Fostering Love for Innovative Sustainable Brands: A Multi-Study, Multi-Method Approach

Abstract

While much research has examined cognitive evaluations of sustainable brands in offline contexts, there is limited exploration of consumers' emotional responses to such brands online. This study introduces a model of brand love for innovative, sustainable brands, based on two rigorously designed studies: experiments and a survey with configurational analysis. Our findings reveal significant causal effects of perceived brand innovativeness and brand knowledge on brand love and consumers' repurchase intentions. Additionally, fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) identifies two distinct consumer categories—rational and impulsive—based on their repurchase behavior of sustainable brands. For business owners and sustainability advocates, fostering brand love is crucial for engaging consumers online. By integrating emotional appeal with a commitment to sustainability, brands can enhance consumer engagement, encourage repeat purchases, and contribute to a more sustainable online shopping environment.