From awareness to preference: The dual role of brand and eco-friendliness in shaping green choices

Given the growing popularity of online shopping, promoting environmental awareness and encouraging eco-friendly choices on these platforms are essential for advancing sustainability. This study explores the specific influence of presenting environmental educational video messages right before product selection, focusing on how they enhance visual attention to eco-friendly information and influence price sensitivity, brand impact, and preferences for green products among Generation Z consumers. The research is grounded in a theoretical framework integrating the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), Priming Effect, and Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). It comprises two studies that combine eye-tracking technology with data collected by questionnaire. To analyze eye-tracking data, this study employs a novel analytical method by integrating Dynamic Grey Relational Analysis (DGRA) with T-tests, providing an advanced approach to evaluate behavioral patterns, ranking variable importance, and addressing non-linearity in consumer attention metrics beyond traditional significance thresholds. Based on the priming effect, the findings indicate that the timing of these messages significantly enhances attention to eco-friendly attributes, reduces price sensitivity, and guides decision-making toward greener choices by emphasizing the importance of sustainability. Additionally, the study highlights the dual role of brand familiarity, showing that under heightened environmental awareness, it strengthens preferences for eco-friendly products while diminishing its influence on non-eco-friendly ones. These insights provide practical implications for marketers and policymakers, emphasizing the strategic use of environmental video messages in digital retail to drive sustainable consumption and reinforcing the importance for brands to align with environmental values to sustain consumer engagement and remain competitive in increasingly sustainability-driven markets.