The Role of First-Mover Advantages in Sustainability: Conceptualizing the Sustainability Transformations of Green and Conventional Brands

The increasing demand for sustainability pressures companies and brands to adapt their business practices accordingly. While many green brands aim to pioneer sustainable practices, conventional brands prefer to act as followers. Yet understanding of the role of first-mover (dis)advantages for brands in sustainability is limited, especially in the context of increasing regulatory pressure. Drawing on grounded theory and 29 expert interviews, this study seeks to stimulate scholarly debate by introducing a framework identifying the pivotal moment for brand success or failure in sustainability. We shed light on the sustainability transformation of green and conventional brands and show the importance of collaboration in marketplaces to achieve a circular economy.