Journal of Sustainable Marketing

Message Concreteness

Traditionally, communication of fashion products has relied on sparse and abstract information to avoid overwhelming consumers with excessive details. For instance, fashion brands often limit communication to just their name, fearing that additional details might confuse consumers (Lorek & Lucas, 2003). In line with this reasoning, research shows that abstract information is more effective when the customer is familiar with what is being communicated (Angelis, Tassiello, Amatulli, & Costabile, 2016). Conversely, when consumers lack knowledge about the subject, they require more concrete information to understand it effectively (Angelis et al., 2016).

The use of concrete and abstract information in marketing communication is theoretically grounded in the Construal Level Theory of Psychological Distance (Jäger & Weber, 2020). According to the Construal Level Theory of Psychological Distance (Liberman, Trope, & Wakslak, 2007; Trope et al., 2007), when something is perceived as psychologically near, individuals tend to focus on concrete details, whereas when something is perceived as psychologically distant, they tend to think about it in more abstract terms (Jäger & Weber, 2020). Similarly, marketing messages can be formulated as either abstract or concrete (Chang et al., 2015), where abstract information is perceived as more distant, and concrete is perceived as near. Moreover, research shows that when a message is perceived as more distant, the problem is perceived as less relevant (Bashir, Wilson, Lockwood, Chasteen, & Alisat, 2014), consequently affecting the willingness to buy sustainable products (Jäger & Weber, 2020)

The primary challenge in communicating sustainable fashion products lies in customers' difficulty in discerning the environmental impact of the products (Schons & Steinmeier, 2015; Walker & Wan, 2012). Research shows that the prevalence of abstract terms like "environmentally friendly" and "sustainable" (Polonsky, Carlson, Grove, & Kangun, 1997), compounded by the lack of a shared understanding of terms such as "sustainable" (Paco & Reis, 2012), makes it problematic to distinguish between genuine sustainability claims and false ones (Evans & Peirson-Smith, 2017; Evans & Peirson-Smith, 2018; Thomas, 2008), leading to confusion and mistrust (Schons & Steinmeier, 2015; Walker & Wan, 2012). In a recent study, 90% of fashion consumers declared that they have heard of sustainable fashion, and 73% claimed to be able to define in their own words what sustainable fashion is (Riesgo et al., 2023). When the same consumers were questioned about why they did not buy sustainable fashion or why they did not do it more often, they answered, “Because I cannot discern when a brand is really sustainable or when it just claims to be it in order to improve its image” (Riesgo, Lavanga, & Codina, 2023, p. 5). Instead of using abstract terms, tangible actions and concrete information, which is essential in avoiding misunderstandings and being perceived as more trustworthy, are suggested (Riesgo et al., 2023).

Concrete information, in this context, refers to specific details about the product's sustainability features, making it easier for consumers to understand and evaluate the brand's commitment to sustainability (Evans & Peirson-Smith, 2018; Kim & Hall, 2015; Lim, 2019; Pracejus, Olsen, & Brown, 2003; Thomas, 2008). This could be signaling the materials used, the manufacturing processes employed, or the environmental certifications obtained (Williams & Hodges, 2022). In a study exploring the marketing of eco-friendly fashion, consumers developed positive attitudes toward apparel brands with explicit eco-friendly advertising, and this was strongly predicting the intention to purchase such brands (Yan, Hyllegard, & Blaesi, 2012). However, recent findings building on this theory claim the relationship between concrete communication and the willingness to buy sustainable products is mediated by trust (Jäger & Weber, 2020). Concrete information is generally considered more sincere than abstract once (Atkinson & Rosenthal, 2014; Lattal, 2014; Thomas, 2008), and can foster trust by reducing ambiguity and uncertainty, as the characteristic of concrete information also increases the credibility of a message (Jäger & Weber, 2020). Finally, a recent study (Williams & Hodges, 2022), shows that fashion consumers were expressing a strong interest in sustainability information. The study revealed that clear and transparent communication, using detailed yet simplistic information, is perceived as crucial for the consumer to build trust and credibility in sustainability claims. This aligns with findings drawing on signaling theory, which demonstrate that specific cues, such as detailed security and privacy disclosures, significantly boost trust in online environments, with the level of detail being crucial (Wang, Beatty, & Foxx, 2004). Similarly, studies show that concrete signals, like seals of approval or specific sustainability claims, are effective in enhancing trust by reducing perceived ambiguity, which can, in turn, increase purchase intentions (Casado-Aranda, Dimoka, & Sánchez-Fernández, 2019). Recently, in the context of fashion, detailed sustainable labeling has also been shown to reduce perceived ambiguity and enhance perceived benefits, trust, and purchase intentions (Cho, Ko, & Borenstein, 2024). These findings underscore the importance of providing clear and specific information to build consumer trust, particularly for brands that may not have established reputations. In essence, while abstract information can seem distant and less relevant, concrete information are perceived as near, clarifying, and essential for trust. Therefore, our research proposes the following:

