Eco-Friendly vs. Greenwashed Consumer Trust in Sustainable Marketing Claims

Abstract

Consumers have opted for products advertised as sustainable or eco-friendly due to ever-increasing attention to environmental responsibility. However, with greenwashing- when brands make untrue or exaggerated environmental claims- consumers lost trust to buy. Thus, creating purchase decisions filled with skepticism and confusion. This study investigates how eco-friendly versus greenwashed marketing claims influences consumer trust and looks into what factors affect trust as well as how perceptions effect authenticity concerning behaviour exhibited by consumers. A quantitative research design was used with a structured questionnaire targeting 400 respondents in Pune city. The collected data were analysed by means of regression and ANOVA techniques using SPSS software.