From natural cues to brand trust: the role of green values and pride Open Access

Growing ecological degradation and increasing environmental risks have heightened public health and sustainability concerns, making eco-friendly consumption an academic and managerial priority (Moon et al., 2024). Sustainable consumption has moved from a consumer preference to a societal necessity, as people seek natural products that combine ecological responsibility, safety and minimal processing (Shah et al., 2025). Products without synthetic additives and chemicals lower carbon footprints and support both physical and psychological well-being, addressing the negative health effects of synthetic alternatives, which are linked to irritation, infections and cancer (Luthra et al., 2025). This change in behavior reflects consumers’ increasing responsibility to reduce health and environmental risks through conscious purchasing decisions (Carrao et al., 2023).

Personal care products – skincare, haircare, toiletries and feminine hygiene – represent an important area for integrating green consumption values into daily routines (Kumar et al., 2021). Growing awareness of product safety and environmental impact has led consumers to prefer natural personal care products, which are perceived as more trustworthy (Testa et al., 2024). The global market for natural and organic personal care products is projected to reach US$66.1bn by 2033, with a compound annual growth rate of 9.7% (Persistent Market Research, 2023). In India, culturally rooted preferences for Ayurveda contribute to this demand, and the market is expected to reach INR 997.42m by 2025 (Statista, 2024).

Despite this growth, there is limited understanding of the psychological mechanisms that connect green preferences with emotional brand attachment, trust and loyalty. Fundamental personal values, such as altruism, biospheric concern and egoism, motivate green consumption (Bhardwaj et al., 2023). However, green product knowledge alone rarely predicts behavior. Instead, value congruence, social influence and affective responses influence sustainable purchase decisions (Lestari et al., 2025). This gap is especially relevant in developing economies, where the emotional and attitudinal factors underlying eco-friendly consumption remain underexplored (Kumar et al., 2021).

This study examines how green consumer values (GCVs) translate into relational outcomes, specifically brand love (BL) and brand trust (BT), in the natural personal care context. This study proposes that GCVs indirectly influence BT through BL, which represents an affective-emotional bond, and that anticipated pride (AP) moderates the relationship between GCVs, BL and BT. Grounded in the stimulus–organism–behavior–consequence (SOBC) framework, this research advances theoretical understanding of affective mechanisms in green consumerism and offers practical insights for building emotionally resonant, trusted green brands.

Emotions significantly influence consumer decision-making, especially in sustainable contexts where choices have moral and social implications. However, the impact of self-conscious emotions on green brand relationships remains conceptually underexplored. The anticipated emotions framework suggests that consumers mentally simulate the emotional outcomes of their actions, which encourages ethical and future-oriented choices (Mishra et al., 2024). Building on this perspective, recent sustainability research indicates that anticipated self-conscious emotions help align internal green values with external sustainability cues, such as natural content (NC) and regional product origin (RP), integrating emotion into value-driven brand evaluations.

Among emotions, AP and regret are motivational forces that encourage socially desirable behaviors and reduce post-decision discomfort (Maduku, 2024). AP, a forward-looking, self-aware emotion associated with socially valued outcomes, is especially important in motivating support for green brand ideals (Shipley and van Riper, 2022). However, most research has focused on AP as a driver of pro-environmental behavior, providing limited insight into its role in transforming value-based evaluations into brand-level emotions such as BL and BT. This limitation restricts theoretical understanding of how AP interacts with GCVs to develop deeper relational constructs in green branding. The moderating influence of AP on the affective and cognitive pathways that link consumer values to brand outcomes is not sufficiently theorized. Positioning AP as a moderator within the GCVs–BL–BT chain places it within a broader value–emotion–relationship framework, which extends existing theory on self-conscious emotions in sustainable branding.

BT, defined as consumer willingness to rely on a brand’s consistent performance, is essential for reducing skepticism and maintaining long-term relationships (Khamitov et al., 2024). In green markets, trust is often fragile because of widespread concerns about greenwashing (Delmas and Burbano, 2011). BT promotes brand loyalty and advocacy, supporting commitment beyond functional evaluations (Batra et al., 2012; Shahzad et al., 2024). Recent research highlights the need to identify new antecedents of trust that address the emotional and value-based dimensions of sustainable consumption (Khamitov et al., 2024).

This study links sustainability cues sustainability cues such as NC and RP, internalized values such as GCVs, affective mechanisms such as BL and relational outcomes such as BT to provide a comprehensive view of trust formation in green markets. Although GCVs are central, limited research addresses how these values lead to sustained BT. This study proposes BL as a mediating mechanism that transforms abstract environmental values into relational commitment. While the trust–love–loyalty chain is well-established in general consumption contexts (Batra et al., 2012; Albert and Merunka, 2013), its operation in sustainability-driven relationships remains largely unexplored. By testing BL as an intermediary between GCVs and BT in a green personal care context, the study shows how environmental concern develops into lasting trust through emotional attachment, addressing fragmented findings on the value–relationship connection. Additionally, as a self-reflective, future-oriented emotion, AP is hypothesized to strengthen the alignment between consumer values and brand attachment, thereby deepening trust. Although AP has been identified as supporting prosocial behavior (Talwar et al., 2022), its amplifying effect on green relational outcomes has not been empirically confirmed. Table 1 summarizes previous research and the contributions of this study.

