108 Wanning Sun
Ethical and sustainable consumption is becoming a major issue of public debate
in many countries in the Global North. In China, too, whether and how consumers
respond to green messages are questions that concerns market researchers. Many
findings point to the fact that the concept of “greenness” helps sell products. One
study (Chang 2011) finds that, due to a number of factors including perceived
higher prices, perceived lower quality, and perceived effectiveness, consumers
vary in their attitude toward green products and their willingness to buy them,
even if they are consistently concerned about the environment. Another study
(Zhao et al. 2014) of consumer behavior in Qingdao City, eastern China, which
surveyed 500 respondents in four districts of the city, finds that most consumers
know that being green is politically correct and good for the health and, in some
cases, lowers energy bills. However, the same survey also finds that, in general,
Chinese consumers are not inclined to pay more to purchase appliances that are
environmentally friendly but do not bring immediate personal benefit. Even more
worryingly, this study suggests that consumers are not prepared to change their
habits in order to reduce their use of natural resources such as water. What does
motivate them, however, is the economic benefit of making some money from
selling recyclables such as old newspapers and cans (Zhao et al. 2014). Having said
that, other research (for example, Chan 2004) suggests that consumers do respond
to advertising that has a green appeal. A controlled experiment conducted in China
suggests that, regardless of the level of consumer environmental concern, for low-
involvement products an ad with green appeal, compared to a similar one without
green appeal, elicits a more favorable consumer response (Kong and Zhang 2013).
Despite this variable engagement with green issues in urban China, a “green
economy” or market consisting of the production and consumption of organic,
fresh, and “all-natural” food is starting to take off (Zhou 2011). As on lifestyle
shows, personal health and risk are prominent in determining green consumption
practices. Apart from equipping themselves with air purifiers and face masks,
people are also turning to ways of safeguarding food safety. Online shopping for
organic produce is on the rise. Just as in Hong Kong (see chapter 12 in this volume
on Hong Kong), a handful of urban individuals in Beijing have taken to renting
farmland on the outskirts of the city to grow their own vegetables, a practice
that has captured the imagination of the Chinese population. Food, beverages,
and cosmetic products that their manufacturers claim are natural, hence “green”,
are in vogue, and urban residents are becoming more interested in buying their
vegetables direct from farmers’ markets (Xiao 2014).
The concept of green not only helps sell everyday products, it is also exploited
to sell cultural products such as television programs. In an increasingly competitive
media environment, the television market has embraced the concept of green as a
branding and packaging strategy. Travel TV is a good case in point. Originally known
as Hainan TV (the television station of Hainan Province), the channel, in order to
acquire a nationally competitive edge in the increasingly competitive market, went
through a process of rebranding and emerged in 2002 as the Travel Channel, the only
designated travel channel in China (Sun and Chio 2012). At the start of the year, the
channel launched its new green look with a new station logo and a revamped program