Bli s, Jonah; Yego yan, Na ine; Mandle , Timo; Bu mes e , Alexa B.
A icle
Speaking o sus ainabili y... The iple bo om line in i m-
and use -gene a ed con en
Schmalenbach Jou nal o Business Resea ch (SBUR)
P o ided in Coope a ion wi h:
Schmalenbach-Gesellscha ü Be iebswi scha e.V.
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Bli s, Jonah; Yego yan, Na ine; Mandle , Timo; Bu mes e , Alexa B. (2025) :
Speaking o sus ainabili y... The iple bo om line in i m- and use -gene a ed con en ,
Schmalenbach Jou nal o Business Resea ch (SBUR), ISSN 2366-6153, Sp inge , Heidelbe g, Vol. 77,
Iss. 3, pp. 557-584,
h ps://doi.o g/10.1007/s41471-025-00215-8
This Ve sion is a ailable a :
h ps://hdl.handle.ne /10419/331936
S anda d-Nu zungsbedingungen:
Die Dokumen e au EconS o dü en zu eigenen wissenscha lichen
Zwecken und zum P i a geb auch gespeiche und kopie we den.
Sie dü en die Dokumen e nich ü ö en liche ode komme zielle
Zwecke e iel äl igen, ö en lich auss ellen, ö en lich zugänglich
machen, e eiben ode ande wei ig nu zen.
So e n die Ve asse die Dokumen e un e Open-Con en -Lizenzen
(insbesonde e CC-Lizenzen) zu Ve ügung ges ell haben soll en,
gel en abweichend on diesen Nu zungsbedingungen die in de do
genann en Lizenz gewäh en Nu zungs ech e.
Te ms o use:
Documen s in EconS o may be sa ed and copied o you pe sonal
and schola ly pu poses.
You a e no o copy documen s o public o comme cial pu poses, o
exhibi he documen s publicly, o make hem publicly a ailable on he
in e ne , o o dis ibu e o o he wise use he documen s in public.
I he documen s ha e been made a ailable unde an Open Con en
Licence (especially C ea i e Commons Licences), you may exe cise
u he usage igh s as speci ied in he indica ed licence.
h ps://c ea i ecommons.o g/licenses/by/4.0/
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
h ps://doi.o g/10.1007/s41471-025-00215-8
Schmalenbach Jou nal o Business Resea ch (2025) 77:557–584
Speaking o Sus ainabili y... The T iple Bo om Line in
Fi m- and Use -Gene a ed Con en
Jonah Bli s · Na ine Yego yan · Timo Mandle ·
Alexa B. Bu mes e
Recei ed: 30 Sep embe 2024 / Accep ed: 30 May 2025 / Published online: 25 July 2025
© The Au ho (s) 2025
Abs ac Sus ainabili y has become a c i ical conce n o many socie ies wo ldwide.
The need o a mo e sus ainable mode o p oducing and consuming goods and se -
ices while balancing ela ed en i onmen al, social, and economic consequences
(i.e., he iple bo om line) is e iden . Al hough esea ch o e s insigh s in o many
aspec s o his necessa y ans o ma ion, li le is known abou he ex en o which
i ms and consume s s ess en i onmen al, social, and economic sus ainabili y in
hei communica ion. This esea ch add esses hese ques ions by concep ualizing
he in e play be ween sus ainabili y- ela ed i m-gene a ed and use -gene a ed con-
en as a signaling phenomenon. In addi ion, he au ho s de elop a cus om dic iona y
ha enables esea che s and p ac i ione s o iden i y and analyze sus ainabili y- e-
la ed ex ual da a. An illus a i e applica ion based on majo da a sou ces (co po a e
websi es, Amazon, and YouTube) indica es signi ican di e gence in how i ms and
consume s communica e abou sus ainabili y. Building on his i s concep ual and
empi ical o ay in o sus ainabili y- ela ed i m-gene a ed and use -gene a ed con-
en , his esea ch ou lines open esea ch ques ions and po en ial use cases o he
p o ided analy ical ool.
Jonah Bli s · Alexa B. Bu mes e
Kühne Logis ics Uni e si y, G oße G asb ook 17, 20457 Hambu g, Ge many
E-Mail: alexa.bu mes e @klu.o g
Jonah Bli s
E-Mail: jonah.bli [email protected] g
Na ine Yego yan
Ins i u e o Ma ke ing, Humbold Uni e si y Be lin, Spandaue S . 1, 10178 Be lin, Ge many
E-Mail: na ine.yego [email p o ec ed]
Timo Mandle
Depa men o Ma ke ing, TBS Business School, 20 Boule a d Lasc osses, 31000 Toulouse, F ance
E-Mail: .mandle @ bs-educa ion.
K
558 Schmalenbach Jou nal o Business Resea ch (2025) 77:557–584
Keywo ds Sus ainabili y · T iple bo om line · Fi m-gene a ed con en · Use -
gene a ed con en · Dic iona y · Tex analysis · Amazon · YouTube
1 In oduc ion
Sus ainabili y—de ined as he p oduc ion and consump ion o “goods and se ices
ha mee basic needs and quali y o li e wi hou jeopa dizing he needs o u u e
gene a ions” (OECD 2002, p. 16)—has become a c i ical conce n o many socie ies
wo ldwide. Se e e en i onmen al, social, and economic ami ica ions o he cu en
modus ope andi o he global economy a e e iden . Mass p oduc ion and consump-
ion signi ican ly con ibu e o global ca bon emissions, accele a ing clima e change
(I ano a e al. 2016); e oding us in ins i u ions, such as go e nmen al bodies, chal-
lenges e o s o uphold public suppo o impo an social causes (OECD 2017); and
digi aliza ion and he eme gence o he gig economy a e ans o ming many indus-
ies, h ea ening bo h i ms’ long- e m iabili y and ci izens’ economic pa icipa ion
(Wo ld Economic Fo um 2023).
Many go e nmen s, i ms, and consume s ha e ecognized he signs o he imes
and ha e pu sus ainabili y on hei agendas, business plans, and shopping lis s (UN-
FCCC 2015; Eu opean Commission 2021; Nielsen 2024). The p opaga ion o he
Uni ed Na ions’ Sus ainable De elopmen Goals, he Eu opean Union’s Co po a e
Sus ainabili y Repo ing Di ec i e, and he inc eased sc u iny om inancial analys s
unde sco es he in ensi ied collec i e e o s o ans o m cu en business p ac ices
(Eu opean Union 2022; Mo gan S anley 2024;PwC2021; Uni ed Na ions 2025). As
a esul , i ms ha e s onge incen i es han e e o adop sus ainable business p ac-
ices ha balance he en i onmen al, social, and economic consequences o hei
ope a ions (Llo e 2016), a no ion encapsula ed by he e m “ iple bo om line”
(Elking on 1999).
