When you see a green (white) service robotic dog: the roles of color, message framing, and service encounter in promoting sustainable practices

Purpose Drawing on the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) framework and color psychology theory, this research investigates how a service robotic dog’s color, green message framing, and service encounter context shape customers’ emotional and behavioral responses to green practices in the hospitality industry. Design/methodology/approach This study employs a progressive three-study experimental design to capture both immediate and sustained effects. Findings Study 1 shows that a green-colored robotic dog delivering socially framed messages is more effective than their counterparts in enhancing customers’ emotional engagement and willingness to participate in green programs. Study 2 demonstrates that public context significantly amplifies the persuasive effects of the green robotic dog delivering a socially framed message. Extending these findings, Study 3 employs a two-wave design to examine customer lagged sustainable behaviors 48 hours after the initial interaction, offering deeper insights into the persistence of color-induced effects over time. Practical implications The three studies provide actionable guidance for the service industry to optimize the visual design and communication strategies of AI devices, thereby fostering sustained customer engagement in sustainable practices and advancing organizational sustainability goals. Originality/value This study provides significant theoretical contributions by extending SOR, color psychology, and service robot literature into the sustainability domain and offers valuable practical guidance for the service industry on how to strategically integrate AI-enabled services into sustainability initiatives.