Positioning a brand as environment‐friendly does not guarantee that customers will blindly accept it. While previous research has explored consumer responses to various green marketing claims, the search for the process under which consumers form positive or negative associations remains inconclusive. Based on the theoretical lens of signaling, this study examines the process of green brand trust where consumers form green brand associations after receiving the appropriate signal from the firms. In so doing we answer calls for more research on green brand trust and extend previous understanding by arguing for and confirming the mediating role of green brand associations. We further hypothesize that resultant mediation will be stronger for individuals with low green skepticism. Findings from 270 consumers indicate that green brand association mediates the relationship between green brand positioning and green brand trust. Further, green skepticism may weaken green brand association's effect on green brand trust. While firms tend to take extra effort to make their green offering trustworthy, they need to strengthen their signaling efforts that facilitate associating with a green brand to trust that brand.

中文翻译：

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超越炒作：在可持续性怀疑中解读品牌信任


将品牌定位为环保并不能保证客户会盲目接受它。虽然之前的研究探讨了消费者对各种绿色营销主张的反应，但对消费者形成积极或消极联想的过程的探索仍然没有结论。基于信号理论视角，本研究探讨了绿色品牌信任的过程，即消费者在收到企业适当的信号后形成绿色品牌联想的过程。在此过程中，我们响应了对绿色品牌信任进行更多研究的呼吁，并通过论证和确认绿色品牌协会的中介作用来扩展先前的理解。我们进一步假设，对于绿色怀疑度较低的个人来说，由此产​​生的调解会更强。对 270 名消费者的调查结果表明，绿色品牌联想在绿色品牌定位与绿色品牌信任之间的关系中发挥着中介作用。此外，绿色怀疑主义可能会削弱绿色品牌联想对绿色品牌信任的影响。虽然公司往往会付出额外的努力来使他们的绿色产品值得信赖，但他们需要加强他们的信号努力，以促进与绿色品牌的联系以信任该品牌。