The ans o ma ion owa d sus ainabili y has become inc easingly isible in he
ma ke place, wi h a g owing numbe o b ands p omo ing hei sus ainabili y e o s
and posi ioning hei p oduc s as desi able and sus ainable choices. A p ominen
example is Unile e , which has made subs an ial s a egic adjus men s o in eg a e
sus ainabili y in o i s co e business ope a ions. I s ‘Sus ainable Li ing Plan’ aims o
educe i s en i onmen al impac while gene a ing social bene i s (Unile e 2021).
Simila ly, Pa agonia has long been ecognized as a leade in sus ainabili y, ad o-
ca ing esponsible supply chains, ci cula economy p inciples, and en i onmen al
ac i ism (McKinsey and Company 2023).
To p omo e hei sus ainabili y e o s, i ms ely on i m-gene a ed con en
(FGC), i.e., i m-ini ia ed ma ke ing communica ion dissemina ed h ough o icial
communica ion channels (Kuma e al. 2016; Lacka e al. 2022). Howe e , con-
sume s also o m hei a i udes owa d b ands and p oduc s based on in o ma ion
and opinions sha ed by o he consume s online, i.e., h ough use -gene a ed con en
(UGC) (Ti unillai and Tellis 2012;Tange al.2014).
Despi e he cen al ole o communica ion in in o ming consume s and in luenc-
ing hei pu chase beha io (Hoye and MacInnis 2007), insigh s in o how i ms
and consume s discuss sus ainabili y a e sca ce. Cu en li e a u e p ima ily ocuses
K
Schmalenbach Jou nal o Business Resea ch (2025) 77:557–584 559
on in es o - acing channels, such as co po a e epo s (e.g., Bingle e al. 2022,
Maibaum e al. 2024, Vaupel e al. 2023). S udies ocusing on UGC emain sca ce
and agmen ed. Fo example, Dunn and Ha ness (2019) examine how consume s
pe cei e sus ainabili y- ela ed UGC; Han e al. (2018) and Leung (2009) in es iga e
wha consume a ibu es d i e con en c ea ion and dissemina ion; and Elgaaied-
Gambie and Mandle (2021) explo e sus ainabili y- ela ed memes as exp essions
o eco-anxie y and a ela ed coping mechanism.
We con ibu e o he nascen li e a u e a he in e sec ion o sus ainabili y and
FGC/UGC in wo majo ways. Fi s , we p opose a concep ual model o he in-
e play be ween sus ainabili y- ela ed FGC and UGC. Adop ing a signaling heo y
pe spec i e (E dem and Swai 1998,2004), we desc ibe how i ms and consume s
engage in a con inuous exchange o signals and emphasize he in e ac i e na u e o
sus ainabili y- ela ed FGC and UGC. Building on his concep ualiza ion, we ou line
a se o open esea ch ques ions. Second, we de elop a cus om dic iona y ha en-
ables esea che s and p ac i ione s o iden i y and analyze co po a e communica ion
and consume na a i es abou en i onmen al, social, and economic sus ainabili y.1
We demons a e he dic iona y’s use ulness h ough an illus a i e applica ion based
on da a om co po a e websi es, a leading online ma ke place (Amazon), and a ma-
jo social media pla o m (YouTube). The esul s e eal a majo di e gence in how
i ms and consume s communica e abou sus ainabili y.
The emainde o he pape is s uc u ed as ollows. The nex sec ion discusses
ou concep ual model, ollowed by ela ed esea ch ques ions. Then, we p esen
he de elopmen and applica ion o he cus om dic iona y, including i s insigh s.
We conclude by discussing he implica ions o his wo k, including an o e iew o
po en ial use cases.
2 Sus ainabili y-Rela ed FGC and UGC as a Signaling Phenomenon
The concep ual amewo k ha guides ou in es iga ion is g ounded in signaling
heo y (E dem and Swai 1998,2004). Signaling heo y, oo ed in in o ma ion eco-
nomics, posi s ha ma ke s a e cha ac e ized by impe ec and asymme ic in o ma-
ion (Spence 1974). Consequen ly, consume s look o signals ha con ey indi ec
in o ma ion abou speci ic ma ke o e ings (E dem and Swai 2004). Fo example,
high p ices, s ong ad e ising, wide geog aphical each, and gene ous wa an ies
may signal supe io quali y (Boulding and Ki mani 1993; Kihls om and Rio dan
1984; Mandle e al. 2021; Spence 1974). The p ocess o iden i ying and in e p e -
ing hese signals is a key pa o he cus ome jou ney, as consume s engage wi h
di e en sou ces o in o ma ion a di e en decision-making s ages, pa icula ly as
hey p og ess om ini ial awa eness o deepe e alua ion (Tuean a e al. 2021).
In his con ex , FGC and UGC se e as impo an signals ha in o m po en ial
cus ome s abou he sus ainabili y a ibu es o a b and and i s p oduc s. On he one
hand, i ms migh ac i ely signal hei s ance on sus ainabili y in hei consume -
1We p o ide ou dic iona y, collec ed FGC and UGC da a, and he R code o i s deploymen in a public
Gi Hub eposi o y: h ps://gi hub.com/nyego yan/ eplica ion-speaking-o -sus ainabili y.
K
560 Schmalenbach Jou nal o Business Resea ch (2025) 77:557–584
acing communica ion (e.g., on hei o icial websi es) o s eng hen co esponding
b and associa ions and/o highligh speci ic sus ainable ea u es when p esen ing
hei p oduc s o consume s (e.g., on online ma ke places like Amazon). On he
o he hand, i ms may ac oppo unis ically by po aying hemsel es as sus ainable
wi hou ac ually ope a ing sus ainably. Signaling heo y p o ides a use ul lens o
unde s anding bo h phenomena (Connelly e al. 2011). I helps explain how compa-
nies communica e hei sus ainabili y e o s, pa icula ly in ligh o he inhe en isk
o misleading signals (e.g., “g eenwashing”). As Connelly e al. (2011) poin ou , sig-
nals can be ei he au hen ic—i.e., accu a ely e lec ing a i m’s genuine ac ions—o
oppo unis ic—i.e., in ended o mislead consume s o compe i i e ad an age. In
he con ex o sus ainabili y, his dis inc ion is c ucial: Au hen ic signals ep esen
eal e o s owa d sus ainable p ac ices (e.g., hi d-pa y ce i ica ions, anspa -
en epo ing); whe eas oppo unis ic signals in ol e alse sus ainabili y claims o
ma ke ing pu poses (e.g., ague o un e i iable en i onmen al claims, selec i e dis-
closu e o posi i e impac s while concealing ha m ul p ac ices).
