THE IMPACT OF ESG MARKETING : A qualitative study on brand trust, brand attractiveness and purchase intentions in environments possibly sceptic to sustainability

In recent years, the global landscape has been increasingly shaped by a series of crises such as war, inflation, rising crime, political instability, pandemics, and economic uncertainty. While sustainability previously has received notable focus, particularly in economically developed countries, the transition toward sustainable practices have been facing more resistance recently. This is a consequence to due to the need for immediate crisis responses from both businesses and politicians. ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) has gained increasing attention, especially since the implementation of the newly implemented Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). While the ESG framework predominantly have been studied from an investment perspective, recent literature acknowledges that there is a gap in the literature studying ESG from a marketing perspective. The purpose of this study is to explore how ESG dimensions in marketing are perceived by consumers and how these perceptions influence their purchasing behaviours, specifically in the context of supermarket brands. The research explores how ESG marketing shapes brand trust, brand attractiveness, and purchase intentions in an environment possible facing growing scepticism toward sustainability. Accordingly, this study aims to address the following research question: How does ESG marketing affect brand trust, brand attractiveness and purchaseintentions in environments possibly sceptic to sustainability? Collecting data of how ESG marketing affect consumers included eight semi-structured interviews with young females exploring their perceptions and behaviours. A thematic analysis has been conducted to present empirical data. The study present results indicating that consumers generally appreciate ESG-related efforts, especially environmental ones, by supermarkets. These values are not strongly reflected in increasing brand trust, brand attractiveness or purchasing behaviours. Instead, more traditional attributes like price, convenience, and habitual choices dominates. Marketing of ESG is seen most effective when subtle, transparent and not to excessive since that might cause decreased brand attractiveness and brand trust. The study finds that ESG activities are seen as a baseline rather than a competitive advantage. Consequently, brands must recognize that trust regarding ESG is fragile. The study highlights that ESG marketing serves as a tool to manage risk which should be used to maintain trust and attractiveness so that consumers will continuing making purchases in their stores.