Creating a Sincere Sustainable Brand: The Application of Aristotle’s Rhetorical Theory to Green Brand Storytelling
As consumers become skeptical of green products, green brands may need to put trust-building on their business agenda. The study aims to use the rhetorical theory of Aristotle to examine the influence of a green brand story on perceived brand sincerity and brand trust. The study explores whether cus...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.897281/full |
| _version_ | 1811232317059891200 |
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| author | Chaohua Huang Shaoshuang Zhuang Ziyuan Li Jingke Gao |
| author_facet | Chaohua Huang Shaoshuang Zhuang Ziyuan Li Jingke Gao |
| author_sort | Chaohua Huang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As consumers become skeptical of green products, green brands may need to put trust-building on their business agenda. The study aims to use the rhetorical theory of Aristotle to examine the influence of a green brand story on perceived brand sincerity and brand trust. The study explores whether customer perceived value (CPV) mediates the effect between three means of persuasion used by a green brand story and perceived brand sincerity, and whether the need for cognition (NFC) plays a moderating role. A model is proposed and tested through three independent experiments in which participants were exposed to green brand stories and asked to complete a questionnaire. The results show that the green brand story with three means of persuasion has a more positive impact on perceived brand sincerity and brand trust than the green brand story without, and the impact is partially mediated by CPV. Besides, NFC moderates the effect: perceived brand sincerity of green brands improves with three means of the persuasion-laden story when NFC is relatively high. Specifically, the study reveals that pathos and ethos in a green brand story have positive effects on perceived brand sincerity through emotional value and social value, but the effect of logos is not identified. The findings contribute to the literature on brand storytelling, brand personality, and green marketing and have managerial implications for green brands to sustain a customer-brand relationship. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T11:01:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6921e2ee9c234b62a51e4cdc074dc59b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T11:01:11Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-6921e2ee9c234b62a51e4cdc074dc59b2022-12-22T03:35:57ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782022-06-011310.3389/fpsyg.2022.897281897281Creating a Sincere Sustainable Brand: The Application of Aristotle’s Rhetorical Theory to Green Brand StorytellingChaohua Huang0Shaoshuang Zhuang1Ziyuan Li2Jingke Gao3Department of Business Administration, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, ChinaSchool of Foreign Languages, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang, ChinaDepartment of Business Administration, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, ChinaDepartment of Business Administration, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, ChinaAs consumers become skeptical of green products, green brands may need to put trust-building on their business agenda. The study aims to use the rhetorical theory of Aristotle to examine the influence of a green brand story on perceived brand sincerity and brand trust. The study explores whether customer perceived value (CPV) mediates the effect between three means of persuasion used by a green brand story and perceived brand sincerity, and whether the need for cognition (NFC) plays a moderating role. A model is proposed and tested through three independent experiments in which participants were exposed to green brand stories and asked to complete a questionnaire. The results show that the green brand story with three means of persuasion has a more positive impact on perceived brand sincerity and brand trust than the green brand story without, and the impact is partially mediated by CPV. Besides, NFC moderates the effect: perceived brand sincerity of green brands improves with three means of the persuasion-laden story when NFC is relatively high. Specifically, the study reveals that pathos and ethos in a green brand story have positive effects on perceived brand sincerity through emotional value and social value, but the effect of logos is not identified. The findings contribute to the literature on brand storytelling, brand personality, and green marketing and have managerial implications for green brands to sustain a customer-brand relationship.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.897281/fullgreen brand storytellingthree means of persuasioncustomer perceived value (CPV)perceived brand sinceritybrand trustneed for cognition (NFC) |
| spellingShingle | Chaohua Huang Shaoshuang Zhuang Ziyuan Li Jingke Gao Creating a Sincere Sustainable Brand: The Application of Aristotle’s Rhetorical Theory to Green Brand Storytelling Frontiers in Psychology green brand storytelling three means of persuasion customer perceived value (CPV) perceived brand sincerity brand trust need for cognition (NFC) |
| title | Creating a Sincere Sustainable Brand: The Application of Aristotle’s Rhetorical Theory to Green Brand Storytelling |
| title_full | Creating a Sincere Sustainable Brand: The Application of Aristotle’s Rhetorical Theory to Green Brand Storytelling |
| title_fullStr | Creating a Sincere Sustainable Brand: The Application of Aristotle’s Rhetorical Theory to Green Brand Storytelling |
| title_full_unstemmed | Creating a Sincere Sustainable Brand: The Application of Aristotle’s Rhetorical Theory to Green Brand Storytelling |
| title_short | Creating a Sincere Sustainable Brand: The Application of Aristotle’s Rhetorical Theory to Green Brand Storytelling |
| title_sort | creating a sincere sustainable brand the application of aristotle s rhetorical theory to green brand storytelling |
| topic | green brand storytelling three means of persuasion customer perceived value (CPV) perceived brand sincerity brand trust need for cognition (NFC) |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.897281/full |
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