In e ms o UGC, consume s also ely on signals om o he consume s, such as
p oduc e iews om pee s (e.g., Amazon cus ome s) o expe s (e.g., in luence s on
YouTube) (Goldsmi h and Ho owi z 2006). Consume s end o pe cei e such use -
p o ided in o ma ion as mo e c edible han co po a e signals (Cheong and Mo -
ison 2008; Dunn and Ha ness 2019), despi e he p e alence o ake e iews (He
e al. 2022). I is also well es ablished ha online e iews ha e a signi ican im-
pac on measu es o i m pe o mance (e.g., Che alie and Mayzlin 2006;Vanaand
Lamb ech 2021). This aligns wi h indings om cus ome jou ney esea ch, which
emphasize ha e alua ing claims is no a one- ime e en bu a p ocess equi ing mul-
iple in e ac ions ac oss di e en ouchpoin s (Tuean a e al. 2021). Consume s may
ini ially ely on FGC o b oad sus ainabili y posi ioning bu o en seek e i ica ion
h ough UGC be o e making pu chase decisions.
In summa y, he cos o signaling plays a key ole in de e mining au hen ici y o
bo h, i ms and consume s. When he cos o sending a signal is low (e.g., ague
sus ainabili y claims ha a e di icul o e i y o consume s), he isk o misleading
signals inc eases. Thus, i ms o en adop labels, ce i ica es, and de ailed p oduc
desc ip ions o ein o ce he c edibili y o hei sus ainabili y messaging. Howe e ,
e en hese signals a y in e ms o c edence—some aspec s can be alida ed by con-
sume s (e.g., ing edien lis s), while o he s emain un e i iable, equi ing consume s
o us he i m o ex e nal ce i ie s. Consequen ly, om he consume ’s pe spec-
i e, e alua ing signals comes a a cos , pa icula ly in e ms o ime and e o .
Assessing he c edibili y o a claim equi es esea ch, compa ison, and a deepe un-
de s anding o sus ainabili y s anda ds. Jus like i ms use cos ly signals o enhance
hei epu a ion, consume s engage in e o ul e alua ions as a way o signaling
hei own in o med decision-making. In bo h cases, he cos associa ed wi h sig-
naling se es o enhance he sende ’s pe cei ed au hen ici y—whe he i is he i m
demons a ing i s commi men o sus ainabili y o he consume demons a ing con-
scious consump ion.
Figu e 1depic s ou concep ual model, showing he in e ac i e signaling p ocess
be ween i ms and consume s in he con ex o sus ainabili y- ela ed FGC and UGC.
I emphasizes he dynamic eedback loop be ween i ms and consume s, showing
K
Schmalenbach Jou nal o Business Resea ch (2025) 77:557–584 561
Fig. 1 Sus ainabili y- ela ed FGC and UGC as a signaling phenomenon.
No e: * Signals can also be a ge ed owa d o he s akeholde s, such as in es o s and egula o s
how bo h pa ies al e na ely ac as signale s and ecei e s, he eby c ea ing a con in-
uous low o in o ma ion ha in luences pe cep ions and decisions. This pe spec i e
guides ou ollowing in es iga ion o sus ainabili y- ela ed FGC and UGC. A he
hea o he model lies he concep o he signal— he p ima y mechanism h ough
which sus ainabili y- ela ed in o ma ion is communica ed. Signals a e encoded and
sen by i ms and consume s and hen ecei ed and decoded by hei espec i e audi-
ences. The e ec i eness o his p ocess depends no only on he na u e o he signal
i sel bu also on ce ain cha ac e is ics o he i m and consume in ol ed. By con-
side ing bo h i m-gene a ed and use -gene a ed signals, ou amewo k highligh s
he dynamic exchange o sus ainabili y- ela ed in o ma ion be ween i ms and con-
sume s, emphasizing he impo ance o c edibili y, obse abili y, and in e p e a ion
in he signaling p ocess.
2.1 Fi m-Gene a ed Con en as a Signal
2.1.1 Fi ms Send Signals o Consume s
The sus ainabili y- ela ed signals i ms send o consume s can ake di e en o ms
based on hei cha ac e is ics, shaping how hey a e pe cei ed and in e p e ed by
consume s. Fi s , signals may be manda o y o olun a y, depending on whe he
hey a e d i en by egula o y equi emen s o by a i m’s commi men o sus ain-
abili y beyond legal obliga ions (Rao and U su 2025). Manda o y signals a ise om
K
562 Schmalenbach Jou nal o Business Resea ch (2025) 77:557–584
go e nmen al egula ions o indus y s anda ds ha equi e a i m o disclose ce ain
en i onmen al o social impac me ics (Balasub amanian and Cole 2002;Ch is-
ensen e al. 2021). Examples include legally equi ed ca bon emissions epo ing,
compliance wi h labo laws, and adhe ence o minimum sus ainabili y ce i ica-
ions (Ch is ensen e al. 2021). In con as , olun a y signals—such as publishing
de ailed sus ainabili y epo s ollowing ag eed s anda ds (F iske e al. 2022), in-
oducing ca bon-neu al p oduc lines (S okes and Tu i 2013), o pa icipa ing in
independen ce i ica ion p og ams (Da nall e al. 2018; Ch is ensen e al. 2021;
Rao and U su 2025)—a e o en seen as indica o s o a i m’s genuine dedica ion o
sus ainabili y (B own e al. 2009;F iskee al.2022). Second, i m-gene a ed sig-
nals can be au hen ic o decep i e, in luencing consume us and b and epu a ion.
Au hen ic signals align wi h a i m’s ac ual sus ainabili y p ac ices, backed by e -
i iable da a and anspa en communica ion (Be one e al. 2017; Ch is ensen e al.
2021). Companies ha genuinely in eg a e sus ainabili y in o hei co e business
s a egies—such as using esponsibly sou ced ma e ials, educing was e ac oss sup-
ply chains, o ac i ely engaging in social esponsibili y ini ia i es—a e mo e likely
o be pe cei ed as c edible (Bha acha ya and Sen 2004). Con e sely, decep i e sig-
nals in ol e exagge a ing, mis ep esen ing, o selec i ely disclosing sus ainabili y-
ela ed in o ma ion (Delmas and Bu bano 2011; Be one e al. 2017). When con-
sume s de ec decep ion, i can se e ely damage us (e.g., Chen and Chang 2013),
leading o skep icism owa d no only he speci ic claim bu also he i m’s b and
image as a whole (e.g., Pa guel e al. 2011).
Thi d, i m signals a y in ocus, being ei he p oduc - o b and- ela ed (Boulding
and Ki mani 1993). P oduc - ela ed signals p o ide sus ainabili y in o ma ion a he
le el o indi idual p oduc s o se ices, such as he use o o ganic ing edien s, ca bon
oo p in labels, biodeg adable packaging, and ai - ade ce i ica ions (Pa guel e al.
