Message framing effects on sustainable consumer behaviour: a systematic review and future research directions for social marketing

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this research is to provide a systematic review of the literature relating to message framing and its effectiveness in persuading consumers to adopt environmentally sustainable behaviour, which is a form of pro-social behaviour. Specifically, this paper focuses on three types of message framing: positive–negative, self–other and abstract–concrete. Design/methodology/approach This paper reports on a systematic review guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses framework identifying 108 articles published relating to message framing and environmental sustainability between 2005 and 2020. Descriptive analysis of the data was undertaken in combination with a thematic approach. Findings The results demonstrate that single frames do not reliably increase sustainable consumer behaviour. Instead, the use of two message frames is more consistently effective. However, there is some disparity in relation to the combined effects of two message frames. The research also identifies that the use of three combined message frames is underexplored in the existing literature. Research limitations/implications Social marketing and consumer psychology researchers have explored many types of message framing. This study focuses on three common types. Also, the review is limited to valence framing. The authors recognise that visual aspects of message frames also determine the effectiveness of messaging. Another limitation is that only empirical studies published between 2005 and 2020 were reviewed. Originality/value Past review papers related to the impact of messaging on sustainable consumer behaviour either focus on one type of message framing, such as the positive–negative frame, or did not categorise message framing into different types. The current review focuses on three types of message framing that have been examined separately and in combination in the literature. Based on the findings, this study proposes a synthesised theoretical framework for future research.

Motivating household food waste reduction: Harnessing the power of message context and framing

“…The finding that combining the context of single (but simple) messages into a composite message will most likely encourage people to change behavior is in accord with past findings (e.g., Florence et al., 2022). We attribute this to the fact that different aspects of the composite message will motivate food waste reduction attitudes in different households.…”

Measuring the effectiveness of valence and motivation message frames on audience engagement

“…Movements such as Conservation Optimism (https://conservationoptimism.org/) and Earth Optimism (https://www.earthoptimism.cambridgeconservation.org/) have promoted the use of positively framed messages to emphasise the value of nature, and the importance of conservation work. Yet, the impact of using different frames is unclear (Li & Su, 2018;Stadlthanner et al, 2022;Florence et al, 2022).…”

“…Understanding how the effectiveness of framing differs for audiences across geographical and cultural contexts is useful (Vu et al, 2019), yet many experimental studies on environmental framing have focused primarily on Western countries (Florence et al, 2022;Badullovich et al, 2020). Hence, a strength of our study was the inclusion of multinational comparison, and the following could explain the results.…”

The role of social marketing in promoting quality of life through the lens of sustainable consumption

“…Florence et al (2022) state that in response to addressing eco-health and individual well-being, the prerogative of sustainability has come to the fore. As such, social marketing becomes crucial in the complimentary approach to encourage individuals to perform behaviours that supports sustainability initiatives.…”

“…The approaches that social marketers recommended, have essentially been aimed at understanding consumer motivation, attitudes and behaviours and then use said information to implement campaigns that changes consumer behaviour to such an end. Examples of such initiatives include campaigns that promote the use of public transport, increasing awareness regarding the reduction of carbon emissions, increasing the uptake of recycling/reuse/reduction behaviours to name a few (Florence et al , 2022; Kotler, 2002; McKenzie-Mohr, 2000; Peattie and Peattie, 2010; Pearson and Perera, 2018). The pursuit of (unattainable) well-being through affluenza is, however, still prevalent in society.…”