A Green Consumer‐Based Approach to Advance Branding Strategies in Experiential Consumption Contexts. Insight From the Cruise Industry
研究绿色消费价值观如何通过影响绿色营销可信度，进而提升品牌参与、信任和口碑，对邮轮业及体验消费领域的品牌管理者有参考价值。
ABSTRACT Growing environmental awareness has intensified demand for sustainability and transparency, especially in cruise tourism, a high‐impact and highly scrutinised service context. This study examines how green consumption values (GCV) shape passengers' perceptions of the credibility of green marketing claims (believability) and, in turn, influence brand engagement, brand trust and word‐of‐mouth intentions. Data from 404 Italian cruise passengers were analysed using covariance‐based structural equation modelling (CB‐SEM). Results show that GCV significantly increase believability, which strengthens engagement and trust and ultimately fosters word‐of‐mouth; among these drivers, brand trust is the strongest predictor of advocacy intentions. The study advances the literature by identifying believability as a key mediating mechanism translating environmental values into consumer–brand relationship outcomes. Building on the empirical results, it also proposes an original ECO Framework (empowerment–connection–optimisation) to guide credible sustainability communication, stakeholder collaboration and business model innovation in the cruise industry.