2011; A kinson and Rosen hal 2014). These signals help consume s make in o med
choices by o e ing angible, p oduc -speci ic sus ainabili y a ibu es (A kinson and
Rosen hal 2014). In con as , b and- ela ed signals communica e a i m’s gene al
commi men o sus ainabili y (Bha acha ya and Sen 2004). These can include public
pledges o achie e ne -ze o emissions, in es men s in enewable ene gy, o company-
wide policies on e hical labo p ac ices.
Toge he , hese signal cha ac e is ics de ine how i ms communica e hei sus-
ainabili y e o s, how consume s in e p e hem, and ul ima ely, how i ms shape
hei c edibili y in he sus ainabili y landscape.
Consume s Obse e and In e p e These Signals Apa om he cha ac e is ics
o he signal i sel , i m-speci ic ac o s can also in luence he e icacy o he sig-
naling p ocess. Fi s , b and s eng h may a ec how consume s in e p e signals.
Es ablished b ands wi h a s ong ma ke p esence a e mo e likely o ha e hei
sus ainabili y messages aken se iously, as hei epu a ion se es as an implici
endo semen o c edibili y (E dem and Swai 1998,2004). Second, a i m’s sus ain-
abili y his o y a ec s how i s signals a e ecei ed. Signals om i ms wi h a long-
s anding commi men o sus ainabili y a e mo e likely o be pe cei ed as genuine,
whe as hose om i ms wi h a weake ack eco d may ace consume skep icism.
K
Schmalenbach Jou nal o Business Resea ch (2025) 77:557–584 563
Finally, he obse abili y and in e p e a ion o signals likely depend on wo con-
sume -speci ic cha ac e is ics. Fi s , consume s wi h a s ong sus ainabili y o ien-
a ion a e mo e likely o ac i ely seek and p io i ize sus ainabili y- ela ed in o ma-
ion (Whi e e al. 2019). Second, consume s’ in o ma ion-seeking beha io plays
a ole in how hey alida e and compa e signals be o e making pu chasing decisions
(Ba scha e al. 2022;Tuean a e al.2021). Because expe ise is posi i ely ela ed o
in o ma ion p ocessing diligence (Alba and Hu chinson 1987), we expec hose who
engage deeply wi h he opic o sus ainabili y o be mo e capable o di e en ia ing
be ween c edible and non-c edible i m-gene a ed signals.
2.2 Use -Gene a ed Con en as a Signal
Consume s Send Signals o O he Consume s and Fi ms Consume s also ac as
signale s. They send sus ainabili y- ela ed signals, such as p oduc e iews, o o he
consume saswellas o i ms(Goldsmi handHo owi z2006; Sie ing e al. 2018).
These consume -gene a ed signals a y in obse abili y and in o ma ion ichness,
wo c i ical cha ac e is ics in luencing hei e ec i eness (Connelly e al. 2011).
Obse abili y e e s o he ex en o which o he consume s and i ms can de ec and
assess a gi en signal. Highly obse able signals, such as publicly sha ed p oduc
e iews, can each a b oade audience and gene a e a s onge impac , compa ed o
signals ha a e less publicly isible (Connelly e al. 2011).
In o ma ion ichness de e mines how much de ail, con ex , and subs an ia ing
e idence a consume -gene a ed signal con ains. Riche signals, such as in-dep h
p oduc e iews ha analyze and compa e speci ic sus ainabili y claims, p o ide
aluable insigh s ha help o he consume s and i ms make in o med decisions
(Filie i 2014; Sie ing e al. 2018). Con e sely, ague o ambiguous signals, such as
one-line e iews ha simply s a e “eco- iendly” wi hou suppo ing de ails, o e
limi ed in e p e abili y and may be less pe suasi e (Sie ing e al. 2018).
Consequen ly, high obse abili y and in o ma ion ichness make consume -gen-
e a ed signals pa icula ly impac ul. When UGC is widely isible and well-subs an-
ia ed, i becomes mo e di icul o i ms o igno e, as o he consume s may ely
on i in hei decision-making. Hence, i ms mus ca e ully moni o and espond o
hese signals.
O he Consume s and Fi ms Obse e and In e p e These Signals The quali y
and c edibili y o consume -gene a ed signals depend on wo ac o s. Fi s , con-
sume s wi h a deepe unde s anding o sus ainabili y p ac ices can gene a e high-
quali y signals ha in o m o he s abou genuine and misleading claims. Thei con-
ibu ions shape how o he consume s and i ms in e p e sus ainabili y- ela ed in-
o ma ion (Jiménez and Mendoza 2013; Thomas e al. 2019). Second, a e i ied
pu chase his o y s eng hens he c edibili y o consume -gene a ed signals. Re iews
and eedback om e i ied buye s end o be us ed mo e by ellow consume s and
i ms seeking au hen ic insigh s (He e al. 2020).
Bo h i ms and o he consume s obse e and in e p e hese consume -gene a ed
signals. Especially i ms ely on hei in e nal capabili ies o de ec , p ocess, and
espond o such signals. Two i m-speci ic ac o s e ec i ely in luence hei abili y
K
564 Schmalenbach Jou nal o Business Resea ch (2025) 77:557–584
o engage wi h UGC. Fi s , i ms wi h a s ong sus ainabili y o ien a ion a e mo e
likely o pay a en ion o ele an consume -gene a ed signals and in eg a e his in-
o ma ion in o hei s a egies (Eccles e al. 2014). Second, i ms wi h ad anced da a
analy ics capabili ies can moni o and analyze UGC mo e e ec i ely, helping hem
imp o e sus ainabili y- ela ed s a egies and ac ics (Kunz e al. 2016). Fo example,
i a i m de ec s a g owing numbe o consume s ques ioning he au hen ici y o i s
sus ainabili y claims, i can adjus i s messaging, inc ease anspa ency, o align he
unde lying sus ainabili y p ac ices wi h consume expec a ions.
2.3 Nex S eps in Sus ainabili y-Rela ed UGC and FGC Resea ch
Ou concep ual model unde sco es he heo e ical ele ance o sus ainabili y- e-
la ed communica ion be ween i ms and consume s. While ce ain aspec s, such as
pa icipa ing in independen ce i ica ion p og ams (Da nall e al. 2018), a e well
unde s ood in e ms o hei e ec s, many ques ions emain empi ically unde ex-
plo ed. Table 1p o ides an o e iew o open esea ch ques ions ha build upon
he p io concep ualiza ion. The opics add ess he main e ec s o sus ainabili y-
ela ed FGC and UGC on a ange o ou comes o in e es , as well as he a ibu es
ha may mode a e hei impac . Addi ionally, measu ing and compa ing he wo a e
impo an ields o empi ical esea ch.
