Purpose: This study aims to promote consumption of low-carbon certified agricultural products by identifying the key factors influencing purchasing decisions. Specifically, it empirically verifies the impact of different information delivery methods on consumer perceptions and attitudes. Through this, it aims to propose effective information delivery strategies for low-carbon certified agricultural products and derive policy and practical implications for promoting consumption.Research design, data, and methodology: A survey was conducted on 1,000 household members primarily responsible for food purchases, selected via proportional quota sampling. Consumers were segmented into four groups based on Factor and Cluster Analysis of their awareness and involvement levels. The main hypotheses were tested using a Two-Way Mixed-Design Repeated Measures ANOVA to examine affective, cognitive, and conative attitudes toward two labeling methods.Results: The infographic format proved generally superior to the certification label in terms of cognitive attitude. However, its effectiveness for affective and conative attitudes was conditional upon consumer awareness. Infographics were effective only for high-awareness groups, whereas the conventional label yielded a stronger affective response from the low-awareness/low- involvement group. These findings suggest that the optimal labeling method must be tailored to the specific consumer segment.Implications: This study highlights that the effectiveness of low-carbon certification labeling hinges on consumer segmentation by awareness and involvement. While infographics are crucial for highly aware and involved consumers, a simpler labeling format is more appropriate for those with low awareness. This differentiated strategy, reflecting consumer psychological characteristics, is a key factor for expanding the purchase of low-carbon certified agricultural products.
Park et al. (Wed,) studied this question.