Browsing by Author "Jokinen, Joel"

The existence of the markets for products and services, that are enchanted with attributes of ecological sustainability for added value is contingent to consumer trust in green advertising. The paramount importance of consumer trust is due to the nature of these attributes. They are not tangible features, that can be validated or experienced, instead green attributes are invisible and exist solely through consumer’s confidence in the claims that argue for them. Therefore, consumers must rely on evidence external to the attribute itself, such as their perception of promoter’s credibility, integrity, and benevolence, to construe their willingness to depend on the advertisement. This research explored contextual antecedents to consumer trust in Finnish food industry’s green advertising by conducting seven semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis identified three interlinked themes: perceived disconnect between company motives and sustainability; Finnishness as an indicator for quality, purity and environmentality; and trust in public institutions. The overarching theme linking each was the values, beliefs, and meanings participants associated Finland and Finnishness that related to their perceived trust in green advertising. Contextual antecedents to trust in green advertising found were trust in institutions’ ability to control and monitor companies, and the positive meanings participants associated with national context. The study found that trust in institutions is important in forming a stable trust between consumer’s and green markets. Furthermore, the values and norms within national context that relate to perceived quality and environmental values can play a significant role in how consumers trust green attributes promoted in green advertising