Using the SOBC framework, this study defines GCVs as the stimulus, BL as the organismic state and BT as the consequence, with AP moderating the process. Sustainability cues, such as NC and RP, activate GCVs and influence emotional attachment and relational trust. This sequence explains how product-level sustainability cues encourage lasting brand relationships by directing internalized values through affective and self-conscious processes. Theoretically, the model connects previously separate findings from the value, emotion and relational literature and offers practical guidance for building trust and loyalty in a context of greenwashing anxiety.

The proposed GCVs–BL–BT chain integrates value congruence theory with affective attachment models by theorizing that sustainability-based value alignment (GCVs) fosters affective attachment (BL), which subsequently strengthens cognitive evaluations of reliability and integrity (BT). Rather than treating value–trust links as direct and primarily cognitive (Chen, 2010; Leonidou et al., 2013), we conceptualize BL as the emotional conduit through which abstract sustainability values translate into durable trust judgments.

This mechanism is theoretically preferable to plausible alternatives for three reasons. First, unlike direct value–trust models that bypass affect, our full mediation logic recognizes that green contexts are characterized by skepticism and greenwashing concerns (Delmas and Burbano, 2011), where emotional attachment facilitates the conversion of value congruence into relational confidence. Consistent with attachment theory, passion and self-brand integration provide the relational bridge between abstract moral values and concrete trust outcomes (Batra et al., 2012). Second, grounding the model in SOBC extends static value-based frameworks such as value–belief–norm (VBN) (Stren, 2000) and SOR (Mehrabian and Russell, 1974) by introducing recursive reinforcement processes. Repeated green behaviors strengthen BL, which in turn consolidates BT over time, offering a dynamic explanation of sustained trust formation. Third, incorporating AP as a moderator introduces boundary conditions rooted in moral self-regulation (Fishbach and Dhar, 2005). Whereas prior studies emphasize pride’s amplifying effects (Onwezen et al., 2014), we theorize that high AP signal’s goal completion, attenuating further cognitive processing and weakening the GCVs–BL–BT pathway. This helps reconcile inconsistencies in the pride literature and specifies when sustainability-driven trust formation is strengthened or dampened. Collectively, this integrative synthesis clarifies why sustainability cues activate enduring brand relationships beyond purely cognitive mechanisms and addresses fragmentation in the green trust literature (Khamitov et al., 2024).

The SOBC model (Davis and Luthans, 1980) builds on the classical stimulus–organism–response (SOR) framework (Mehrabian and Russell, 1974) by adding behavioral consequences. Drawing on Bandura and Walters’ (1977) social learning theory, SOBC outlines a recursive causal chain in which external stimuli (S) trigger internal cognitive and emotional processes (O), which then influence behavior (B) and result in consequences (C). These consequences provide feedback and reinforcement that shape future responses. In this study, product-level cues such as NC and RP serve as stimuli (S) that generate organismic states, GCVs and BL (O), which affect sustainable consumption behaviors (B). Repeated engagement in these behaviors leads to BT (C) as the final relational outcome.

In green consumption, SOBC provides a detailed framework to explain how values and emotions result in observable pro-environmental actions. GCVs, based on ethical and sustainability concerns, function as organismic evaluations that initiate cognitive–affective organismic states, especially BL, which is defined in this context as an affective construct rather than a behavioral one (Batra et al., 2012). AP, a forward-looking moral emotion, supports these internal states and strengthens prosocial and sustainable preferences. Observable consumption behaviors, such as green purchase intention, repeat buying and brand advocacy, reflect these internal activations and link psychological mechanisms to market-relevant outcomes. Positive reinforcement from these behaviors leads to consequences, represented as BT, which result from emotional satisfaction and relational assurance (Davis and Luthans, 1980). This structure identifies behavior as a key mediator between organismic activation (GCVs and BL) and relational outcomes (BT).

Although behavior is central, previous SOBC-based studies often underemphasize its role in linking internal processes to relational outcomes (Dhir et al., 2021). In this study, behavior refers only to observable pro-green actions, such as preferences for eco-friendly brands and willingness to pay more, while BL remains within the organismic layer. These actions represent the transition from internal value activation (GCVs) and emotional attachment (BL) to relational trust (BT), completing the S → O → B → C sequence. Repeated behavioral experiences strengthen BT by demonstrating brand reliability and ethical commitment, supporting the recursive feedback loop inherent in SOBC logic. In this research, BL is consistently defined as an affective organismic response resulting from value activation, while behavior is limited to observable pro-environmental actions that connect internal states to relational outcomes.

