Decisive Factors For Purchasing Products With Social And Environmental Labels

Abstract

Socially and environmentally responsible firms make great efforts to obtain the labels that certify their social and environmental standards. To differentiate them from their competitors, the so-called ‘socially responsible’ labels are considered the best way to inform consumers of their social and environmental performance. However, previous studies have concluded that most consumers do not recognize, do not understand or do not trust labels. Whereas previous studies have examined the influence of attitudes on the purchase of labelled products, this study analyses the influence of understanding and of variables associated with motivation to purchase such products. On interviewing 289 consumers in Madrid, it was found that knowledge of the label is a key precursor to CSR purchasing. The paper concludes by suggesting that organizations and marketing professionals with an interest in the CSR-labelled market should invest in building up familiarity with the label. Avenues for academic research are also proposed.