An Exploratory Study on Consumers Perceptions of Green Branding in the Cosmetics Industry

Abstract

Consumers are becoming environmentally conscious and are considering the protection of the environment as part of their purchase decision due to the increasing rise of global pollution (White, Hardisty & Habib, 2019). Therefore, organisations are adapting to this increasing demand for environmentally friendly products in order to increase brand equity (Amberg & Fogarassy, 2019). Due to the above information, this qualitative study explores the consumer perceptions of green branding in the cosmetics industry. The research was conducted using an interpretivist paradigm and an exploratory research design. Data was collected through use of open-ended, online questionnaires which enabled the researcher to gain an in-depth understanding of the participants’ perceptions of green branding in the cosmetics industry (Dawer, 2019). Findings indicated that consumers encourage cosmetics brands to incorporate green branding into organisational practices and have positive perceptions of cosmetics brands that utilize green branding. However, green branding is not an overarching determinant on consumer purchase intentions. Quality and how well the products work are the main determinants for consumer loyalty or consumer purchase intention. Therefore, the results of the study contribute to providing cosmetics brands with evidence to utilize green branding as a tool to increase brand equity and develop positive consumer perceptions.