The SOBC framework extends beyond SOR and other behavioral models, such as the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1991) and VBN theory (Stren, 2000). SOR addresses the S → O → R sequence but does not consider feedback from behavioral outcomes. SOBC adds the “consequence” (C) component, which captures how behaviors influence later cognitive and emotional states. Unlike theory of planned behavior, which emphasizes rational processes, and VBN, which presents static value–norm relationships, SOBC combines emotion, reinforcement and reciprocal learning in a single explanatory sequence—S → O → B → C. This framework identifies behavior (B) as the link that connects internal states to lasting relational consequences.

This study combines the sequential logic of SOR with the recursive feedback mechanism of SOBC to explain how GCVs (S) influence BL and AP (O), which support sustainable behaviors (B) and ultimately result in BT (C) (Dhir et al., 2021). BL contributes to the O → C pathway, moving from emotional to relational outcomes, while AP acts as an affective moderator that strengthens both the O → B and B → C relationships. Behavior (B) refers to specific sustainable actions, while BL is defined as an emotional organismic state. AP serves as an affective boundary condition that shapes the intensity of organismic processing and influences behavioral and relational outcomes, rather than representing a separate stage in the SOBC model.

Recent applications of SOBC to ethical consumption contexts, such as green apparel purchasing (Dhir et al., 2021), demonstrate its robustness in modeling value-driven behavior. Building on this foundation, this study identifies NC and RP as stimuli (S) that activate GCVs (O) and BL (O), which prompt green behavioral responses (B) and result in BT (C). AP increases the affective intensity across these relationships.

We define NC as a product-intrinsic attribute related to a product’s physical composition and ingredients, indicating that the product contains natural materials without artificial additives. Customers who prefer these products believe they are safer, cleaner and better for their health (Molinillo et al., 2020). NC represents intrinsic and compositional features, such as organic, chemical-free or minimally processed ingredients, that directly indicate naturalness and environmental compatibility (Pant et al., 2024). NC, together with beliefs about health benefits and positive effects on family and community, is a major factor in purchase decisions (Kutaula et al., 2024). Businesses use various cues to communicate that products are made from natural materials, including packaging colors, text claims such as “pure” or “natural” and eco-label certifications. Although origin cues can improve perceived naturalness, NC emphasizes composition by prioritizing ingredient purity over provenance. Increased perceived naturalness enhances brand authenticity, builds trust and loyalty, improves customer experiences and positively affects BL. In the SOBC framework, NC serves as a composition-driven stimulus (S) that activates GCVs (O) as an organismic state by indicating product purity, safety and environmental ethics, which reinforces organismic processing. Based on the SOBC model’s S → O linkage, we hypothesize as follows:

We define RP as a product-extrinsic, brand-related attribute that indicates geographical origin and provenance. RPs are mainly local products that can be transported over long distances and used at their destination. This concept emphasizes the connection between products and a specific place, including its distinct production methods, cultural heritage, customs and community (Kneafsey et al., 2013). Although previous research distinguishes “local” products, which have short supply chains, from “regional” products, which have longer supply chains, both rely on provenance as the core value dimension.

Differentiating the RP concept from ethnocentric consumer orientations is essential. Ethnocentrism refers to a consumer preference for domestic goods based on normative or patriotic motives (Shimp and Sharma, 1987). In contrast, RP concerns a perceived product attribute related to provenance, which influences evaluations of authenticity, quality and sustainability. To clarify the conceptual overlap, NC cues relate to intrinsic ingredient composition, reflecting self-oriented purity, while RP cues are linked to place-based embeddedness and socio-cultural context, reflecting community-oriented ethics. This distinction supports the view that NC and RP are theoretically independent stimuli within SOBC, as they activate complementary but non-redundant aspects of GCVs.

Provenance serves as an important consumer heuristic for assessing safety, quality and authenticity. Although consumers may believe that RPs are more natural than other products, their perceived value is mainly influenced by origin rather than ingredient composition. RPs often use short or transparent supply chains, which allow consumers to access reliable origin information (Kneafsey et al., 2013). Geographical origin is an increasingly important decision criterion that consumers use to infer quality and justify paying a premium to support local producers and community welfare. Labels, certifications and origin tags strengthen perceptions of authenticity and trustworthiness. Positive evaluations of RPs increase trust, emotional connectedness and belonging, which are core elements of GCVs associated with communal and sustainability-oriented values. Thus, RP acts as a provenance-driven stimulus (S) in the SOBC model, uniquely activating GCVs through ethical, communal and place-connected pathways. Therefore, based on the model’s S → O path, we hypothesize as follows:

GCVs are based in psychology and individual values (De Silva et al., 2021) and focus on stable cognitive–affective beliefs that guide consumers’ expression of their beliefs through purchase behaviors (Haws et al., 2014). Research shows that GCVs influence consumer habits when purchasing eco-friendly hotel accommodations, electrical products and apparel. Consumers’ ideas and values shape their views on environmental issues such as global warming and climate change. De Silva et al. (2021) examined the moderating effects of three GCVs: value-for-money, environmental and status awareness. Haws et al. (2014) recommended studying green product-related consumption values because these values more clearly show how individuals’ resource-conserving actions benefit society by being environmentally friendly. Individuals adopt sustainable lifestyles because of not only environmental awareness and understanding but also the personal benefits or satisfaction they gain from the products or services they use (Xu et al., 2023).