Hypothesis 4: Concrete versus abstract information will have a positive effect on trust.

Building upon the understanding that concrete versus abstract information fosters trust (H4), and that trust influences pride (H3), we propose that trust mediates the relationship between concrete versus abstract information and pride. Building on this, we propose that:

Hypothesis 5: The positive effect of concrete versus abstract information on pride will be mediated by trust.

Extending this understanding, we propose that the effect of concrete versus abstract information on sustainable fashion consumption intentions operates through a serial mediation process. In this process, concrete information first enhances trust (H4), which then leads to increased pride (H3). This heightened pride subsequently motivates consumers to engage in sustainable fashion consumption (H1). From this, we propose:

Hypothesis 6: The positive effect of concrete versus abstract information on sustainable fashion consumption intentions will also be serially mediated by the positive effect of trust on pride.

Sample, Design and Procedure

The study was designed using Qualtrics, and the data was collected in controlled environments using Prolific. Two hundred and seven respondents aged 18-71 participated in the study. To ensure data quality, we enforced one screener question as an attention check, during which participants were asked to select which product they had been exposed to in the study. Respondents were randomly given five garments to choose from. The five alternative items in the attention check were a jacket, a sweater, trousers, shoes, and a T-shirt. Four respondents were removed due to failure to pass the attention test, while another four were removed due to invalid ID numbers, resulting in a total of 199 remaining valid responses. In terms of gender distribution, 50.8% were men, 47.2% were women, and 2% identified as “other.” The mean age of the respondents was 41.7, with a standard deviation of 14.5.

Participants were randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions (concrete product information and abstract product information) between-subjects design. Participants first answered questions about their gender and age. Then, they were asked to imagine buying a white T-shirt (the target product). To make the experiment as authentic as possible, we designed it to resemble a natural online environment based on the layout usually found in online stores. The T-shirt looked identical, but the concreteness of the product information varied across the two experimental conditions (see Figure 2 and Figure 3). One group received concrete product information (see Figure 2), in which concrete material and production process was described (Williams & Hodges, 2022). The other group got abstract product information (see Figure 3), where abstract terms like “environmentally friendly” and “green” (Evans & Peirson-Smith, 2018) were used to describe the material and production process. The respondents were roughly equally distributed among the two groups.

Measures

To test whether or not the manipulation worked as intended, we adopted four out of five items for testing the concreteness of advertisements by Mackenzie (1986), asking the respondents to rate the product information according to how detailed/sketchy, explicit/vague, concrete/abstract, specific/general they thought it was. The original measures also asked the respondents to rate the product information according to how vivid/dull they thought it was, but we found this item irrelevant in this context.

