Consumer Purchasing Decisions on Sustainable Products in Advertising: The Interplay of Message Appeals and Agency-Communion Orientations

Consumer Purchasing Decisions on Sustainable Products in Advertising: The Interplay of Message Appeals and Agency-Communion Orientations

Both message appeals and individual characteristics can influence the effectiveness of sustainable product promotions. Applying the agency-communion orientation to the advertising message research context, this study examined the interplay between message appeals and agency-communication orientations in impacting purchase intentions. The findings from a 2 (message appeal: self-interest vs. public-interest message) × 2 (motivational orientation: agency vs. communion) experiment revealed a communion-over-agency effect on consumer purchasing decisions for public-interest message appeals. In the self-interest message condition, we found no statistically significant difference in impact between agency and communion on purchase intentions. In short, we contribute to advertising effectiveness research by showing that agency-communion orientations moderate the effect of message appeals. We also explain the practical implications of these findings for effective sustainable communication in advertisements based on individuals' motivational orientations.