Analyzing Brand Hate and Greenwashing: Purchase Intentions of Airline Passengers in Turkey

Year 2025, Volume: 25 Issue: 3, 555 - 566, 06.08.2025

Zeynep Unal , Zeliha Eser

https://doi.org/10.21121/eab.20250306

Abstract

This research examines the impacts of greenwashing (GW) and brand hate (BH) on purchase intention (PI) in the airline sector. It addresses Turkish consumers with an airline transportation purchase experience. Based on the data set of 445 respondents from an online survey, the observations demonstrate that BH partially mediates the relationship between GW and PI; GW and BH negatively affect PI. Therefore, our study suggests that airlines eliminate their GW behaviors and diminish or moderate their BH to improve their consumers’ PI. Airlines need to understand how greenwashing contributes to brand hate, which in turn influences the purchase intentions of their consumers.
The hypothesized relationships were confirmed, and the model proposed in this paper is applicable. The findings indicate that BH is a partial mediator between GW and PI. This research enhances current knowledge by assessing GW, BH, and BH as mediators of GW and PI in the air transportation of Turkish passengers.

Keywords

greenwashing, environmental concern, brand hate, consumer captivity, purchase intention

Ethical Statement

Ethical approval to report this case was obtained from "Başkent University Social and Human Sciences and Arts Research Board" (17162298.600-218).

Supporting Institution

NA

Project Number

NA

Thanks

NA

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