Trust was measured using the five-item ADTRUST Scale (Soh, Reid, & King, 2009). The respondents were asked to indicate how much they agreed or disagreed with five statements based on the information about the product that they had received (Item wordings: “The information is honest”; “The information is truthful”; “The information is credible”; “The information is reliable” and “The information is dependable”). The strength of the feeling of pride was measured using four items, of which two were adapted from (Tracy & Robins, 2007)'s authentic pride scale (Item wordings: I feel proud based on the purchase I have made”; “I feel accomplished based on the purchase I have made”). The first item was chosen because proud is the term most related to pride, and the second because accomplished is the term strongest related to authentic pride and the least connected to hubristic pride (Tracy & Robins, 2007). This scale has previously been used in studies on pro-environmental behavior (Adıgüzel & Donato, 2021; Onwezen et al., 2013). The two other items were adapted from (Roseman, 1991) and modified to fit the current context (Item wordings: “I feel good about myself based on the purchase I have made”; “I feel pleased based on the purchase I have made”). These items have previously been used in sustainable consumption research (e.g., Antonetti & Maklan, 2014; Antonetti & Maklan, 2014).

Sustainable fashion behavior was measured using two variables: Willingness to buy and word-of-mouth endorsement (e.g., Guerreiro & Pacheco, 2021;Wang, Wang, Xue, Wang, & Li, 2018) both closely linked to pride in research on sustainable consumption intentions. Willingness to buy was measured using three items fromDodds, Monroe, & Grewal's (1991) five willingness-to-buy indicators. The three chosen items were modified to fit the current context (Items wording: “I am likely to buy an environmentally friendly product again in the future”; “I am likely to buy an environmentally friendly clothing/fashion product again in the future”; “When choosing between two similar clothing/fashion product in the future, I am likely to choose the more environmentally friendly.” Word-of-mouth endorsement was measured using three items from Eisingerich, Chun, Liu, Jia, and Bell (2015). The items measured the willingness to share information with friends and family in person (Item wordings: “I am likely to say positive things about the product to others in person”; “I am likely to encourage friends and relatives to buy the product in person”; “I am likely to recommend the product to others in person”). For all items, the respondent's level of agreement was measured on a seven-point scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree), except for the manipulation check (concreteness), where the respondents had to choose between items describing the information as concrete or abstract.

A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted to assess the measurement model and ensure satisfactory fit indices. Two separate models were tested. Model 1 included trust, pride and willingness to buy, model 2 included trust, pride and word-of-mouth endorsement. The CFA indicated that the initial models did not fully meet the fit criteria. While most measures were excellent, the REMSA fell short. To improve model fit, two items “The information is truthful” and “I feel proud based on the purchase I have made” were removed. After this adjustment, the revised model fit indices improved. For the first model the Comparative Fit Index (CFI) was 0.98, well above the threshold of 0.95, indicating a strong fit. The RMSEA improved to 0.08, comfortably within Hair`s (2006) "good" range. Additionally, the Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR) was excellent at 0.05, well below the 0.08 threshold for acceptability. Similarly, for the second model the fit indices were strong. The CFI was again 0.98, reflecting a well-fitting model. The RMSEA remained at 0.08, which is at the threshold of acceptability based on conventional standards, but still classified as "good" according to Hair, Black, Babin, Anderson, & Tatham's (2011) interpretation. The SRMR for this model was also excellent, at 0.08, remaining comfortably below the acceptable limit. Cronbach's alphas for the revised scales were above the 0.70 threshold (Cronbach, 1951), with factor loadings ranging from 0.87 to 0.94, indicating good reliability with our sample. Finally, we averaged the scores obtained for the four items assessing concreteness (Cronbach α =0.86), the four items assessing trust (Cronbach α =0.93), the three items assessing pride (Cronbach α =0.87), the three items assessing willingness to buy (Cronbach α =0.87), and the three items assessing word-of-mouth endorsement (Cronbach α =0.92), to constitute an aggregate measure of the constructs. Table 1 provides the item wordings, means, standard deviations, and Cronbach's alphas for all scales used in the study.

