Environmental Communications and Credibility

The communication of corporate environmentalmessages has a history of mixed results, andconcerns are mounting around the possibility ofinformation overload, and the quality andaccurateness of the content. In this research I lookat the complexities associated with environmentalinformation and communication, and explore therelationship of information complexity andcredibility as key constructs that influencecommunication performance. Recent emphasis on LifeCycle Assessment (LCA) information is presented asholding some promise to improve the effectiveness ofenvironmental claims. Results indicate that althoughthe likelihood that more complex communications inan advertising context makes for poor advertising;the credibility gained through more explicitenvironmental disclosures, favorably influences theperceptions toward the company and the brand.In asecond study with architects, I found that,advertisements with environmental messages are moreeffective than those presenting functional productbenefits alone, but only when the messages aresubstantiated with quantitative and disaggregatedinformation [resulting from LCA studies].

Autorentext

Dr. Molina (Ph.D., MS, University of Minnesota) is Resident Lecturer in Environmental Economics and Policy at the Center for Sustainable Development Studies of The School for Field Studies in Costa Rica. Recently he worked as consultant for 3M(TM) in the area of sustainability, and as Researcher and Lecturer at the University of Minnesota.

Klappentext
The communication of corporate environmental messages has a history of mixed results, and concerns are mounting around the possibility of information overload, and the quality and accurateness of the content. In this research I look at the complexities associated with environmental information and communication, and explore the relationship of information complexity and credibility as key constructs that influence communication performance. Recent emphasis on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) information is presented as holding some promise to improve the effectiveness of environmental claims. Results indicate that although the likelihood that more complex communications in an advertising context makes for poor advertising; the credibility gained through more explicit environmental disclosures, favorably influences the perceptions toward the company and the brand.In a second study with architects, I found that, advertisements with environmental messages are more effective than those presenting functional product benefits alone, but only when the messages are substantiated with quantitative and disaggregated information [resulting from LCA studies].