Purpose The study aims to develop and test a relationship-building model for green brands. It synthesizes findings on the consumer motives offered by green brands, with relationship marketing and branding literature to the specific context of green brands to build a parsimonious model testing the links amongst four relational benefits, i.e. confidence, socialization, self-expression and altruism; two relational mediators, i.e. satisfaction and relationship quality; three behavioural outcomes, i.e. word-of-mouth, expectation of continuity and cross-buying; and two moderators of the benefits-mediators relationship, i.e. environmental consciousness and relationship length. Design/methodology/approach Data are collected from consumers of three brands of natural cosmetic products, totalling 848 questionnaires. Structural equation modelling is used to test the hypothesized relationships across the three brands. Findings The results show that confidence benefit has the strongest influence on relationship quality, followed by self-expression and altruism. Relationships quality and satisfaction with the green brand have a significant impact on all three behavioural outcomes. Both environmental consciousness and length of the relationship moderate the hypothesized interrelationships. Research limitations/implications A new set of relational benefits for the green context is suggested. Several future research opportunities are suggested. Practical implications The study offers suggestions for managers to leverage relationship benefits for relationship strengthening. Originality/value No previous work has studied in an integrated way the relationship benefits and mediators to model the consumer–green brand relationship. The study provides a better understanding of the antecedents of consumer loyalty towards green brands.

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Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to examine alternative constructs that are used in parallel to describe the strength of consumer-brand relationships. First, the two main conceptualisations of relationship quality (RQ), as developed by relationship marketing and branding literature, are analysed to highlight their common elements. Then, the recently applied in branding context concept of consumer-brand identification (CBI) is analysed, and issues regarding its nature and link to RQ are raised. Design/methodology/approach -The paper draws upon existing literature on the streams of branding and relationship marketing, to propose a conceptualisation of consumer-brand RQ and examine the link of CBI to RQ. To investigate the research questions, an exploratory qualitative paper is undertaken involving four focus groups with consumers who have developed relationships with cosmetic brands. Findings -Responses provide evidence for the concepts of satisfaction, trust, commitment, intimacy and love in describing consumer-brand RQ. CBI emerges as a distinct construct of cognitive nature. Furthermore, RQ appears to be differentiated according to consumer age. Research limitations/implications -This research enables commencement of empirical examination of the link between RQ and CBI and the relative role of age into building strong relationships with brands. Originality/value -The paper bridges two different research streams, relationship marketing and branding, into conceptualising consumer-brand RQ. Furthermore, the paper is a first attempt to explore the role of CBI in relation to the construct of RQ, thus fulfilling an identified gap in the literature regarding the link of those constructs.

Recent literature has proposed the dynamic construct of customer value (CV) as an alternative approach to studying proenvironmental consumer purchase and loyalty behaviour. This study empirically tests and validates a model pertaining to the factors that motivate and/or hinder the development of the relationship between consumers and green brands. Findings from a survey on green brands in the detergent category indicate that a set of value dimensions and (purchase) costs have a significant influence on perceptions of CV, which, as an overall assessment construct, mediate the relationship between value dimensions and costs and loyalty to the green brand. This research also examines the moderating effect of involvement on the relationships between the 3 antecedents (value dimensions, purchase costs, and switching costs) and perceived CV. Overall, the current study offers a multiattribute understanding of consumers' relational behaviour, concluding with several value‐enhancing and cost‐minimising implications for green marketing practitioners.

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