing. In general, price is one of the dominant factors that influence consumers’ purchase of eco-agricultural products. For the value realization of eco-agricultural products, the higher the brand premium, the better the value realization. However, if the pricing is too high, it is not conducive to the sales of the product, and high-quality and low-priced products will be welcomed by consumers. The mean value of perceived price was 4.101 points, indicating that consumers’ perceived price fairness was at a high level in this survey.

5.2. Practical Implications

This study presents several managerial implications for improving consumers’ purchase intention and behavior toward eco-agricultural products for different stakeholders, specifically local authorities, producers, sellers, and consumers. Ultimately, it provides a practical path for the value realization of eco-agricultural products in protected natural areas.

Local authorities and producers should closely integrate the acceleration of agricultural standardization-based construction with the cultivation of ecological origin products, promote standardized production, consolidate the quality foundation, and build a quality trust mechanism for eco-agricultural products. The study showed that perceived quality was the most important factor in improving consumers’ purchase intention. The mean value of perceived quality was 3.870 points, indicating that consumers perceived quality was at a relatively high level in this survey. Based on the survey, there was a consensus that eco-agricultural products were safer, healthier, and better than ordinary agricultural products. Providing consumers with products that balance deliciousness, greenness, health, nutrition, and high cost-effectiveness is a new growth direction for eco-agriculture in protected natural areas. For eco-agricultural products, the brand is face-saving, quality is the essence, and standards are the guarantee of quality. Standards and certifications enable landmark agricultural product practitioners to implement source control, risk management, full process control, standardized planting and breeding, and stabilized quality control, as well as help to provide consumers with better and higher quality agricultural products. On the other hand, the agricultural products of this brand are mainly local specialties, are of good quality, and have local characteristics. However, not many products receive certified labels. Therefore, producers and local authorities should accelerate the promotion of more agricultural products to obtain certification labels and increase brand trust. In terms of eco-agricultural products, the question of how to improve consumer trust in products is an important issue. Some studies found that certified labels could increase brand trust and purchasing decisions, such as geographical indications, organic labels, and green labels [93,94]. From a global perspective, the development of the geographical indications of the EU is mature and has been widely recognized, mainly including Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG), such as French wine, Irish whiskey, Greek olive oil, etc. In the United States, the legal protection of geographical indications comes from its trademark laws [95], such as Washington apples, Idaho potatoes, etc. The common goal of these certified labels is to protect the place of origin, unify production standards, ensure the quality of products, and gain consumer trust and satisfaction. China has also built a quality certification system and a brand development system for agricultural products, which is based on pollution-free agricultural products, green food, organic food, and agro-product geographical indications.

Sellers should first carry out brand promotion through a variety of processes, such as advertising, media cooperation, participation in exhibitions, and holding promotional activities. In addition, with the popularity of online social media, enterprises can actively use network channels for brand promotion and improve brand awareness through content marketing, social media communication, and other ways. The results showed that the mean value of brand trust was 3.930 points, indicating that consumers perceived brand trust was at an above-average level in this survey. The mean value of brand awareness was 2.292 points, indicating that consumers perceived brand awareness was at a low level. Therefore, it is very necessary to improve brand awareness. To increase brand awareness and make more consumers familiar with the brand, more and more advertisements should be placed to make a large number of people familiar with the brand. Secondly, the sellers should reasonably design the price of the product according to the consumer’s willingness to pay. Consumers believed that if eco-agricultural products were reasonably priced, value for money, and genuine, they would buy them. A special note about brand pricing is that the respondents of this study are mainly from Zhejiang Province, China, which is one of the most economically developed provinces, with the province’s per capita disposable income ranking third in China in 2023. Therefore, the willingness to pay a brand premium in this study should be at a relatively high level. Therefore, the results of this study may not be appropriate for brand pricing in other regions of China. Brand pricing should be based on adequate market research and reasonable pricing based on the characteristics of the consumer market and the consumer’s spending power.