Fo example, u u e esea ch could explo e he impac o di e en iple bo om
line dimensions o FGC on he ele ance o sus ainabili y in UGC and how i ms can
con ey hei messages mo e e ec i ely. To his end, s udies could compa e online
communica ion pa e ns o p oduc s ma ke ed as sus ainable e sus hose ha do
no de e mine wha communica ion con en and s yle help manage s o in luence
consume pe cep ions and beha io s. We also lack an unde s anding o he ex en o
which he de ec ed sus ainabili y- ela ed communica ion in UGC e lec s consume s’
since e in e es in sus ainabili y. Do hey eally ca e abou sus ainabili y? And does
hei online cha e ansla e in o ac ual (sus ainable) pu chase beha io ? Es ablishing
he (non-)exis ence o a connec ion be ween UGC, pe sonal ele ance, and ac ual
consump ion would be an impo an and insigh ul ex ension o his esea ch. Finally,
he p oli e a ion o gene a i e a i icial in elligence (AI) is ans o ming how people
sea ch o in o ma ion, including b and- and p oduc - ela ed in o ma ion. I would
be aluable o in es iga e whe he AI-gene a ed summa ies o e iews accu a ely
e lec sus ainabili y- ela ed in o ma ion and o wha ex en consume s ely on his
new ea u e.
Add essing hese open empi ical esea ch ques ions will enhance ou unde s and-
ing o he dynamics be ween FGC and UGC and hei oles in shaping co po a e
communica ion and consume beha io ega ding sus ainabili y. Howe e , such e-
sea ch equi es adequa e ools o iden i y sus ainabili y- ela ed con en .
Va ious me hods o he analysis o UGC exis (see Baie e al. 2025 in his
issue o a e iew) and some ha e been applied o he con ex o sus ainabili y,
such as opic modeling o he de ec ion and ca ego iza ion o sus ainabili y- ela ed
communica ion (Székely and om B ocke 2017; Maibaum e al. 2024), ans o me -
based models o he analysis o sus ainabili y discou se in co po a e con ex s (e.g.,
Clima eBERT; Bingle e al. 2022), and La ge Language Models (LLMs) o pe -
K
Schmalenbach Jou nal o Business Resea ch (2025) 77:557–584 571
con ince consume s o pu chase ( ela i e o economic aspec s, such as du abili y,
p oduc quali y, and epai abili y).
In UGC, economic sus ainabili y domina es: I accoun s o 77.35% o sus ain-
abili y- ela ed keywo ds in Amazon e iews and 45.45% in YouTube e iews. En i-
onmen al sus ainabili y is leas discussed (8.55% in Amazon e iews and 15.91%
in YouTube e iews), indica ing a clea con as wi h i m-gene a ed con en . Social
sus ainabili y anks second (13.25% in Amazon e iews and 38.64% in YouTube
e iews). Howe e , his esul should be in e p e ed wi h cau ion, as he limi ed
ocus o end consume s’ communica ion on en i onmen al sus ainabili y does no
necessa ily imply a lack o conce n. Amazon e iews also con ain mo e equen and
a ied sus ainabili y- ela ed e ms (234 o al men ions a 0.33% o con en ) com-
pa ed o YouTube (44 men ions a 0.14% o con en ; see Table 3). O e all, 30 dis-
inc sus ainabili y- ela ed e ms appea in Amazon e iews (e.g., “long-las ing”,
“du ab*”, “ eliab*”, “ oxic”) e sus 17 in YouTube e iews (e.g., “long-las ing”,
“ oxic”, “sa e y”).
No ably, p oduc ca ego y di e ences pe sis . While economic sus ainabili y gen-
e ally domina es in Amazon e iews, mul i-pu pose cleane s p omp a mo e balanced
discussion ac oss economic, social, and en i onmen al dimensions. In YouTube e-
iews o hese p oduc s, en i onmen al and social sus ainabili y domina e, likely
e lec ing he ma ke ing o mul i-pu pose cleane s as eco- iendly and sa e o con-
sume s— ac o s ha heigh en he pe cei ed impo ance o hese dimensions (see
Appendix B, Fig. B1).
As a obus ness check, we also applied GPT models—pa icula ly GPT-4— o
ze o-sho classi ica ion, exploi ing hei capabili y o classi y ex wi hou labeled
aining da a. While labeled da ase s exis o co po a e epo s, hey emain sca ce
o UGC (e.g., cus ome e iews and social media pos s). Al hough he ze o-sho
classi ie iden i ied mo e sus ainabili y signals o e all, he pa e ns ma ched ou
dic iona y-based esul s (see Appendix B, Table B1).
3.4 Discussion and Limi a ions
This illus a i e applica ion showcases how ex analysis can be employed o ex-
amine sus ainabili y discou se in bo h FGC and UGC. Using da a om co po a e
websi es, Amazon p oduc desc ip ions, in luence YouTube e iews, and consume
e iews on Amazon, we shed ini ial ligh on how en i onmen al, social, and eco-
nomic sus ainabili y— he iple bo om line dimensions—a e communica ed ac oss
hese channels.
All dimensions o he iple bo om line a e p esen ac oss channels, unde sco ing
he isk o o e looking key sus ainabili y ace s by ocusing on a na owe iew o
sus ainabili y, e.g., exclusi ely on he en i onmen al aspec . We also obse e incon-
sis encies in FGC: Fi ms may no adop a ully in eg a ed sus ainabili y app oach
and ins ead adjus hei emphasis ac oss di e en channels. Finally, bo h i ms and
consume s appea o p io i ize conc e e economic and communal (social) bene i s
o e mo e abs ac en i onmen al conside a ions in pu chase- ela ed con ex s, as
e lec ed in p oduc desc ip ions and e iews.
K
572 Schmalenbach Jou nal o Business Resea ch (2025) 77:557–584
Se e al limi a ions wa an cau ion. Fi s , we analyzed a small se o p oduc
ca ego ies and p oduc s, which limi s gene alizabili y. Second, like any dic iona y-
based app oach, ou me hod aces he challenge o ensu ing comple e co e age
o ele an keywo ds. Because we aimed o e sa ili y, we kep ou dic iona y a
a b oad le el o abs ac ion. Fu u e esea ch migh ex end i wi h con ex -speci ic
keywo ds (e.g., ing edien s ied o sus ainabili y). Thi d, dic iona y-based me hods
also in ol e he isk o no ully accoun ing o no el o e ol ing e minology. Thus,
ou indings a e likely conse a i e.
Finally, GPT models o ze o-sho classi ica ion show p omise; howe e , hey s ill
unc ion as “black boxes,” limi ing anspa ency. Wi hou p elabeled da a om con-
sume - acing channels, i is no possible o ully alida e his app oach. Mo eo e ,
ze o-sho pe o mance depends on he unde lying model’s aining, which may in o-
duce bias o inaccu acies i pa icula opics o demog aphics a e unde ep esen ed
in he aining da a.
4 Manage ial Implica ions
Ou indings p o ide i s aluable insigh s in o how sus ainabili y is communica ed
ac oss di e en channels, highligh ing no able di e ences be ween FGC and UGC.
The empi ical applica ion u he demons a es how ou specialized dic iona y can
unco e such di e ences, enabling i ms o be e ack and unde s and hei sus-
ainabili y na a i e.
