Beyond In‐Group Endorsements: Inoculation as a Tool to Encourage Green Consumption Among Conservative Climate Skeptics

ABSTRACT Despite extensive scholarly efforts to promote green consumption, the marketing communication field has comparatively paid less attention to effective strategies for engaging climate change skeptics in green consumption. This study investigated whether the source or content of messages about climate change would more effectively alter skeptics' beliefs and promote green consumption. In Study 1 ( n = 264), we employed Social Identity Theory to examine whether endorsements from Republican figures could influence conservatives, who predominantly exhibit climate change skepticism. The findings indicated no significant impact of in‐group endorsement on altering beliefs and promoting green consumption. In Study 2 ( n = 134), we applied Inoculation Theory to assess if educating skeptics about the tactics behind climate change skepticism could modify their views. Results demonstrated that inoculation reduced perceived threats associated with climate change skepticism, increasing the likelihood of green consumption. These findings suggest that inoculation messages, rather than endorsements from social in‐groups, may offer a more effective strategy for shifting conservative views and encouraging green consumption.