BT increases loyalty, repeat transactions and brand advocacy. It strengthens customer–brand interactions and loyalty by linking product quality to customer satisfaction (Shahzad et al., 2024). GCVs and BT are not directly connected; instead, value congruence and cognitive consistency serve as mediating mechanisms. When consumers perceive, through credible claims and consistent practices, that a brand genuinely reflects their ecological values, this alignment increases trustworthiness, defined by predictability, benevolence and integrity (Morgan and Hunt, 1994). Therefore, GCVs can shape trust perceptions because brand actions support consumers’ moral self-concepts and reduce uncertainty.

Value-congruent brands create emotional connections, stabilizing trust evaluations through their emotional impact. In the SOBC framework, GCVs serve as the organismic (O) state, representing the internal cognitive–affective evaluative state activated by product-level stimuli such as NC and RP cues. Defining GCVs as an internal evaluative state maintains theoretical consistency, as this state triggers both emotional (BL) and behavioral (BT) outcomes, aligning with the O → C linkage. Activated green values increase emotional attachment and strengthen trust, providing a belief-based foundation for assessing a brand’s dependability and ethical integrity. Defining GCVs as the organismic (O) state demonstrates how these internal values lead to emotional brand responses (BL as B) and relational outcomes such as BT (C). In the SOBC model, green consumption values influence BT indirectly through affective attachment and behavioral reinforcement, rather than through a direct value-to-trust transfer. We hypothesize as follows:

Brand experiences occur when consumers interact with a brand’s products, services, design or identity (Brakus et al., 2009). Positive interactions lead to favorable brand impressions, attitudes and perceptions, which contribute to BL. Research shows that the emotions individuals feel toward loved ones are similar to those customers experience toward items and possessions. BL refers to a strong emotional attachment to a brand, arising from high satisfaction, and predicts positive post-purchase behaviors, such as loyalty, repurchase intention and word-of-mouth referrals (Carroll and Ahuvia, 2006; Albert and Merunka, 2013). BL draws on interpersonal love theories and includes elements such as passion, expressions of love and brand attachment. Although scholars have identified connections between BL and satisfaction (Carroll and Ahuvia, 2006), they maintain that these are separate concepts.

Research has examined BL in various contexts. Batra et al. (2012) analyzed brand affection in domains such as electrical devices, machinery and apparel, identifying three key components of BL: self-brand integration, passion and positive emotions. BL shows a positive correlation with BT and is linked to skepticism toward negative brand information (Batra et al., 2012), increased willingness to pay a premium (Bagozzi et al., 2017) and higher levels of brand forgiveness, community commitment and willingness to participate in co-creation. Consumers often develop strong connections with brands because of their preference for specific products, which can result in BL.

Within the SOBC framework, BL is an affective organismic response that arises from value-based evaluations and occurs before observable behavioral engagement. It reflects consumers’ emotional attachment to a brand, which is stimulated by GCVs as the stimulus (S). Through this affective process, BL directs the influence of GCVs into trust-based brand relationships, explaining the mediating connection between value alignment and BT. Therefore, the mediation pathway GCVs–BL–BT shows how value-based affective responses lead to trust-based brand relationships, completing the SOBC model’s S → O → C sequence:

BT is a cognitive assessment of brand reliability and integrity, influenced by previous affective experiences and alignment with the consumer’s moral values (Chaudhuri and Holbrook, 2001). In the SOBC framework, BT serves as the consequence (C) that results from earlier behavioral engagement (B), such as BL, and reflects stronger consumer–brand relational judgments. BT plays a key role in brand–consumer relationships, developing through experiences (Albert and Merunka, 2013) and representing the expectation that a brand will act in the customer’s best interests based on shared goals and values (Doney and Cannon, 1997). BT is also important for sustaining long-term marketing relationships (Alhumud et al., 2025). It results from consumers’ previous encounters and perceptions (Khamitov et al., 2024), shaped by both direct and indirect interactions, with consumption experiences being most influential (Selnes, 1998). In uncertain environments, trust serves as an implicit assurance against opportunistic behavior, even when formal controls are limited. Consumers who trust a brand are more likely to demonstrate loyalty, repurchase intentions and advocacy behaviors. Empirical evidence links trust to the relationship between product quality and consumer loyalty (Shahzad et al., 2024) and indicates that confidence in brand communications increases engagement and supports sustained brand relationships. Enduring trust provides a secure foundation for building BL, which is an emotional attachment defined by passion, affection and commitment (Carroll and Ahuvia, 2006). Consumers develop emotional connections with brands that make them feel positive and align with their values, which increases the likelihood that they will perceive the brand as trustworthy and credible (Albert and Merunka, 2013). This progression from emotional attachment to cognitive trust reflects a recognized pattern in relationship marketing, where love precedes and leads to trust. In the SOBC sequence, BT is the consequence (C) that results from behavioral and emotional engagement (B), such as BL, creating a reinforcing cycle that strengthens future trust and loyalty.