Table 4p esen s p ac ical use cases, p o iding a clea oadmap o i ms o e ec-
i ely inco po a e bo h FGC and UGC sou ces o in o m c i ical aspec s o sus ain-
abili y managemen — om acking consume pe cep ions and de ec ing sus ainabil-
i y c edence o o ecas ing ma ke ends and managing b and epu a ion. By sys-
ema ically compa ing hese wo ypes o da a, businesses can iden i y disc epancies
be ween hei sus ainabili y claims (FGC) and consume eedback (UGC)—po en ial
gaps in c edibili y ha highligh whe e communica ion s a egies may need e ine-
men . In addi ion, i ms can assess he e ec i eness o hei sus ainabili y ini ia i es
and enhance anspa ency. Manage s can also ha ness UGC o iden i y salien sus-
ainabili y hemes, such as locally sou ced goods o ze o-was e p ac ices, and align
hese insigh s wi h he i m’s b oade sus ainabili y agenda o c ea e mo e impac ul
messaging o hei a ge audience.
O e all, an in eg a ed amewo k ha combines insigh s om FGC and UGC
equips i ms o make da a-d i en decisions ha os e us and deepen s akeholde
engagemen . By le e aging hese complemen a y ypes o da a, i ms can e ine hei
ma ke ing communica ion, be e align hei sus ainabili y e o s wi h consume
alues, and s eng hen hei posi ion as esponsible b ands. Emb acing bo h FGC
and UGC as complemen a y con en in a s uc u ed, analy ical manne ul ima ely
p o ides i ms wi h a pa hway o g ea e au hen ici y, accoun abili y, and s a egic
o esigh in he e ol ing sus ainabili y landscape.
K
Schmalenbach Jou nal o Business Resea ch (2025) 77:557–584 573
Table 4 FGC and UGC use cases o co po a e sus ainabili y insigh s
Ca ego ies FGC UGC
Consume pe cep ion
& b and epu a ion
Compa e UGC sen imen wi h FGC
(e.g., sus ainabili y claims on web-
si es o in p oduc desc ip ions) o
de ec and add ess misin o ma ion o
inconsis encies be o e hey damage
b and c edibili y.
Analyze b and-speci ic consume
sen imen in UGC o assess public
pe cep ion o he i m’s sus ainabil-
i y e o s.
Sus ainabili y p oduc
c edibili y
Compa e p oduc -speci ic UGC
wi h i m-gene a ed sus ainabili y
in o ma ion o assess alignmen
wi h s akeholde expec a ions and
iden i y and add ess po en ial gaps,
ambigui ies, o o e s a emen .
Analyze sus ainabili y- ela ed,
p oduc -speci ic UGC o assess
eal-wo ld c edibili y o sus ain-
abili y s a emen s (disc epancies
be ween a i m’s sus ainabili y
claims and cus ome expe iences).
P oduc e alua ion &
imp o emen
Analyze and compa e i ms’ p od-
uc desc ip ions and sus ainabili y
in o ma ion wi h UGC o ensu e
accu acy and iden i y oppo uni ies
o p oduc imp o emen .
Analyze UGC o ex ac p oduc -
speci ic eedback (e.g., du abili y,
ecyclabili y) based on eal-wo ld
consume expe ience.
Ma ke ing communi-
ca ion s a egy
Compa e hese insigh s wi h a i m’s
cu en sus ainabili y s a egies
o c a mo e a ge ed messages
ha esona e mo e e ec i ely wi h
consume s.
Analyze UGC o iden i y sus ain-
abili y aspec s ha ma e mos
o consume s (e.g., c uel y- ee,
locally made, o ze o-was e).
Ma ke end
moni o ing
Align eme ging sus ainabili y ends
wi h he i m’s p oduc po olio o
guide s a egic adjus men s and d i e
inno a ion.
Analyze UGC o iden i y e ol ing
consume p e e ences o sus ain-
able p oduc s (e.g., plan -based
die s, o ze o-was e packaging).
5Conclusion
This pape examines how i ms and consume s communica e abou sus ainabili y
by in es iga ing he in e play be ween FGC and UGC, adop ing a iple bo om line
pe spec i e. We p opose and illus a e a concep ual model g ounded in signaling
heo y, showing how i ms and consume s al e na ely unc ion as bo h sende s and
ecei e s o sus ainabili y- ela ed in o ma ion. Building on his model, we ou line
a comp ehensi e se o open esea ch ques ions (see Table 1) ha emphasize he
need o u he empi ical explo a ion o how sus ainabili y-o ien ed FGC and UGC
a e con eyed and in e p e ed in mode n ma ke places.
To suppo such inqui ies, we in oduce a specialized dic iona y ha cap u es he
iple bo om line ac oss a ious con ex s, and allows esea che s and p ac i ione s
o sys ema ically iden i y and analyze sus ainabili y signals in bo h FGC and UGC.
Ou illus a i e applica ion, based on da a om co po a e websi es, Amazon, and
YouTube, p o ides ini ial insigh s in o no able di e ences in how i ms and con-
sume s add ess sus ainabili y. I also highligh s he impo ance o adop ing a b oad,
iple bo om line pe spec i e, as na owe de ini ions isk o e looking essen ial sus-
ainabili y hemes. In pa icula , he economic dimension o sus ainabili y— ound
o be he mos p ominen opic in UGC in ou illus a i e applica ion—should no
be dismissed, as doing so may esul in unde es ima ing consume in e es .
K
574 Schmalenbach Jou nal o Business Resea ch (2025) 77:557–584
Wi h ou dic iona y and a summa y o p ac ical use cases, i ms a e be e
equipped o make da a-d i en decisions and e ine hei sus ainabili y s a egies and
communica ion. Resea che s can likewise ailo o expand he dic iona y o special-
ized in es iga ions, om p oduc -le el inqui ies o b oade indus y-wide analyses
o sus ainabili y communica ion.
O e all, ou indings demons a e he impo ance o con inued esea ch in o he
aming, in e p e a ion, and impac o sus ainabili y messages ac oss di e se commu-
nica ion channels. A deepe unde s anding o hese p ocesses can help o ganiza ions
mo e closely align hei p ac ices wi h s akeholde alues and empowe consume s
o make in o med choices. The p oposed concep ual model, he specialized dic-
iona y, and ela ed empi ical insigh s aim o os e mo e da a-d i en esea ch on
sus ainabili y communica ion and p omo e inc eased anspa ency and alignmen
among i ms, consume s, and o he s akeholde s.
