Leveraging the Strategic Promotion of Green Consumption Amid Financial Scarcity: The Atypicality Advantage

Abstract

Promoting green products is challenging, especially when consumers subjectively experience financial scarcity. Drawing on fluid compensation theory, we propose and test the strategic advantage of atypical green innovation products. Four studies (with 670 participants) revealed that consumers would have a stronger preference for atypical (versus typical) green products amid financial scarcity. Furthermore, we have found that the effect of financial scarcity on the increasing preference for atypical green products is more pronounced among consumers with higher cultural looseness (versus tightness). Our research contributes to advancing both research and practices by providing insights into how to select strategic paths for corporate green product innovation (whether radical or incremental), refine promotion strategies for green products amid the global economic downturn, and leverage cultural differences to promote green consumption.