Consumers demand transparency… but do they actually engage? Exploring motives and interactions with brand transparency information

Abstract

Popular press depicts consumers as increasingly seeking brand transparency, wanting to know more about their processes, products, and values. This research seeks to understand how and why consumers process and interact with brand transparency-related information and explores whether and how less-engaged consumers form brand transparency perceptions. A qualitative approach is undertaken with twenty-three in-depth interviews for a systematic, inductive analysis. The study finds three approaches (active, passive, and dormant) for how consumers process transparency-related information to form brand transparency perceptions. Five motivational states are outlined to explain why consumers engage with brand transparency. Transparency becomes salient under two conditions: risk in decision-making and personal relevance. The findings, underpinned by the Elaboration Likelihood Model and Self-Determination Theory, reveal a dynamic, iterative process of perception formation. Managerial implications emphasize tailoring transparency strategies to diverse informational needs, broadening consumer touchpoints, and enhancing salience to capture attention effectively.