K
Schmalenbach Jou nal o Business Resea ch (2025) 77:557–584 575
6 Appendix
6.1 Appendix A
Table A1 Dic iona y
Keywo d Al e na i e spelling
En i onmen al Dimension
Bio deg adab* (bio-deg adab*, biodeg adab*)
Ca bon emission* (ca bon-emission*, ca bonemission*)
Ca bon oo p in (ca bon- oo p in , ca bon oo p in )
Ca bon e* (ca bon- e*, ca bon e*)
Ca bon ze o (ca bon-ze o, ca bonze o)
Chemical ee (chemical- ee, chemical ee)
Clima e –
co2 –
Disassembl* –
Disposab* –
Easy o dispose (easy- o-dispose, easy odispose)
Eco conscious* (eco-conscious*, ecoconscious*)
Eco iendly* (eco- iendly*, eco iendly*)
Elec ici y consump ion (elec ici y-consump ion, elec ici yconsump ion)
Elec ic y use* (elec ic y-use*, elec ic yuse*)
Emission* –
Ene gy consump ion (ene gy-consump ion, ene gyconsump ion)
Ene gy e icien* (ene gy-e icien*, ene gye icien*)
Ene gy sa ing* (ene gy-sa ing*, ene gysa ing*)
Ene gy use* (ene gy-use*, ene gyuse*)
En i onmen p o ec ing (en i onmen -p o ec ing, en i onmen p o ec ing)
En i onmen al* –
Excessi e packag* (excessi e-packag*, excessi epackag*)
Fewe chemicals ( ewe -chemicals, ewe chemicals)
Fewe was e ( ewe -was e, ewe was e)
Ghg –
G een p oduc * (g een-p oduc *, g eenp oduc *)
G eenhouse gas* (g eenhouse-gas*, g eenhousegas*)
Less chemical* (less-chemical*, lesschemical*)
Less was e (less-was e, lesswas e)
Low was e (low-was e, lowwas e)
Minimal packag* (minimal-packag*, minimalpackag*)
Mul i-use –
Plas ic packag* (plas ic-packag*, plas icpackag*)
Powe consump ion (powe -consump ion, powe consump ion)
Re-pu posable –
Recyclab* –
Recyclable packag* ( ecyclable-packag*, ecyclablepackag*)
K
576 Schmalenbach Jou nal o Business Resea ch (2025) 77:557–584
Table A1 (Con inued)
Keywo d Al e na i e spelling
Recycle* –
Recycled ma e ial* ( ecycled-ma e ial*, ecycledma e ial*)
Recycled packag* ( ecycled-packag*, ecycledpackag*)
Re u b* –
Renewable ene g* ( enewable-ene g*, enewableene g*)
Repu posable –
Resou ce e icien* ( esou ce-e icien*, esou cee icien*)
Reusab* –
Keywo d (Al e na i e spelling)
Reuse –
Sa es ene gy (sa es-ene gy, sa esene gy)
Second hand (second-hand, secondhand)
Single use (single-use, singleuse)
Th owaway –
Was e educ* (was e- educ*, was e educ*)
Ze o ca bon (ze o-ca bon, ze oca bon)
Ze o was e (ze o-was e, ze owas e)
Social Dimension
*e hic* –
*ha m ul chemical* (*ha m ul-chemical*, *ha m ulchemical*)
*haza d* –
* oxic* –
Accessib* –
E gonomic* –
Heal h* –
Non p o i (non-p o i , nonp o i )
Sa e o ope a e (sa e- o-ope a e, sa e oope a e)
Sa e o use (sa e- o-use, sa e ouse)
Sa e y –
Well being (well-being, wellbeing)
Economic Dimension
Buil o las (buil - o-las , buil olas )
Du ab* –
Ene gy cos * (ene gy-cos *, ene gycos *)
Good alue (good- alue, good alue)
High-quali y –
Li e-span (li espan)
Long las ing (long-las ing, longlas ing)
Low-quali y –
Main ain* –
Main enance –
Main enance cos * (main enance-cos *, main enancecos *)
Modula * –
K
Schmalenbach Jou nal o Business Resea ch (2025) 77:557–584 577
Table A1 (Con inued)
Keywo d Al e na i e spelling
P ice anspa ency (p ice- anspa ency, p ice anspa ency)
Reliab* –
Repai * –
Upg adeab* –
Value o money ( alue- o -money, alue o money)
Global Dimension
Sus ainab* –
The as e isk (*) is a unca ion symbol o cap u e mul iple wo d a ia ions
6.2 Appendix B
In he ollowing appendix, we p esen addi ional indings om ou illus a i e ap-
plica ion (Sec ion 3.3) and om he obus ness check using ze o-sho classi ica ion.
Fig. B1 compa es he ela i e equency o each sus ainabili y dimension wi h e-
spec o he o al numbe o okens in ex ac oss di e en p oduc ca ego ies. In his
igu e, he black ba indica es he o e all measu e (agg ega ed ac oss all sus ainabil-
i y dimensions), while he colo ed boxes ep esen dimension-speci ic measu es.
Fig. B2 displays a wo d cloud o he mos equen dic iona y keywo ds d awn
om ou con en sou ces—FGC (co po a e websi es and Amazon p oduc desc ip-
ions) and UGC (in luence YouTube ideos and Amazon consume e iews). The
ou sus ainabili y dimensions (en i onmen al, social, economic, and global) a e dis-
inguished by colo . Only keywo ds appea ing mo e han h ee imes a e included,
and hei size co esponds o hei absolu e equency ac oss p oduc ca ego ies.
As a obus ness check, we used GPT-4 in a ze o-sho classi ica ion se ing. Speci -
ically, we p omp ed GPT-4 h ee sepa a e imes—once each o en i onmen al,
social, and economic sus ainabili y—by supplying he de ini ion o he ele an sus-
ainabili y dimension (see Sec ion 3.1). Fo e iciency, each o he h ee p omp s was
un on a ba ch o 20 sen ences. Table B1 p esen s he compa a i e esul s be ween
he ze o-sho classi ie and ou dic iona y-based app oach. In his able, we epo
he ela i e equency o iden i ied sus ainabili y- ela ed signals o each dimension
wi h espec o (i) all meaning ul okens in he ex (excluding s op wo ds, punc u-
a ion, e c.) and (ii) all iden i ied sus ainabili y- ela ed signals. Fo consis ency, we
ecalcula ed he second measu e in ou dic iona y-based app oach o exclude he
global dimension, since i was no included in he ze o-sho classi ica ion.
6.2.1 P omp
You a e a ex classi ie classi ying i m- and use -gene a ed con en in being ela ed
o un ela ed o en i onmen al sus ainabili y o a esea ch pape , based on T iple
Bo om Line (TBL) de ini ion o sus ainabili y. Sus ainabili y is de ined as mee ing
he needs o he p esen wi hou comp omising he abili y o u u e gene a ions o
mee hei own needs.
K
578 Schmalenbach Jou nal o Business Resea ch (2025) 77:557–584
No e: Rela i e equencies a e compu ed by di iding he o al numbe o sus ainabili y keywo ds by numbe o
okens in ex o a speci ic p oduc ca ego y and sou ce.
