Greenwashing Perceptions and Brand Trust among Young Professionals: The Roles of Awareness, Capability, And Benevolence

Abstract

This study examined the influence of greenwashing strategies on brand trust among young professionals in the personal care and hygiene industry, anchored in Trust Building Theory and Signaling Theory. It focuses on the roles of consumer awareness, capability, and benevolence in evaluating greenwashing indicators such as eco-labels, sustainability messaging, and product packaging, and on how these factors help build brand trust. Using a quantitative descriptive-correlational research design with regression analysis, the study surveyed 384 young professionals aged 22-35 who were currently employed and possessed at least a college-level education. Data were collected via a researcher-developed online survey and analyzed to examine the relationships among consumer awareness, capability, benevolence, and brand trust. The findings revealed that awareness, capability, and benevolence significantly influence brand trust toward environmentally positioned hygiene products. Awareness and capability enhance consumers’ ability to recognize misleading sustainability claims, while benevolence strengthens trust toward brands perceived as genuinely environmentally responsible. Among predictors, benevolence emerged as the strongest element of brand trust, followed by consumer awareness and capability. These results highlight the importance of transparency, credible sustainability signals, and authentic environmental practices in creating consumer trust. The study offers practical insights for marketers and policymakers to reduce greenwashing and promote ethical sustainability communication within the hygiene industry.