| Abstract [eng] |
The relevance and problem of the project. Growing consumer concern about the environment and climate change encourages them to look for products that are environmentally friendly. This leads to an increasing demand for environmentally friendly products. Brands, noticing the increasing demand for environmentally friendly products, respond to the demand by expanding the range of products offered or improving existing ones. However, there are cases when the easiest way is chosen to attract sustainable consumers - the use of false or misleading communication, called greenwashing. When using greenwashing, the aim is to present brand as an environmentally friendly, although this is not true. Studies show that consumers with lower levels of environmental knowledge are more easily influenced by greenwashing. Without noticing that greenwashing is being used, the brand may achieve the desired results, but if the consumer perceives greenwashing, a negative result may be achieved, such as decreased trust in the brand. After evaluating existing research analyzing consumer environmental knowledge, perceived greenwashing, and brand trust, a need for research examining these constructs together was identified. The research problem is formulated: what are the relationships between consumer environmental knowledge, perceived green brainwashing, and brand trust? Project object - relationships between consumer environmental knowledge, perceived greenwashing, and brand trust. The aim of the study - to theoretically justify and empirically test relationships between consumer environmental knowledge, perceived greenwashing, and brand trust. Research results. The results of the empirical study showed that the effect of consumer environmental knowledge on the ability to perceive greenwashing depends on the product condition. In the case of a honest green brand, a statistically significant effect of environmental knowledge on the ability to perceive greenwashing was observed, but in the case of honest non-green and greenwashed brands, consumers with higher environmental knowledge did not show a correct assessment of perceived greenwashing. In the overall assessment of consumer ability to perceive greenwashing, it was observed that the honest green brand was perceived as green. When assessing the effect of the intervention on the ability to perceive greenwashing, a change in consumer assessment was observed, i.e. the intervention helped to better perceive greenwashing and the brand using greenwashing was most perceived as using greenwashing. When examining the effect of perceived greenwashing on brand trust, it was found that brand trust does not decrease when brand is perceived as using greenwashing. |
