The Green Brain Model: A Neurobehavioral Framework for Sustainable Consumption in Emerging Markets

Abstract

Sustainable consumption is an important aspect in the global agenda for development, but in emerging markets, behavioral adoption is still low compared to awareness and intention. Although previous studies have focused on the role of marketing communication and digital engagement in this context, there is a lack of consideration for the psychological aspects. This study proposes a conceptual framework, termed the Green Brain Model (GBM), to account for the process of sustainable consumer decision-making. The framework draws upon insights from neuromarketing and behavioral economics to propose a five-stage process of consumer decision-making, including stages of sensory attention, emotional engagement, cognitive bias, identity integration, and behavioral execution. This study contributes to the literature by providing a process-oriented account of how subconscious cognitive processes interact with situational factors in emerging markets to determine consumer decision-making. The framework offers useful guidelines for developing effective green marketing strategies and can be used as a starting point for testing in the future using various approaches such as experimental, survey, or neuroscientific studies.