Moderating reference group and message framing influences on sustainable surplus food consumption advertising appeals

Abstract

This paper examines how injunctive, descriptive, and benefit appeals encourage consumers to engage in unfamiliar ‘sustainable behaviours’ – specifically, the consumption of surplus food, defined as edible foods that are never sold to or consumed by targeted customers. Three experiments involving 815 participants were run to assess reference group and message framing types as moderators of advertising appeal influence. Results indicate a significant interactive effect between reference group and advertising appeal on sustainable food consumption practices. For descriptive appeals, membership groups were the most effective for promoting sustainable food consumption; for injunctive and benefit appeals, aspirational groups were the most effective. Interaction between advertising appeal and message framing also exerted a significant effect on sustainable food consumption behaviours, with descriptive and benefit appeals the most effective when used with positive message framing, and injunctive appeals the most effective when used with negative message framing.