Navigating the Complexity of Sustainability Communications: The Influence of Product Type, Media Type, and Brand Realism

Summary

This peer-reviewed study (Park & Minton, Psychology & Marketing) reports three experiments (total N = 1,153) examining when sustainability claims build trust and persuade consumers. The experiments test interactions among product type (search, experience, credence), media channel (digital vs traditional), and brand realism (real vs fictitious), using the Persuasion Knowledge Model as the organising framework.

Key findings: sustainability messaging increases trust for search and experience goods but can be neutral or even harmful for credence goods; media matters — digital media works better for low‑complexity/search goods, while traditional media can be more persuasive for credence goods; brand realism alters effects — realistic/familiar brands reduce persuasion for search and credence goods (likely via scepticism) but improve outcomes for experience goods. The authors recommend aligning sustainability claims to the product evaluability, media credibility and brand context to maximise trust and purchase intent.

Key Points

Sustainability messages boost trust and persuasion for search and experience goods, but have limited or negative effects for credence goods.
Media type moderates impact: digital channels are more effective for low-complexity/search goods; traditional media can enhance trust for credence goods.
Brand realism (real vs fictitious) changes responses: realism dampens persuasion for search and credence goods (heightened scepticism) but enhances it for experience goods.
Study 3 added purchase intentions and brand attitudes, confirming trust effects translate into behavioural intent when conditions align.
Practical takeaway: one-size-fits-all sustainability claims risk backfiring — tailor messages to product evaluability, pick the right media and consider brand familiarity/authenticity.
Methodologically robust: three experiments, sizable pooled sample (N=1,153), and clear theoretical integration via the Persuasion Knowledge Model.

Why should I read this?

Quick and dirty: if you make or market anything with a green claim, this paper tells you when that claim will help — and when it might actually hurt. It’s short on platitudes and practical on strategy: match your claim to the product type, choose your channel wisely, and don’t assume brand realism always helps. Read it if you want to avoid obvious greenwashing mistakes and make sustainability messaging actually move the needle.

Context and relevance

This article matters because brands keep increasing sustainability communications while consumer scepticism and concerns about greenwashing are rising. By showing that effectiveness depends on product evaluability (search/experience/credence), media credibility and brand familiarity, the study gives marketers and policy makers a clearer playbook for credible green messaging. It ties into broader trends in media trust, influencer/digital marketing, and the regulation and scrutiny of sustainability claims.

Author note (style)

Punchy: the authors combine clear experiments with actionable advice — the kind of research that helps marketers change what they do, not just what they say.

Source

Park, H., & Minton, E. A. (2025). Navigating the Complexity of Sustainability Communications: The Influence of Product Type, Media Type, and Brand Realism. Psychology & Marketing. DOI: 10.1002/mar.70030

Source: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mar.70030?af=R