Informing facts or evoking feelings: how to communicate pro-environmental messages effectively to first-time vs repeat customers

Purpose Based on the accessibility-diagnosticity model, this study aims to explore the interaction effect of pro-environmental appeals (fact-based vs affect-based) and customer types (first-time customer vs repeat customer) on individuals’ pro-environmental behavioral intentions. Design/methodology/approach The authors conduct three scenario-based experiments to test food and beverage related waste in three contexts. Study 1a investigates the congruency interaction between self-reported customer types and pro-environmental appeals on individuals’ responses to waste reduction measures at an amusement park. Study 1b replicates the congruency effect using manipulated customer types in relation to airline food waste reduction. Study 2 investigates the roles of perceived diagnosticity and accessibility to determine how these mediate the effects of customer types and pro-environmental appeals on individuals’ waste reduction behaviors at a hotel. Findings This study demonstrates that a fact-based, pro-environmental appeal is more persuasive for a first-time customer due to heightened perceived diagnosticity (easier to process), while an affect-based, pro-environmental appeal is more persuasive for a repeat customer due to higher perceived accessibility (easier to recall). Practical implications The knowledge gained from this study will help hospitality managers to improve the effectiveness of their pro-environmental communications, by advising how to target pro-environmental messages according to their customers’ prior experiences of their service. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to compare the effectiveness of pro-environmental appeals across first-time and repeat customers. The findings highlight that customer type can be a significant determinant of the effectiveness of pro-environmental appeals by uncovering the congruency effect of pro-environmental appeal and customer type on pro-environmental behavioral intentions.