Fig. B1 Rela i e equency o sus ainabili y dimension in each p oduc ca ego y.
No e: Rela i e equencies a e compu ed by di iding he o al numbe o sus ainabili y keywo ds by num-
be o okens in ex o a speci ic p oduc ca ego y and sou ce
[Fo en i onmen al sus ainabili y p omp ] En i onmen al Sus ainabili y e e s
o he esponsible use o esou ces in p oduc s and se ices by minimizing ma e ial
and ene gy consump ion, educing was e and emissions, and p io i izing ecycla-
bili y and eco- iendly p ac ices. Iden i y whe he en i onmen al sus ainabili y is
men ioned in each sen ence in a:
[Fo social sus ainabili y p omp ] Social Sus ainabili y e e s o p oduc s and
se ices’ alignmen wi h e hical consump ion p inciples ha p omo e a ai and
inclusi e socie y, such as espec ing human igh s, p omo ing well-being, and en-
hancing p oduc accessibili y and sa e y. Iden i y whe he social sus ainabili y is
men ioned in each sen ence in a:
K
Schmalenbach Jou nal o Business Resea ch (2025) 77:557–584 579
Fig. B2 F equency o unique e ms in FGC and UGC ac oss di e en channels
Table B1 Compa ison o ze o-sho and dic iona y-based app oaches
Dic iona y-based Ze o-sho
Rel. eq. w all
okens
Rel. eq. wi hin
keywo ds
Rel. eq. w all
okens
Rel. eq. wi hin
keywo ds
FGC: Websi e
En i onmen al 2.56% 76.16% 3.69% 44.85%
Social 0.63% 18.90% 2.70% 32.77%
Economic 0.17% 4.93% 1.84% 22.37%
To al 3.36% 100.00% 8.23% 100.00%
FGC: Amazon
En i onmen al 0.20% 24.05% 0.72% 28.16%
Social 0.31% 37.97% 0.65% 25.31%
Economic 0.31% 37.97% 1.20% 46.53%
To al 0.82% 100.00% 2.57% 100.00%
UGC: YouTube
En i onmen al 0.02% 15.91% 0,09% 7.45%
Social 0.05% 38.64% 0,14% 12.23%
Economic 0.06% 45.45% 0,95% 80.32%
To al 0.13% 100.00% 1,18% 100.00%
UGC: Amazon
En i onmen al 0.03% 8.62% 0,18% 6.07%
Social 0.04% 13.36% 0,18% 6.12%
Economic 0.25% 78.02% 2,60% 87.80%
To al 0.32% 100.00% 2,96% 100.00%
K
580 Schmalenbach Jou nal o Business Resea ch (2025) 77:557–584
[Fo economic sus ainabili y p omp ] Economic Sus ainabili y e e s o he eco-
nomic long- e m alue ha p oduc s and se ices o e h ough hei du abili y,
e iciency, ease o main enance, epai abili y, and a o dabili y. Iden i y whe he
economic sus ainabili y is men ioned in each sen ence in a:
a) posi i e way, b) nega i e way, c) nei he (i un ela ed o). Fo ma you esponse
as ollows: 1. [a, b, o c], 2. [a, b, o c], e c.
Classi y each o he ollowing sen ences acco ding o he gi en ins uc ions:
1. [sen ence]
2. [sen ence]
...
20. [sen ence]
Supplemen a y In o ma ion The online e sion o his a icle (h ps://doi.o g/10.1007/s41471-025-
00215-8) con ains supplemen a y ma e ial, which is a ailable o au ho ized use s.
Funding Funding s a emen No unding was ecei ed o assis wi h he p epa a ion o his manusc ip .
A ailabili y o da a and ma e ial The da ase s gene a ed and/o analyzed du ing he cu en s udy, he
de eloped dic iona y, and he R code used o analysis a e a ailable in a public Gi Hub eposi o y: h ps://
gi hub.com/nyego yan/ eplica ion-speaking-o -sus ainabili y, licensed unde he C ea i e Commons A -
ibu ion 4.0 In e na ional License.
Con lic o in e es J. Bli s, N. Yego yan, T. Mandle and A.B. Bu mes e decla e ha hey ha e no
compe ing in e es s.
Open Access This a icle is licensed unde a C ea i e Commons A ibu ion 4.0 In e na ional License,
which pe mi s use, sha ing, adap a ion, dis ibu ion and ep oduc ion in any medium o o ma , as long as
you gi e app op ia e c edi o he o iginal au ho (s) and he sou ce, p o ide a link o he C ea i e Com-
mons licence, and indica e i changes we e made. The images o o he hi d pa y ma e ial in his a icle
a e included in he a icle’s C ea i e Commons licence, unless indica ed o he wise in a c edi line o he
ma e ial. I ma e ial is no included in he a icle’s C ea i e Commons licence and you in ended use is no
pe mi ed by s a u o y egula ion o exceeds he pe mi ed use, you will need o ob ain pe mission di ec ly
om he copy igh holde . To iew a copy o his licence, isi h p://c ea i ecommons.o g/licenses/by/4.
0/.
Re e ences
Alba, Joseph W., and J. Wesley Hu chinson. 1987. Dimensions o consume expe ise. Jou nal o Con-
sume Resea ch 13(4):411–454. h ps://doi.o g/10.1086/209080.
A kinson, Lucy, and Sonny Rosen hal. 2014. Signaling he g een sell: he in luence o eco-label sou ce,
a gumen speci ici y, and p oduc in ol emen on consume us . Jou nal o Ad e ising 43:33–45.
h ps://doi.o g/10.1080/00913367.2013.834803.
Baie , Daniel, Reinhold Decke , and Yana Aseno a. 2025. Collec ing and analyzing use -gene a ed con en
o decision suppo in ma ke ing managemen : an o e iew o me hods and use cases. Schmalenbach
Jou nal o Business Resea ch h ps://doi.o g/10.1007/s41471-025-00208-7.
Baie , Philipp, Ma c Be ninge , and Flo ian Kiesel. 2020. En i onmen al, social and go e nance epo ing
in annual epo s: a ex ual analysis. Financial Ma ke s, Ins i u ions & Ins umen s 29:93–118. h ps://
doi.o g/10.1111/ mii.12132.
Balasub amanian, Si a K., and Ca he ine Cole. 2002. Consume s’ sea ch and use o nu i ion in o ma-
ion: he challenge and p omise o he nu i ion labeling and educa ion ac . Jou nal o Ma ke ing
66(3):112–127. h ps://doi.o g/10.1509/jmkg.66.3.112.18502.
Ba scha , Ma ia, Ge i Cziehso, and Tho s en Hennig-Thu au. 2022. Sea ching o wo d o mou h in he
digi al age: de e minan s o consume s’ uses o ace- o- ace in o ma ion, In e ne opinion si es, and
K
