CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

Reputation, Marketing, and the Pursuit of Green

Parker-Reed, SSWAC

The purpose of the research is to determine motivations for purchasing green products. We investigated the effects company reputation and type of green product had on purchasing patterns. Are participants more likely to purchase a green product if it has a tangible environmental effect associated with it, like planting a tree? Participants were 100 Colby students. They received a description of either a company with a good reputation, or one with a bad reputation. They also received descriptions of two backpacks, either one made from green materials, or one in which a company plants a tree upon purchase, each compared to a standard control backpack. They were asked to select which product they would purchase. In addition, they were asked how much they trusted the companys marketing, how much they felt their purchase helped the environment, and how likely they were to purchase future products from this company.

https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/clas/2014/program/214