Impact of emotion in the choice of eco-luxury brands: The multiple mediation role of the brand love and the brand trust

Luxury brands are gradually going green. The new fronteria of the luxury market is in fact marked and voted towards environmental sustainability. The new generation of consumers, the so-called neogreen, do not want to renounce either the quality or sophistication of the products they use, but, today more than ever, they are attentive to be more sustainable in their consumption. Therefore, with a more aware and conscientious consumer, the notoriety and prestige of the brand are not enough to be a guarantor to the consumer but become more important psychological and managerial variables. The luxury fashion sector, more than others, seems to be turning more and more to the green sector and to find useful strategies to make loyal customers and generate brand love. The purpose of this study is therefore to integrate brand attachment as an antecedent of brand love and affective commitment and brand trust as mediators between brand love and loyalty. Participants are recruited in Italy within luxury brand clothing outlets that embrace a sustainability strategy (Gucci, Vuitton, Prada). The questionnaire is administered during the act of purchase and the total number od partecipant is 165 (121 female, 44 male), with an average age of 35.51 (SD = 12.9). Results of the study suggest some important considerations. Both self expressive brand and brand attachment are good antecedents for brand love, and are able to strengthen the relationship of love with the brand; in relation to mediation, instead, the relationship between Brand Love and Loyalty was mediated by Commitment, while Brand love mediated the relationship between Commitment and Trust. These results lead to important managerial considerations, especially for the fashion sector. Marketing strategies must focus on a ideological and symboliic change, in order to allow consumers to love and to be loyal to the new green brands, recognizing themselves in them.