Journal of Advertising, 43(1), 18–32
Copyright C 2014, American Academy of Advertising
ISSN: 0091-3367 print / 1557-7805 online
DOI: 10.1080/00913367.2013.799450

“I Eat Organic for My Benefit and Yours”: Egoistic and Altruistic Considerations for Purchasing Organic
Food and Their Implications for Advertising Strategists
Ioannis Kareklas
Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA

Jeffrey R. Carlson
University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA

Darrel D. Muehling
Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA

80% of survey respondents (marketers) indicated they expected to increase the amount of money their firms spend on green marketing efforts in the future.
While organic food is the fastest growing food sector in the
United States (Dettmann and Dimitri 2010), few studies to date have examined the factors that influence consumers’ purchase considerations, with the vast majority of studies being conducted in Europe and Asia. Furthermore, much of this research has been primarily descriptive in nature and lacking a theoretical base.
The exponential growth in the organic food market in recent years and its concomitant effects on companies’ competitive efforts necessitates that advertisers fully exploit their knowledge of what drives organic consumption (Organic Trade Association
2011). With increased expenditures, theoretically derived strategic approaches to reach green consumers are likely to become even more important, as recent reports show that, despite a rising interest in green products, some consumers do not respond favorably to green advertisements (Bulik 2008).
In keeping with this notion, the extant literature has underscored the significance of finding better ways to classify and reach organic consumers (Dettmann and Dimitri 2010; Gil, Gracia, and Sanchez 2001; Nie and Zepeda 2011). Concurrent with
this