The Influence of Green Demarketing on Brand Credibility, Green Authenticity, and Greenwashing in the Food Industry

Alaa M. S. Azazz (), Ibrahim A. Elshaer, Abdulaziz Al Thani, Mohamed Algezawy, Abeer A. Mahrous, Mahmoud A. Mansour, Azza Abdel Moneim and Sameh Fayyad
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Alaa M. S. Azazz: Department of Tourism and Hospitality, Arts College, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsaa 380, Saudi Arabia
Ibrahim A. Elshaer: Department of Management, College of Business Administration, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsaa 380, Saudi Arabia
Abdulaziz Al Thani: Department of Management, College of Business Administration, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsaa 380, Saudi Arabia
Mohamed Algezawy: Department of Management, College of Business Administration, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsaa 380, Saudi Arabia
Abeer A. Mahrous: Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Commerce, Cairo University, Cairo 12613, Egypt
Mahmoud A. Mansour: Tourism Studies Department, Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt
Azza Abdel Moneim: Hotel Studies Department, Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Fayoum University, Fayoum 63512, Egypt
Sameh Fayyad: Tourism Studies Department, Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 21, 1-17

Abstract: In the age where environmental sustainability issues are progressively prioritized, green demarketing has risen as a strategic choice for organizations aiming to decrease customer demand for unsustainable services/products and stimulate more eco-friendly substitutes. This paper investigates the impact of green demarketing on brand credibility, green authenticity, and perceptions of greenwashing. This paper examines how restaurants that are engaged in green demarketing practices are perceived with regard to their commitment toward the environment and whether such practices improve or reduce a brand’s credibility. Moreover, this study explores green authenticity and explores how an organization’s brand looks in its sustainability practices when employing demarketing activities. The proper consequences of greenwashing, where customers might perceive these tactics as insincere or misleading, are also significantly explored. By employing a survey research method, 414 restaurant customers were targeted, and the gathered data were analyzed employing partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). This study’s results might contribute to the increasing interest in sustainable marketing activities and deliver practical implications for restaurants aiming to navigate the complex multi-dynamics of ecofriendly responsibility and consumer credibility.

Keywords: green demarketing; brand credibility; green authenticity; greenwashing; restaurant industry; food waste (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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