Emotional, brand-related and negative communication factors toward green purchase intention: A case study of generation Z in Ho Chi Minh City

Abstract

Objectives: Discover Gen Z's intentions to purchase green products by digging the emotional, brand-related and negative communication aspects, advance knowledge about green products consumption in Vietnam and finally, apply the discovery to the creation of sustainable product marketing initiatives. Participants: A total of 316 participants including highschool students, university students and young employees joined the study and completed an online survey. 304 responses are valid to be analyzed using SPSS 20.0 and SmartPLS 4.0. Method: Structural Equal Modeling is used to assess personal norm, social norm, pride, guilt, green brand image, green brand’s perceived value, green brand image, green brand equity, green brand love, green brand positioning and green purchase intention. Results: Social norm, personal norm, pride, guilt, green brand love and green brand positioning positively affect green purchase intention. Pride and green brand positioning are demonstrated as the most influential factors. Conclusions: Green purchase intention of Gen Z is found to be affected by emotional and most brand-related factors. Practical implications for stakeholders and contributions for future research are discussed.