Navigating Sustainability Marketing in an Emerging Market: Environmental Claims in Magazine Advertising
摘要
As sustainability marketing becomes necessary for economic, social, and environmental sustainability, an increasing number of firms are using sustainability advertising to communicate their sustainability efforts to environmentally conscious consumers, who are, at the same time, increasingly skeptical. Firms use different sustainability message elements to build confidence in sustainability advertising and sustainable products. This chapter reports on an exploration of sustainability communication within an emerging market, focusing on the environmental claims made. Using a qualitative descriptive design with deductive content analysis of magazines in South Africa, the study revealed that product-oriented environmental claims emerged most frequently in sustainability advertisements, suggesting a focus on highlighting specific environmental benefits of products to build consumer trust and drive sustainable consumption. This chapter advances the understanding of how sustainability is communicated in magazine advertising in an emerging market and presents practical insights for firms navigating the dynamic landscape of sustainability advertising.