A meta-analysis of green marketing communication effectiveness

Green marketing communication (GMC) enables brands to signal environmental responsibility, yet its effectiveness remains inconsistent across contexts. We conduct a meta-analysis of 156 studies comprising 146,961 participants to examine how GMC influences consumers’ evaluative and behavioral responses. Results show that while GMC has a positive overall effect, it is less effective for green brands than for conventional brands, with effectiveness varying across brand types and communication characteristics. For green brands, GMC is more effective for new brands, communication that is emotional, abstract, delivered via packaging, and supported by lower levels of evidence. For conventional brands, effectiveness is enhanced by rational messaging, advertising, stronger supporting evidence, and brand familiarity. Meta-analytic structural equation modelling shows that GMC operates through both message and product evaluation. Conceptually, we demonstrate that GMC effectiveness depends on the diagnostic value of environmental claims and whether they are interpreted as informative or persuasive, providing a generalizable explanation for mixed findings.