To establish that Common Method Bias (CMB) is not a problem in this study, we will highlight the several steps that were taken to minimize its likelihood. First, psychological separation was implemented by structuring the study with multiple tasks in sequence, which reduces the chance that participants' earlier responses would influence their answers to later questions. Additionally, the study used validated scales, such as the ADTRUST scale and the authentic pride scale, which are known for their reliability and clarity. Furthermore, random assignment to experimental conditions (concrete vs. abstract product information) ensures that individual differences between participants do not systematically bias the results, as these differences are evenly distributed across groups.

Moreover, the study incorporated attention checks and removed invalid responses, ensuring that only high-quality data were included in the analysis. Finally, the balanced demographic distribution of the participants, particularly in terms of gender and age, minimizes the possibility of systematic biases based on these factors. These procedural choices align with established recommendations for preventing method bias and provide a strong foundation for concluding that CMB is not a significant issue in this study (Podsakoff, Mackenzie, & Podsakoff, 2012).

To further establish that CMB is not a problem in this study, attention was given to both the formulation of the questions and the length of the survey. As mentioned above, the questions were carefully designed using validated and reliable scales like the ADTRUST and pride scales. This ensured that the wording was clear, concise, and unambiguous, which minimizes response bias and reduces the likelihood of participants interpreting the questions in a way that could lead to biased answers. Additionally, the length of the survey was kept manageable to avoid participant fatigue, which can contribute to CMB. A well-paced and balanced survey reduces the risk of participants giving automatic or biased responses due to tiredness or disinterest, ensuring that their responses remain accurate and focused throughout the process.

To further support that CMB is not a concern in this study, we also monitored how much time participants took to complete the survey. In summary, these procedural choices and safeguards are in line with the recommendations from Podsakoff et al. (2012) and collectively provide a strong foundation for concluding that common method bias is not a significant issue in this study.

Results

We started by testing the manipulation, that is, whether the respondents perceive a difference between concrete and abstract product information through a T-test (with perceived concreteness as a function of concrete versus abstract information). Cohen (1988) highlights that T-tests are appropriate for comparing means between two independent groups (concrete vs. abstract information), as they help determine whether observed differences in variables are statistically significant. Levene’s test for equality of variances indicated a significant difference in variances between the groups (F = 11.097, p = .001), which led us to apply Welch’s t-test to account for this discrepancy. The results showed a significant difference in perceived concreteness between the two groups, t(193.96) = -4.92, p < 0.001. The mean difference between the groups was -0.27 with 95% CI [-0.37, -0.16]. The group receiving concrete product information perceived this as more concrete (M = 1.25, SD = 0.35) than the group that received abstract product information (M = 1.51, SD = 0.41).

We tested the differences between groups on demographics, first gender then age. The data were assessed for normality within the concrete and abstract groups, with gender as the observed factor. For the concrete group, skewness was 0.50 (SE = 0.24), indicating mild positive skew, while kurtosis was -0.96 (SE = 0.48), suggesting a slightly flat distribution. The abstract group showed near-symmetric distribution with a skewness of 0.19 (SE = 0.24) and kurtosis of -1.16 (SE = 0.48), indicating a flatter-than-normal distribution. Although both groups displayed mild deviations from normality, none were severe, indicating approximate normality. Levene’s test confirmed the assumption of homogeneity of variances across gender groups (p > 0.05). ANOVA results revealed no statistically significant difference between genders on the dependent variable, F(1, 20) = 0.97, p = 0.33. The effect size was small, with eta-squared = 0.005, indicating that gender accounted for only 0.5% of the variance. Thus, gender does not appear to have a meaningful impact on the outcome.