Environmental sustainability is a complex issue with long-term societal consequences (Kutaula et al., 2024), and consumer choices do not produce direct individual-level benefits or harms (Gorrisen et al., 2024). The decision to purchase sustainable products depends on both social responsibility and individual needs. Individuals begin developing moral standards at age 3 years, which serve as a baseline for evaluating their own behavior (Lazarus, 1991). Behavior aligned with these standards provides social benefits, personal satisfaction and pride, while violations may lead to discomfort and guilt (Kutaula et al., 2024). AP is a forward-looking moral emotion that motivates individuals to act in line with their internalized values and anticipated self-approval. In sustainability-oriented contexts, AP increases the motivational intensity of positive actions, influencing subsequent emotional and relational outcomes. According to the SOBC sequencing logic, AP functions as an organismic emotional state that determines how GCVs are translated into affective attachment and later relational evaluations.

Empirically, AP serves as a motivational antecedent that improves BL’s attitudinal and behavioral outcomes in sustainability-oriented contexts. When consumers experience AP from making environmentally friendly or brand-consistent choices, this conscious emotion increases moral satisfaction and strengthens their emotional commitment to the brand (Patrick et al., 2009). These anticipated emotional rewards support the internalization of prosocial brand values, turning green consumption value into positive brand attitudes, loyalty and advocacy. AP increases the emotional connection between cognitive evaluations and brand-related emotions, which builds trust in brand relationships. While brand-related emotions indicate a long-term bond, AP acts as a situational catalyst that aligns a consumer’s moral identity with the brand’s ethical stance.

AP plays an important role in green consumption because it is influenced by the expected self-rewarding feelings associated with environmentally friendly behaviors (Talwar et al., 2022). AP motivates green consumption and acts proactively, as the anticipation of positive emotions significantly affects attitudes toward green consumption (Talwar et al., 2022). The relationship between AP and purchase frequency shows that ongoing engagement in green consumption is motivated by the desire to maintain these positive emotions (Chae et al., 2024). Emotions such as pride significantly affect the intention to perform a behavior and provide motivational energy (Bagozzi and Dholakia, 2006; Donato and D’Aniello, 2022). The effect of GCVs on attitude is stronger when people feel proud of themselves, which increases their personal value and encourages prosocial actions, such as green purchases and eco-friendly activities. AP links value-driven thoughts to emotional and social reinforcement, encouraging consumers to maintain green brand relationships by anticipating moral rewards and self-consistency.

Brand loyalty is shaped by customers’ familiarity with, experience of and understanding of a brand. Honesty, sincerity, positive attitudes, word of mouth and a strong connection with a product can lead to BL (Henseler et al., 2016). From a moral emotion perspective, AP increases self-regulatory alignment with prosocial values and emotional connections, which raises the emotional significance of brand interactions (Patrick et al., 2009). This process strengthens the relationship between cognitive evaluations and emotional attachment, as well as the relationship between emotional attachment and relational trust. These points suggest that AP moderates both the green consumption values–BL and BL–BT relationships by increasing the affective significance of prosocial actions. In the SOBC model, AP acts as an affective moderator that strengthens the O and O→C links by increasing emotional engagement and reinforcing moral meaning in brand interactions. Therefore, AP increases organismic processing (O) of GCVs and the behavior–consequence link, which raises emotional engagement and trust within the SOBC framework. We hypothesize as follows:

Figure 1 illustrates the conceptual framework.

We used a structured questionnaire that included demographic items and standardized scales for all constructs, each measured on a five-point Likert scale. BT items referenced “Indian companies.” We retained the validated wording (Chaudhuri and Holbrook, 2001; Ebrahim, 2020) to preserve semantic equivalence and comparability, consistent with construct operationalization guidelines (Steenkamp and Baumgartner, 1998; MacKenzie et al., 2011). Given the single-brand context of Dabur, a pilot study (n = 30) was undertaken to assess interpretive clarity and brand-level anchoring. Participants, recruited from Dabur’s official social media community, confirmed prior usage of Dabur products and were explicitly instructed at the beginning of the survey to respond to all items with Dabur as the focal brand. Pilot feedback indicated that respondents interpreted the trust items in relation to Dabur rather than Indian companies in general, and minor wording refinements were made to eliminate ambiguity. Although the generic wording was retained to ensure comparability with prior studies, we acknowledge that fully brand-specific wording may further reduce potential referent ambiguity; this issue is discussed in the limitations section. In the main study, discriminant validity diagnostics (HTMT < 0.85; Fornell–Larcker criterion satisfied) substantiated the empirical distinctiveness of BT (Henseler et al., 2015).

