Consumer Agency and Sustainability Perceptions: Comments on Home Appliances Advertising on Instagram

• Authors: Bachega Casadei Eliza
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

This article examines the roles of symbolic, material, and competence agencies as reflected in consumer comments on Electrolux’s sustainability campaigns on Instagram, and how these agencies shape consumer perceptions of the brand’s environmental responsibility. Drawing on the theoretical and methodological foundations of Content Analysis, the study reveals that communications promoting technological innovations that facilitate sustainable practices – without demanding significant changes to consumers’ daily habits – are better received. In contrast, campaigns urging more active changes in daily practices face resistance and generate substantial backlash, including accusations of greenwashing. This study underscores the importance of balancing technological innovation with culturally sensitive communication strategies that resonate with consumers’ socio-cultural contexts and personal agency.

Keywords

EN

advertising; consumer agency; consumption; Instagram; sustainability

• Publisher: Univerzita sv. Cyrila a Metoda (Trnava)
• Journal: Communication Today
• Year: 2025
• Volume: 16
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 190-205

Contributors

author

Bachega Casadei Eliza

• School of Advertising and Marketing, R. Joaquim Távora, 1240, São Paulo, 04015-013, BRAZIL

Identifiers

DOI

10.34135/communicationtoday.2025.Vol.16.No.1.13