The effect of green marketing mix programs on brand attachment in the restaurant industry

With intensifying environmental concerns, sustainability has become an essential priority for the restaurant industry. In response, businesses are increasingly implementing green marketing strategies to reduce their ecological footprint and strengthen their connections with environmentally aware consumers. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the effect of green marketing mix elements—green product, green price, green place, and green promotion—on brand attachment, with the mediating role of brand image. Following the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework, the present research developed a research model, which conceptualizes green marketing elements as external stimuli, brand image as the consumer's internal cognitive and emotional evaluation(organism), and brand attachment as the behavioral outcome(response). To test the model, data were collected via an online questionnaire administered to restaurant guests in Türkiye who had previously dined in establishments recognized for their sustainable practices. The data were analyzed by using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that while green product practices enhance brand image, they exert a negative direct effect on brand attachment. Green place and green promotion practices positively influence brand image, but their direct impacts on brand attachment are statistically insignificant. Conversely, green price exhibits an insignificant effect on brand image while exerting a significant negative influence on brand attachment. Furthermore, brand image mediates the relationship between green product, green place, and green promotion practices and brand attachment; however, its mediating role in the relationship with green price is not significant. This research provides valuable theoretical insights by integrating brand image into the relationship between green marketing and consumer-brand relationship. It also offers practical recommendations for restaurant managers aiming to enhance customer brand attachment through sustainability-focused branding efforts.