Data for the final study was collected using a Web-based survey administered to users of Dabur, a leading heritage brand in India’s natural and Ayurvedic product segment. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling from online consumer panels and brand-affiliated social media communities (such as Facebook groups, Instagram followers and wellness forums). Respondents had to be over 18 years old and have purchased Dabur or natural personal-care products within the past month. Screening items confirmed that participants had purchased at least two Dabur-branded products in the preceding 30 days.

Eligible respondents received a survey link with study details and participation instructions. Data were collected from August to October 2024 from consumers in six major Indian cities: Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Indore and Jaipur, to ensure regional diversity. Participation was voluntary, and both anonymity and confidentiality were assured. After removing incomplete and outlier cases, 203 valid responses were retained for analysis.

This study focused on Indian consumers aged 21–30 years, a demographic notable for its size, digital fluency and changing consumption values. Industry reports (Euromonitor International, 2025) indicate that this group prefers e-commerce, personalized products and ethically sourced goods. Although previous research notes that using such samples may limit generalizability (Sears, 1986; Peterson, 2001), this demographic plays a central role in shaping current consumption patterns through peer networks and digital communities.

We conducted a conservative a priori power analysis using G*Power 3.1 (Faul et al., 2009) to determine the statistical power required for multiple regression analysis. With a significance level of α = 0.01, a medium effect size (f² = 0.15) and up to three predictors per endogenous construct, the analysis indicated a minimum required sample size of 108 respondents. Our final sample included 203 participants, which exceeds this threshold and provides sufficient power to detect structural relationships, including mediation and moderation. Contemporary partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) guidelines indicate that this sample size is adequate for achieving stable parameter estimates in models of similar complexity (Hair et al., 2013; Kock and Hadaya, 2018).

We used bootstrapping and conducted standard diagnostic checks for reliability, validity and collinearity. Following MacKinnon et al. (2000), we assessed mediation effects using bootstrap confidence intervals, which allow detection of indirect effects even when statistical suppression may cause differences between the significance of indirect and total effects. The model’s predictive relevance (Q²) values further supported sample adequacy. Using blindfolding with an omission distance of 7 (Hair et al., 2014), Q² values for BL, BT and GCV all exceeded 0, which established predictive relevance for each endogenous construct (Chin, 1998).

Table 2 shows the demographic profile of respondents. Items were measured on a five-point Likert scale using established scales from previous studies (Appendix Table A1). Among respondents, 126 (62.07%) were men and 77 (37.93%) were women. Most participants held undergraduate (119; 58.62%) or postgraduate (77; 37.93%) degrees, while few reported doctoral (3; 1.48%) or high school (4; 1.97%) qualifications. Most respondents were 21–30 years old (181; 89.16%), followed by those aged 31–40 years (6; 2.96%), 41–50 years (5; 2.46%) and above 50 years (11; 5.42%). Regarding occupational status, 140 (68.97%) were students; 52 (26.61%) were employed; and smaller proportions were unemployed (6; 2.95%), retired (3; 1.48%) or homemakers (2; 0.99%).

We selected PLS-SEM instead of covariance-based SEM because it is suitable for analyzing complex models and remains robust with modest sample sizes. PLS-SEM’s minimal distributional requirements make it effective for examining models with mediating and moderating relationships (Hair et al., 2011, 2014). Following recommended practices, we used a two-stage analytical approach: first, we evaluated the measurement model for reliability, validity and accuracy; second, we assessed the structural model to estimate path coefficients and test the hypothesized relationships.

Reliability and validity analyses confirmed the measurement model’s internal consistency (Table 3). All constructs had factor loadings above the recommended threshold of 0.70 (Hair et al., 2014).

Common method bias (CMB) was assessed using Harman’s single-factor test. The single factor explained 45.277% of the total variance, which is below the 50% threshold (Harman, 1967), indicating that CMB is unlikely to affect the results. To further confirm this, CMB was also evaluated using Kock’s (2015) method, which is considered a more rigorous approach for detecting CMB in PLS-SEM frameworks. According to Kock and Lynn (2012), full collinearity variance inflation factor values below 3.3 indicate that CMB is not present. In this study, all variance inflation factor values were below 3.3, so CMB was not considered a concern.

