Understanding consumer perceptions and marketing communications of plant-based meat in relation to environmental sustainability : a terror management theory approach

Zhao, Jiahui and Freund, James and Hopkinson, Gillian (2024) Understanding consumer perceptions and marketing communications of plant-based meat in relation to environmental sustainability : a terror management theory approach. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.

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Abstract

This thesis delves into the psychodynamics underlying consumer perceptions of plant-based meat and marketing communications in terms of environmental sustainability. Grounded in Terror Management Theory, this study draws on a wide range of theories, including those related to human-nature connections within the Dominant Social Paradigm (DSP) and the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP), cultural branding theory, and the existing literature on sustainability in marketing. Using this interdisciplinary approach, this research employs netnography and case study research strategies, which encompass the analysis of online traces, online interviews, and documentation. Through an analysis of worldviews related to human-animal-nature relationships, the research identifies two polarized worldview types: ‘separateness worldviews’ and ‘oneness worldviews’. Separateness worldviews align with the DSP, emphasising human dominance over non-human animals and nature, leading to the obstruction of environmental sustainability efforts by downplaying the integration of humans, animals, and nature. In contrast, oneness worldviews aligned with the NEP, prioritise reducing harm to non-human animals and the planet, empowering individuals to make sustainable choices by recognising the intrinsic value of nature. Given the incorporation of the DSP and the NEP in the marketing domain, these two novel worldview types have progressed the worldviews proposed by Kemper et al. (2020) and Kennedy et al. (2020), shifting the emphasis to the environmental aspect of sustainability. Additionally, they significantly contribute to bridging the gap in comprehending the psychological influences that shape environmental values within the marketing domain. Additionally, the thesis develops psychodynamic models to understand consumer perceptions regarding environmental sustainability, shedding light on the underlying mechanisms driving sustainable consumption. This reconsideration of the concept of death within consumer research seeks to expand the utilization of TMT beyond Belk and Bonsu’s rejection of fear of death as a fundamental motivator of consumer behaviour. Moreover, the emphasis on fear of death contributes to an enhanced understanding of fear within consumer research, extending beyond Bauman’s concept of liquid fear to elucidate its specific implications in consumer behaviour studies. Furthermore, this thesis examines marketing communications surrounding environmental sustainability, distinguishing between sustainable practices and greenwashing tactics employed by brands. This thesis clarifies the connection between communications concerning environmental sustainability and either the DSP or the NEP, and the interplay with consumers through the ‘symbolic immortality boost’. This strengthens the analytical framework utilized in this study by utilizing the psychological basis of fear of death to aid in transitioning from the DSP to the NEP within the marketing domain. Additionally, revealing the psychodynamics underlying marketing communications regarding environmental sustainability itself extends the brand mystification model initially introduced by Freund and Jacobi (2016: 421) by analysing the psychodynamics underlying marketing communications related to environmental sustainability.