Are consumers moved by a crying tree or a smiling forest? Effects of anthropomorphic valence and cause acuteness in green advertising

Chun-Tuan Chang, Hsiao-Ching Lee, and Yu-Kang Lee

Rivers, lakes, oceans, volcanos, and forests are anthropomorphized by featuring them with humanlike facial characteristics or presenting a personified message.
Chang, Lee and Lee

Management Slant

  • When the environmental issue is considered a sudden disaster, negative anthropomorphism is more persuasive.
  • By contrast, when the environmental issue is viewed as an ongoing tragedy, positive anthropomorphism results in a more favorable attitude, higher willingness to pay, and more money being donated.
  • Consumers’ connectedness to nature serves as the underlying mechanism in this messaging.
  • If this level of connectedness to nature is low, nonprofit organizations and companies must alter these perceptions by choosing a more appropriate anthropomorphic valence and cause acuteness in their green advertising.

Introduction

Over the past decade, consumers...

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