Cronbach’s α, rho_a and composite reliability (CR) were used to assess construct reliability; all three metrics exceeded the recommended threshold of 0.700 (Nunnally, 1978). The rho_a value fell between Cronbach’s α and CR and was above 0.70, indicating strong reliability (Henseler et al., 2016). The average variance extracted was above 0.500, which supports adequate convergent validity (Fornell and Larcker, 1981). The heterotrait–monotrait ratio of correlations was used to assess discriminant validity (Henseler et al., 2016). Values below the liberal threshold of 0.90 and the conservative criterion of 0.85 were considered. All heterotrait–monotrait values in Table 4 were below these thresholds, confirming discriminant validity.

The structural model presents the hypothesized relationships among the study constructs. R², Q² and path significance were evaluated to assess the model. Using SmartPLS bootstrapping, 5,000 resamples were generated to estimate t-values and confidence intervals for model fit and structural correlations (Hair et al., 2011). Model fit assessment in PLS-SEM is still debated, and current guidelines are suggestive rather than definitive (Hair et al., 2014). Hair et al. (2014) indicate that R² values of 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 represent low, moderate and substantial explanatory power, respectively, while Falk and Miller (1992) state that R² values above 0.1 indicate sufficient predictive capacity. The model’s SRMR of 0.057, which is below the 0.10 threshold (Benitez et al., 2020), indicates acceptable model fit (Pavlov et al., 2021).

Hypothesis testing confirms that NC directly affects GCVs (Figure 2), supporting H1. RP also has a strong positive effect on GCVs. In addition, GCVs positively predict BT, confirming H3. Table 5 presents a summary of the hypothesis testing results.

Following recommended guidelines, bootstrapped mediation analysis was conducted to assess BL’s mediating effect on the relationship between GCVs and BT (Hair et al., 2014; Zhao et al., 2010; MacKinnon et al., 2000). Table 5 reports the direct effect of GCVs on BT both without and with BL as a mediator. The direct GCVs → BT path was significant without BL but became nonsignificant when BL was included. The indirect effect through BL was significant, indicating an indirect-only effect and, therefore, full mediation (Zhao et al., 2010). The total effect of GCVs on BT was nonsignificant, supporting H4. Conceptually, these findings indicate that GCVs affect BT only through BL, which serves as the affective–behavioral conduit in the SOBC sequence (O → B → C). The combination of a nonsignificant total effect and a significant indirect effect aligns with suppression or inconsistent mediation patterns identified in previous research (MacKinnon et al., 2000).

The moderating effect of AP on the GCVs–BL relationship was significant and negative, supporting H5 (Table 5). This result indicates that AP weakens the conversion of GCVs into BL. Figure 3 shows that when AP is low, the slope from low GCVs to high GCVs is steep, meaning that BL increases substantially as GCVs increase. This finding suggests a strong positive effect of GCVs on BL at low AP. When AP is high, the slope remains positive but is flatter, indicating a smaller rate of increase. This supports the argument that AP, as a forward-looking moral emotion, changes the affective payoff of value-congruent behavior. The moderating effect of AP on the BL–BT relationship was also significant and negative, supporting H6 (Table 5). This indicates that AP reduces BL’s positive effect on BT, suggesting that AP weakens both the O → B (GCVs → BL) and B → C (BL → BT) links in the SOBC chain. Figure 4 shows that when AP is low, the slope from low BL to high BL is steep, so BT increases significantly as BL increases. This means BL has a strong positive effect on BT at low AP. In contrast, when AP is high, the slope remains positive but is less steep, so BT increases only moderately as BL increases. This means BL has a weaker effect on BT at high AP. Overall, the moderation results show that AP weakens both the O → B (GCV → BL) and B → C (BL → BT) links in the SOBC chain, which suggests a moral self-regulatory or goal-completion mechanism rather than an amplification of affective translation.

India’s collectivist culture shapes consumer attitudes through shared identities and normative expectations (Hofstede, 2001), positioning RPs as symbols of belonging and responsibility. At the same time, emerging environmental norms among the urban middle class, reinforced by policy and social influence, emphasize the importance of NC in activating GCVs. These cultural factors serve as contextual explanations rather than empirically tested moderators and require explicit examination in future research.

This study integrates fragmented insights from value, emotion and trust frameworks into a coherent SOBC pathway. Building on VBN theory (Stren, 2000) and green trust models (Chen, 2010), NC and RP cues activate GCVs. These values build BT only indirectly through BL – an indirect-only effect that challenges cognition-only models and establishes affective attachment as essential for value-to-relationship translation. The finding that GCVs reach BT only indirectly corrects assumptions that values alone suffice (Leonidou et al., 2013; Wang et al., 2022). BL emerges as the central affective mechanism in SOBC’s organismic-to-consequence (O-to-C) pathway (Batra et al., 2012; Albert and Merunka, 2013), extending this logic to sustainability by positioning GCVs as BL antecedents – a novel link.