Consumers who consider that the regional public brand represents good quality and reputation of the product should form the habit of paying attention to brand information related to eco-agricultural products, which helps them make the right purchase choice. At the same time, the results of demographic characteristics influence purchase intention and actual behavior and can be used for targeted publicity and marketing. The age, monthly income, and marital status significantly affect purchase intention and actual purchase behavior. The results of age and income are consistent with previous studies that show that older and higher-income consumers have higher purchase intention and behavior toward ecological and healthy food [70,74]. Because older consumers are more concerned about food safety and health, the prices of eco-agricultural products are often relatively high, whereas some studies also indicate that young people are more willing to consume pro-environmental products [25]. Compared to unmarried consumers, married consumers have better purchase intention and actual behavior. This also confirms the reliability of the age results from another angle. In terms of educational level, there were significant differences in different educational levels but no significant difference in actual purchase behavior. The mean values showed that consumers with postgraduate degrees had the greatest purchase intention, followed by associate degrees or below, and finally, bachelor’s degrees. There are differences in past research results, with some studies suggesting that higher levels of education are more conducive to pro-environmental consumption behavior, with others suggesting the opposite, and still others suggesting that there is no correlation between the two [70,96]. Gender had no significant effects on purchase intention or actual purchase behavior; this result is inconsistent with previous studies [74]. In daily life, females purchase green products more frequently than males. Some studies have shown that females are more likely to purchase green products compared to males [97].

5.3. Research Limitations and Future Research Directions

Firstly, the brand–quality–price model provides a good explanation for the decision-making process of consumers’ purchasing eco-agricultural products from protected natural areas, with good explanatory power, but it still has shortcomings. On the one hand, there was a difference in mean values between consumers’ purchase intention (3.723) and actual purchase behavior (2.899). Consumers’ purchase intention for eco-agricultural products was higher than their actual behavior. In the actual consumption, there are many possible reasons for the actual consumption behavior to be lower than the consumption intention. For example, income level is the basic factor affecting consumption behavior. If the actual income of consumers is lower than expected, even if there is a willingness to spend, it may not be realized because of economic pressures. Additionally, lifestyle changes, which reduce the need to eat at home, can lead to this; even if there is a desire, it may not be possible because of the change in eating style. The gap between the two is almost impossible to close, but how to minimize the gap is the focus of future research. On the other hand, there is still room for improvement in the ability of the model to predict consumers’ purchase intention and actual behavior. Future research can explore adding other explanatory variables based on this model to improve the explanatory ability.

Secondly, this study did not focus on a specific eco-agricultural product, so the research results may not be sufficiently specific. Especially regarding the willingness to pay for brand premiums, there should be significant differences in the willingness to pay premiums for different types of eco-agricultural products due to their different attributes, such as rice, flour, grain, oil, meat, egg, tea, honey, fish, and so on. Hence, future research can focus on a specific category of eco-agricultural products.

Finally, this study relied on self-reported data. Self-reported measures of respondents’ perceptions can provide some accurate information, but caution needs to be taken about possible biases, misunderstandings, and social expectations. When combined with other assessment methods, such as conducting diachronic follow-up surveys, it can be measured more objectively.

6. Conclusions

Transforming ecological value into economic value is an important challenge regarding China’s protected natural areas. Compared with the trading of intangible eco-products, such as forest carbon sinks, eco-agricultural products have a relatively mature trading market. At the same time, consumers’ demand for safe, high-quality, healthy, and nutritious eco-agricultural products is expanding year by year, and the consumption habits of eco-agricultural products are constantly developing. China is in a transition stage from quantity consumption to quality consumption and from commodity consumption to brand consumption. Thus, the Chinese government has tried to encourage the creation of distinctive regional public brands of eco-products, strengthening brand cultivation and protection and increasing the premium of eco-products. The Qianjiangyuan brand is one of the most representative cases of China’s national parks that explore the value realization of eco-products. Therefore, this study used Qianjiangyuan National Park as a case study to examine the impact of a brand, providing suggestions for promoting the consumption of eco-agricultural products from China and other nationally protected natural areas.

This study has achieved its research objectives. Except for H4, H8a, H8b, and H11b, all hypotheses were supported, namely, H1, H2, H3, H5, H6, H7, H9a, H9b, H10a, H10b, H11a, H12a, and H12b. There are two conclusions: Firstly, the brand–quality–price model proposed in this study has good predictive ability for consumers’ purchase intention and actual behavior regarding eco-agricultural products from China’s protected natural areas, which provides important decision-making references for brand development. In the future, it is expected that relevant scholars will carry out more empirical tests using this model to improve and perfect its applicability. Secondly, this study proves that regional public brands can improve the premium of eco-products. It is an effective way to realize the value of eco-products in China’s protected natural areas. The case of Qianjiangyuan National Park can provide valuable experience for China and other national protected natural areas to establish a value realization mechanism for eco-products.