Does advertising the green benefits of products contribute to sustainable development goals? A quasi-experimental test of the dilution effect

Abstract

Using two studies, we examine the dilution effect for green products, by testing whether advertising green benefits decreases their perceived instrumentality and thus harms sustainable development. We use a between-subject design and ask participants to evaluate the efficacy of a pen (Study 1) and a dish detergent (Study 2) with and without environmental attributes. Our results are inconsistent with the predictions of the dilution model because the perceived instrumentality of both products does not decrease when environmental benefits are added. Our findings are relevant for eco-labeling given anecdotal evidence suggesting that adding green information can harm the perceived quality of products.