Understanding the Purchasing Behavior of Consumers in Response to Sustainable Marketing Practices: An Empirical Analysis in the Food Domain

Ilaria Mancuso, Angelo Natalicchio, Umberto Panniello and Paolo Roma
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Ilaria Mancuso: Department of Mechanics, Mathematics, and Management, Politecnico di Bari, Via Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italy
Angelo Natalicchio: Department of Mechanics, Mathematics, and Management, Politecnico di Bari, Via Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italy
Umberto Panniello: Department of Mechanics, Mathematics, and Management, Politecnico di Bari, Via Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italy
Paolo Roma: Department of Engineering, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-22

Abstract: Sustainability has become an important driver in defining business strategies, affecting most critical corporate functions and changing the way in which value is created, communicated, and distributed. This is increasingly impacting marketing practices, in particular, through promoting the development of sustainable marketing in the food sector. In line with this, our study aimed to investigate if and how sustainable marketing practices affect consumer loyalty to a specific brand. To answer our research questions, we relied on the results of a survey submitted to a sample of 907 Italian consumers of biscuits. Results showed that the consumers’ attention to sustainable issues (in the absence of adequate information that can guide them in choosing a brand) did not result in brand loyalty. The same outcome was found when consumers were overloaded by marketing campaigns, which had the effect of confusing users and making them unfaithful. Ultimately, when consumers showed both engagement with sustainable concerns and sensitivity to marketing initiatives (i.e., they are sensitive to sustainable marketing practices), a positive effect on brand loyalty was observed. Our results contribute to the emerging stream of literature discussing the relevance and potential impact of sustainable marketing.

Keywords: consumer behavior; sustainability; sustainable marketing; food; brand loyalty (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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