Is Guilt Messaging the Path To Influencing Consumer Behavior?

A university study has found that telling consumers their returned items will be "kept out of landfills" significantly increases participation in take-back programs for apparel.

The researchers from Ohio State University, IESE Business School in Barcelona and Georgetown University noted that take-back programs face low consumer participation, limiting the programs' long-term viability and effectiveness in supporting sustainability commitments.

The study found greater convenience -- such as offering at-home pickup or easy mail-in options -- also reduced the financial reward required from consumers to support take-back programs, but eco-benefit messaging particularly helped. 

“We found that providing generic environmental information, that is, simply noting that collected items will be diverted from the landfill, significantly lowered the reward required for participation," said Anna Sáez de Tejada Cuenca, of IESE Business School in Barcelona, in a statement.

On the other hand, when consumers learned that retailers would resell collected items for a profit, participation significantly dropped.

Guilt Messaging Could Influence Consumer Behavior, But Is it Ethical?

Guilt messaging appears to be a strong tool to toward encouraging other eco-friendly habits, such as discouraging fast-fashion purchases.

A survey of Americans conducted earlier this year, commissioned by HP, found people feel strong guilt around their environmental habits about 3.8 times per month on average -- or nearly 50 times per year -- including wasting food (31%); tossing items that could have been recycled (29%); and leaving the TV on when not watching (27%).

Around other causes, research from the University at Buffalo School of Management in New York found that despite guilt over animal welfare, people generally kept eating meat. The meat eaters justified their choice by picking a meat dish prepared more healthily, and/or citing the nutritional value of meat provides them.

Research from Montreal’s McGill University found individuals who experienced higher levels of “white guilt” were more likely to buy from Black-owned businesses than from white-owned ones, even when the minority-owned options were more expensive or had lower customer ratings.

Guilt Tipping As an Associated Behavior

Additionally, surveys continue to show Americans have been tipping more due to “guilt tipping” -- suggested tip options offered on checkout tablet or tips requests from places not normally expected to require tips.

A survey last year from Talk Research found more than half (56%) of respondents feel always, or often, forced to tip more than they would like. Recent research from Washington State University (WSU) found guilt messaging works if it appeals to a person’s “general desire to better society,” but may backfire if people hearing the pitch are made to feel responsible for a bad situation.

WSU communication scientist Wei Peng said in a statement, “When people want to use guilt in an appeal, it may be better to use it implicitly to try to make other people feel they should take on this responsibility, rather than say explicitly that they are responsible for what other people are suffering.”