Eco-labeling-on-Eco -Product, Product Advertisement as Correlates of Consumer Buying Behavior –for- Eco- Consumption

Abstract

The study empirically examined the correlates of eco-labeling on eco-product, product advertisement and consumer buying decision supporting eco-consumption among young people in a transition economy. This study was the first scientific examination of robust mechanism through which eco-labeling on eco-product for human health was associated with consumer buying behaviour for eco-consumption when advertisement was included in the service dominant logic model. The participants comprised of 120 young consumers, 65 (54.17%) male and 55 (45.83%) female, from Awka Metropolitan urban area within the ages of 19 to 26 years with a mean age of 21.68 years and standard deviation of 4.99 years. Based on service dominant logic model dialectics, the proposed problem of study guided the formation of two hypotheses .Hypothesis 1 stated that eco-labeling will positively and significantly correlate with consumer buying behavior for eco-consumption. Hypothesis 2 stated that product advertisement will positively and significantly correlate with consumer buying behavior for eco-consumption. Consumer buying behavior and product advertisement scales were utilized. The first hypothesis that stated that eco-labeling will positively correlate with consumer buying behavior for eco-consumption was confirmed (r =.25, p < .01). The second hypothesis that stated that product advertisement will positively and significantly correlate with consumer buying behavior for eco-consumption was confirmed (r = .20, p<. 05). Based on these results, it was recommended that firm should engage in promotional advertisement to create product awareness which is believed to draw interest from consumers towards their products. They should also strive to understand the importance of eco-labeling for human health with particular reference to beverages, confectionaries and canned products, as this will help them to plan and strategize production and consumer purchase towards satisfying a target set of eco- consumption centric consumers.