Nonprototypical packaging and strategic implications: When structural design disrupts or delivers

Ethical consumerism is increasingly central to brand strategy as consumers integrate moral values into their purchasing decisions. This paper examines how two moral orientations — ethical idealism and ethical relativism — shape responses to moral versus amoral food brands. Across three survey‑ and experiment‑based studies, it evaluates how brand morality influences perceptions, purchase intentions and loyalty. Findings show that idealistic consumers strongly prefer brands aligned with universal moral principles, whereas relativistic consumers are more flexible and open to context‑dependent trade‑offs. The paper highlights the need to align brand ethics with consumers’ moral beliefs, particularly among highly idealistic segments, and advances understanding of how personal moral frameworks shape reactions to brand ethics. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.