AP exerts a counterintuitive dampening effect on the relationships between GCV and BL, as well as between BL and BT. This pattern is consistent with moral self-regulation theory rather than emotion amplification perspectives (Onwezen et al., 2014). The findings advance emotion theory in the green branding domain by foregrounding pride’s potential inhibitory function once pro-environmental values are activated. The study contributes by shifting the analytical focus from firm-level green strategies (Leonidou et al., 2013) to consumer-level value activation through concrete product cues, specifically NC and RP. It shows how micro-level signals can scale into macro-level relational outcomes, addressing recent calls for emotion-driven pathways to BT (Khamitov et al., 2024; Tan et al., 2025). Applying the SOBC framework to personal care, which is underrepresented in sustainability research (Onwezen et al., 2014; Habib et al., 2025), broadens the framework’s domain validity.

This study advances sustainability emotion research by identifying AP as a boundary condition, not a facilitator, of value translation. In contrast to previous findings that highlight pride’s amplifying effect (Onwezen et al., 2014), AP green consumption values–BL and BL–BT relationships. This result aligns with the moral self-regulation and goal-completion perspectives (Bandura, 2014; Fishbach and Dhar, 2005), indicating that high AP may signal adequate moral progress and decrease the need for further affective response. By applying AP to brand-relational processes instead of message-framing and choice contexts, this study refines emotion theories in sustainability by showing when and why pride reduces, rather than increases, emotional and trust-based outcomes.

The findings are situated within the Indian context, where collectivist norms and regional symbolism offer a rationale for the significant role of RP in stimulating GCVs. Although this study did not directly model culture, the results indicate that regional cues can prompt sustainability values even when skepticism about greenwashing exists. Future research should include explicit tests for cultural moderation.

The findings provide clear guidance for managers aiming to build trust in sustainability-oriented brands. First, NC and RP cues should be prioritized as foundational value activators because they strongly influence GCVs and initiate the value–emotion–trust sequence. To promote value congruence, managers should avoid vague sustainability claims and instead focus on concrete, verifiable cues, such as ingredient transparency, stories about sourcing from local areas and regional authenticity. Second, because BL is the only pathway through which GCVs lead to BT, managers should invest in strategies that build emotional attachment rather than relying only on informational or moral appeals. Storytelling, sensory branding and experiential touchpoints that humanize sustainability efforts can strengthen affective bonds and maintain trust over time.

Third, although AP is a powerful moral emotion, the results advise against its indiscriminate use. Pride-based appeals should be carefully calibrated, because excessive activation may lead to moral self-completion, which can weaken emotional attachment and trust. Managers should use AP episodically rather than continuously, positioning pride as a reinforcement signal (e.g. milestone-based campaigns or community achievements) instead of a constant persuasive tool. “Buy domestic” and regional branding campaigns should emphasize shared success and group effort, rather than individual moral superiority. Policymakers and brand managers can strengthen these effects by aligning brand narratives with national and regional development initiatives, reinforcing social belonging while avoiding moral saturation.

This study conceptualizes BL as a full mediator between GCVs and BT, while also recognizing that GCVs may directly influence trust (Morgan and Hunt, 1994; Shahzad et al., 2024). The mediation analysis showed a significant indirect effect despite a nonsignificant total effect, which suggests statistical suppression or inconsistent mediation, as noted in previous mediation research (MacKinnon et al., 2000). This result may indicate complex underlying dynamics that the current data set could not fully capture. The significant moderation effects should also be interpreted with caution because interaction terms typically require larger samples for stable parameter estimation. The BT measure used the original wording referring to “Indian companies,” and respondents were instructed to interpret this as the focal brand. Although pretesting confirmed clarity, this adaptation may introduce minor construct contamination and should be interpreted carefully. Future research should replicate these findings with larger and more diverse samples, further examine potential suppressor variables and use alternative analytical techniques to clarify these statistical relationships.

Positioning BL as the emotional conduit from values to trust aligns with the SOBC framework. However, future studies may benefit from examining both direct and mediated pathways to clarify their interaction. The model specifies a unidirectional path from GCVs to BL to BT, which captures an initial causal sequence. However, the SOBC framework suggests reciprocal feedback loops in which relational outcomes such as BL and BT can, over time, reinforce GCVs (Bandura and Walters, 1977; Davis and Luthans, 1980; Chaudhuri and Holbrook, 2001). Investigating these bidirectional mechanisms across consumer segments could improve theoretical understanding of value evolution.

Longitudinal or experimental designs, combined with larger and more demographically diverse samples, would improve causal inference and generalizability across populations, brands and national contexts. Future research could examine multidimensional consumer guilt and its effect on domestic brand preference, as well as consider producer perspectives. Including cultural dimensions, such as collectivism–individualism and environmental norms, would help explain how socio-cultural contexts influence GCVs, BL and BT. These approaches would add theoretical depth and guide strategies for sustainable consumer behavior in both collectivist (e.g. India) and individualistic societies.

Table 6 presents conclusions and theoretical and managerial implications.