The Influence of Environmental Concern and Green Fashion Advertisements on Consumer Behavior: Chinese vs. Korean

Recently, issues on the environment, which have become key bottlenecks relative to sustainable economic development, have generated common concern. However, relatively scant research has been devoted to consideration of relations between consumers' environmental concern, green fashion advertisement value, and green consumption. In this study, using structural equation modeling (SEM), effects of environmental concern, perceived green fashion advertisement value, and attitude towards green fashion advertisements, on ecological purchases and their interrelationships are investigated. A model is constructed to link aforementioned constructs. Data, was collected through a questionnaire-based online survey (www.sojump.com) of 260 Korean consumers and 260 Chinese consumers. Findings suggest that environmental concern can improve their perception of green advertisement value. One of the findings showed strong positive relationship among green advertisement value, positive attitude, and purchase intention towards green fashion advertisement, while environmental concern negatively influenced their attitude towards green fashion advertisements. It suggests that if companies adopt green advertising strategies, environmentally-conscious consumers are willing to pay more, to purchase green fashion goods in to satisfy their needs. We should put more effort in educating consumers about environmental issues, to raise the level of environmental awareness and satisfy their concerns relative to green fashion goods. Conversely, there is significant positive relationship with the moderating effect of consumers' nationality in all paths, so results above would make significant contributions to green literature, and would also contribute to advertisement strategy implications as well. Especially fashion marketers, an use accurate and fair environmental claims in their advertisements to increase sale and profits.