Three-Pillar Sustainability and Brand Image: A Qualitative Investigation in Thailand’s Household Durables Industry
Issued Date
2022-09-01
Resource Type
eISSN
20711050
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85138726232
Journal Title
Sustainability (Switzerland)
Volume
14
Issue
18
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Sustainability (Switzerland) Vol.14 No.18 (2022)
Suggested Citation
Chavalittumrong P., Speece M. Three-Pillar Sustainability and Brand Image: A Qualitative Investigation in Thailand’s Household Durables Industry. Sustainability (Switzerland) Vol.14 No.18 (2022). doi:10.3390/su141811699 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/84257
Title
Three-Pillar Sustainability and Brand Image: A Qualitative Investigation in Thailand’s Household Durables Industry
Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Many companies nowadays implement sustainable practices internally, and build brand images that communicate sustainability. However, there are different degrees of ‘sustainability’. This study examines the extent to which full three-pillar sustainability (environmental, social, economic) translates into a sustainable brand image among consumers in Thailand. Nine major companies producing household durables were scored based on their website information, using the Dow Jones Sustainability Index to identify those having high-, mid-, and low-level sustainability implementation. In-depth interviews were conducted with three managers in one company at each level, and three consumers who mainly buy household durables from each company were also interviewed. Manager interviews confirmed that the level of sustainability implementation evident on the website is fairly accurate. Consumers roughly translate this into brand image reflecting the degree of the company’s sustainability, but the mapping is not exact. Stronger communications about the company’s sustainability seem able to improve consumer perceptions somewhat. Consumers are quite aware of three-pillar sustainability, but often do not explicitly consider all three pillars in their product decisions. However, the long-term trend seems to be toward merging the separate market segments into a comprehensive, three-pillar sustainability-oriented segment.
