Going Green for Sustainability in Outdoor Sport Brands: Consumer Preferences for Eco-Friendly Practices

Won-Yong Jang and Eui-Yul Choi ()
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Won-Yong Jang: Research Institute for Regional Development, Kangwon National University, Samcheok 25913, Republic of Korea
Eui-Yul Choi: Department of Leisure Sports and Tourism, Youngsan University, Busan 48015, Republic of Korea

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 10, 1-20

Abstract: The present study investigates consumer preferences for eco-friendly practices implemented by outdoor sport brands, identifying which practices are perceived as most significant among the overall consumer group and within consumer segments differentiated by ecological consciousness. This study targeted consumers who had purchased outdoor sport brand products within the past one to two years. The results indicated that overall consumers regarded ‘Materials usage’, particularly ‘100% organic materials’, as the most critical eco-friendly attribute. The second most significant attribute identified was the ‘Type of campaign’, specifically ‘Consumer behavioral engagement campaigns’. ‘Carbon footprint reduction’, notably ‘Reducing 50% by 2030’, ranked third, while ‘Implementation of donations’ was considered the least important. Segment-specific analysis revealed that high-ecological-conscious consumers prioritized carbon footprint reduction more than other groups. Furthermore, the optimal combination of eco-friendly practices identified for overall and low-ecological-consciousness consumers consisted of using 100% organic materials, implementing consumer behavioral engagement campaigns, reducing carbon footprint by 50%, and actively participating in environmental conservation donations. Highly ecological-conscious consumers preferred a slightly adjusted combination, emphasizing 100% organic materials, followed by reducing carbon footprint by 50%, implementing consumer behavioral engagement campaigns, and actively participating in environmental conservation donations. These findings suggest that outdoor sport brands can strengthen their competitive advantage and sustainability by aligning eco-friendly practices with consumer preferences segmented by ecological consciousness.

Keywords: outdoor sport brand; eco-friendly practices; conjoint analysis; preference; relative importance; ecological consciousness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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