The descriptive statistics for age in the concrete and abstract groups showed that the mean ages were 43.38 (SD = 14.82) and 40.06 (SD = 14.00), respectively. Both groups had small skewness and kurtosis values, indicating mild deviations from normality. Normality tests (Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk) were significant for both groups (p < 0.05), suggesting that the distributions were not perfectly normal. Large age ranges can sometimes lead to more variability, which can make normality harder to achieve, especially if there are clusters of ages or outliers. In this case, the mild skewness and kurtosis values suggest that the distribution is not extreme, but there are some deviations from normality that are picked up by the tests. However, given the large sample sizes (n = 99 and 100), the Central Limit Theorem ensures that parametric tests remain robust, making these deviations unlikely to impact the results (Kwak & Kim, 2017).

To test H1, H2, H3, H4, and H6, we conducted two serial mediation analyses using PROCESS Model 6 (Hayes, 2017), with 5,000 bootstrapped samples.Hayes (2017) highlights the usefulness of PROCESS models for examining complex mediation and moderation effects in psychological research. Additionally, Demming, Jahn, and Boztrug (2017) note that regression-based mediation now offers reliability comparable to structural equation modeling (SEM). In the first model, message concreteness (concrete vs. abstract information) was the independent variable, trust was the first mediator, pride was the second mediator, and willingness to buy was the dependent variable. In the second model, construal level was again the independent variable, trust was the first mediator, pride was the second mediator, and word-of-mouth endorsement was the dependent variable. The results are summarized in Figure 2 and Figure 3 .

Direct Effects

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, pride had a significant direct effect on willingness to buy (b = 0.27, p < 0.001) and word-of-mouth endorsement (b = 0.44, p < 0.001), supporting H1. Trust had a significant direct effect on willingness to buy (b = 0.45, p < 0.001) and on word-of-mouth endorsement (b = 0.39, p < 0.001), confirming H2. Trust also had a significant direct effect on pride (b = 0.55, p < 0.001), supporting H3. Furthermore, the direct effect of concrete (vs. abstract) information on trust was significant (b = -0.41, p = 0.005), confirming H4. However, the direct effect of concrete (vs. abstract) information on pride (b = -0.08, p = 0.64), willingness to buy (b = 0.01, p = 0.94), and word-of-mouth endorsement (b = 0.08, p = 0.61) were not significant.

Then, we also conducted a T-test to test H4 further (with trust as a function of concrete versus abstract information). The results showed a significant difference in trust between the two groups, t(183.03) = 2.85, p = 0.002. The mean difference between the groups was 0.41 with 95% CI [-0.13, -0.70]. The group receiving concrete product information perceived this as more trustworthy (M = 5.12, SD = 0.87) than the group that received abstract product information (M = 4.71, SD = 1.16), confirming hypothesis 4.

Indirect Effects

Furthermore, the regression analysis using PROCESS model 6 showed that the indirect effect of concrete (vs. abstract) information on willingness to buy through the mediators trust and pride was significant (b = -0.06, 95% CI [-0.13, -0.02]). Additionally, the indirect effect of concrete (vs. abstract) information on word-of-mouth endorsement through trust and pride was significant (b = -0.10, 95% CI [-0.20, -0.03]). These results confirm H6. However, the indirect effect of concrete (vs. abstract) information on willingness to buy through pride alone was not significant (b = -0.03, 95% CI [-0.18, 0.10]), nor was the indirect effect on word-of-mouth endorsement via pride alone (b = -0.02, 95% CI [-0.12, 0.06]). These results suggest that trust and pride sequentially mediate the effect of construal level on both willingness to buy and word-of-mouth endorsement. While concrete (vs. abstract) information does not directly impact pride, willingness to buy, or word-of-mouth endorsement, it influences these outcomes indirectly through trust and pride.

