You Are Not Alone: Uptrend Messaging to Promote Green Consumption

ABSTRACT As human activities continue to cause significant environmental damage, promoting more environmentally friendly behavior has become increasingly important for the planet. In this study, we introduce a behavioral intervention strategy—uptrend messaging—to examine its impact on green consumption preferences. Through five studies, including a field study, we find that providing uptrend messaging significantly increases green consumption preferences. This effect occurs because uptrend messaging fosters consumers' response efficacy—the perception that buying green products will result in the desired environmental outcome, increasing their willingness to engage in green consumption. Furthermore, we examine the moderating roles of uptrend magnitude and self‐construal on the uptrend effect. Specifically, when the uptrend magnitude is high or when consumers exhibit an interdependent self‐construal, uptrend messaging promotes green consumption preferences by enhancing response efficacy; by contrast, when the uptrend magnitude is low or when consumers exhibit an independent self‐construal, the effect is attenuated. These findings underscore the role of uptrend messaging as an effective stimulus that exerts a stronger promotional effect on green (vs. regular) products, thereby advancing our understanding of green consumption, providing implications for narrowing the attitude–behavior gap and fostering sustainable consumer choices.