PROCESS Model 6 (Hayes, 2017), tests both direct and indirect effects, including specific indirect effects through each mediator and serial indirect effects through multiple mediators in sequence. However, to specifically test the indirect effect of concrete (vs. abstract) information on pride via trust (Hypothesis 5), we employed PROCESS Model 4. This model included message concreteness (concrete versus abstract information) as the independent variable, trust as the mediator, and pride as the dependent variable. As shown in Figure 2 and 3, trust has a significant direct effect on pride (b = 0.55; p < 0.001), reconfirming H2, and concrete (versus abstract) message framing has a significant direct effect on trust (b = -0.41; p = 0.005), reconfirming H4. Moreover, concrete (versus abstract) message framing has an indirect effect on pride via trust (b = -0.23, 95% CI [-0.42, -0.06]), confirming H5. As revealed in the analysis above, the direct effect of concrete (vs. abstract) message framing on pride was not significant (b = -0.75; p = 0.64) and, therefore, was not included in Figure 2 and 3. Only significant paths and effects are depicted in Figures 2 and 3, where solid arrows indicate direct effects, and dotted arrows represent significant indirect effects via trust and pride.

To further examine the overall explanatory power of the predictors, we conducted a hierarchical regression analysis. In this analysis, message concreteness (concrete vs. abstract) was entered in the first step, followed by trust and pride as predictors in the second step. When predicting word-of-mouth endorsement, entering only information type (concrete vs. abstract) in the first step did not yield a significant model, R² = 0.01, p = 0.13. However, adding trust and pride in the second step significantly improved the model, explaining 33% of the variance (R² = 0.33, F(2, 195) = 47.19, p < 0.001). Similarly, when predicting word-of-mouth intentions, information type alone explained only 0.6% of the variance (R² = 0.006, p = 0.26). However, adding trust and pride increased the explained variance to 37% (R² = 0.37, F(2, 195) = 57.46, p < 0.001).

Theoretical Implications

Our research enriches the existing literature on sustainable consumer behavior in three significant ways. First, our research offers a novel perspective on the significant, yet underexplored, influence of trust on pride in the context of sustainable fashion consumption. While existing studies have primarily focused on the individual roles of trust (e.g., Dhir, Sadiq, Talwar, Sakashita, & Kaur, 2021; Policarpo, Apaolaza, Hartmann, Paredes, & D'Souza, 2023; Williams & Hodges, 2022) and pride (e.g., Adıgüzel & Donato, 2021 Islam, Wang, Ali, & Akhtar, 2022 Septianto, Seo, & Errmann, 2020; Yan, Keh, & Murray, 2024) and only briefly explored the interplay between these two, with Biggemann et al. (2014) as a notable exception, our study provides valuable insights that enhance the understanding of this relationship. Specifically, we demonstrate a strong mediating role of pride in the relationship between trust and the willingness to purchase sustainable fashion products and between trust and the willingness to engage in word-of-mouth endorsement, thereby deepening the understanding of how trust can catalyze emotional engagement and consumer advocacy. Moreover, our findings contribute to the literature on trust signals by highlighting their role in fostering emotional engagement and consumer advocacy in sustainable fashion consumption. These strong indirect effects can be explained by the necessity of perceived effectiveness or accomplishment and the sense of contributing valuably to society—factors critical in evoking pride (e.g., Mascolo & Fischer, 1995; Mascolo & Fischer, 1995; Weiner, 1985).

Second, our empirical evidence underscores the critical role of pride in linking trust with word-of-mouth endorsement. Extending previous research (e.g.,Pangarkar, Patel, & Kumar,2023; Septianto, Seo, & Errmann, 2020 ), our study reveals how trust enhances pride, which in turn activates consumers to promote sustainable products virally. This insight is particularly relevant given the pivotal role of word-of-mouth in consumer decision-making (Berger, 2014), where trust disseminated through personal recommendations can create a positive loop, enhancing brand credibility.

Third, our findings support a growing body of literature that explores the strategic use of information to build trust (e.g., Jäger & Weber,2020 ) and offer a nuanced understanding of how message framing influences the relationship between trust, pride, and sustainable consumption intentions. We demonstrate that concrete information significantly boosts trust in sustainability claims, which enhances feelings of pride and, consequently, influences consumers' willingness to buy sustainable products and engage in positive word-of-mouth activities. This sequence underscores the importance of how information is presented in shaping perceptions of trustworthiness and fostering emotional connections with sustainable practices.

By elucidating these mechanisms, our study not only contributes to the theoretical landscape of sustainable consumer behavior but also sets a robust foundation for future research aimed at optimizing communication strategies to foster more environmentally responsible consumer actions.

Managerial Implications

This research addresses the significant environmental challenges posed by the fashion industry, underscoring the pivotal role of strategic marketing communication in fostering the adoption of sustainable fashion practices (Jones et al., 2014). Our findings suggest that employing concrete information in marketing communications, such as specifying the use of eco-friendly materials, detailing non-toxic chemical processes, and highlighting carbon emission reduction efforts, can significantly boost consumer trust and pride. This approach moves beyond the use of vague descriptors like "environmentally friendly" or "green," providing consumers with clear, tangible details that underscore a brand's commitment to sustainability. Such transparency not only meets the growing consumer demand for honest communication (Riesgo et al., 2023) but also serves as an effective strategy to guide consumer behavior toward more sustainable choices. In light of these insights, we recommend that companies critically evaluate their current marketing strategies and consider the integration of specific, concrete details about their sustainability initiatives. This strategic shift can help brands not only strengthen their competitive position but also contribute more effectively to the global movement toward environmental sustainability within the fashion sector. By implementing these recommendations, brands can enhance their market presence, foster consumer loyalty, and play a crucial role in the broader context of environmental stewardship.

Limitations and Future Research

While this study provides valuable insights into streamlining communication to change unsustainable consumer behavior, our findings have limitations that offer opportunities for future research. Firstly, our reliance on hypothetical scenarios within an experimental framework may limit the generalizability of our findings. Future research could employ real-world observations or longitudinal studies to validate these results and ensure they hold true across actual consumer behaviors. Additionally, the potential influence of cultural differences on the relationships between message framing, pride, trust, and sustainable consumption warrants deeper exploration. For instance, the reaction to concrete information framing might vary significantly between Chinese consumers, who represent a major segment of the global fashion market, and the American consumers studied here (Oliveira & Nisbett, 2017). Understanding these cultural nuances could enhance the effectiveness of targeted marketing strategies. Furthermore, exploring additional moderators or mediators, such as individual differences, could also enrich our understanding of the dynamics at play. Recent research suggests that segmenting fashion consumers into distinct personas based on their preferences for message framing can be an effective strategy (Kaner & Baruh, 2022). This approach could be integrated into future studies to tailor and optimize communication strategies more effectively.

Moreover, while the current research focuses on the framing of product information for a generic white T-shirt, future studies should investigate the effects of message framing on a broader range of product types. Such studies could determine whether certain types of apparel are more suitable for different framing strategies. For example, more complex fashion items, such as jeans, which possess multiple attributes like shape, brand, style, and color. Such characteristics could influence the effects of pride, as well as consumer willingness to buy and engage in word-of-mouth endorsement. Finally, our findings indicate that while the impact of trust on sustainable consumption behaviors was robust, the influence of pride was particularly strong on word-of-mouth endorsement compared to its effect on the willingness to purchase sustainable fashion products. This suggests a potentially unique role of pride in promoting viral marketing, which could be a fruitful area for further research. Hopefully, our work will inspire more research in an area where it is urgent to find diverse solutions to prevent the severe consequences of consumers not changing their unsustainable fashion consumption.

Finally, we recognize that the effectiveness of our attention check might be limited, which is particularly crucial in our study as it directly impacts the reliability of the data concerning consumer behavior in sustainable fashion. While our manipulation check for information concreteness was useful, we acknowledge a potential confound related to the amount of information provided. This is significant because an inadequate manipulation check could lead to misinterpretation of how information concreteness affects consumer decisions, which is central to our study's aims. To enhance future research, incorporating multiple attention checks or employing more complex measures could improve the assessment of participant engagement and data quality. Implementing such practices will strengthen the reliability of findings and contribute to a more nuanced understanding of consumer behavior in sustainable fashion.