Nonprototypical packaging and strategic implications: When structural design disrupts or delivers
Abstract
Ethical consumerism is increasingly central to brand strategy as consumers integrate moral values into their purchasing decisions. This paper examines how two moral orientations — ethical idealism and ethical relativism — shape responses to moral versus amoral food brands. Across three survey‑ and experiment‑based studies, it evaluates how brand morality influences perceptions, purchase intentions and loyalty. Findings show that idealistic consumers strongly prefer brands aligned with universal moral principles, whereas relativistic consumers are more flexible and open to context‑dependent trade‑offs. The paper highlights the need to align brand ethics with consumers’ moral beliefs, particularly among highly idealistic segments, and advances understanding of how personal moral frameworks shape reactions to brand ethics. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Kathryn Mercurio is an associate professor of marketing at California State University, Chico. She holds BA, MS and PhD degrees in business administration from the University of Washington. Her research focuses on consumer identity, ethical decision making and digital transformation, with recent work on emotional adaptation within India’s digital public distribution system and on faculty learning communities in online teaching. Her publications appear in the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of the Association for Consumer Research and Journal of Brand Strategy. She also serves as Chico State’s COIL Ambassador, supporting global collaboration in digital and hybrid learning.
Timothy Heinze is a professor of marketing at California State University, Chico, where he founded and directed the Seufferlein Sales Program. He previously led the Business Administration programme at Waynesburg University and worked in Ford Motor Company’s North American marketing division. His research centres on professional sales, brand development and authenticity in buyer–seller relationships, with work published in the Journal of Selling, Marketing Education Review and the Journal for Advancement of Marketing Education. Under his leadership, the Seufferlein Sales Program gained national recognition for student success and industry partnerships.
Christine M. Witt is an associate professor of business information systems at Central Michigan University. Her research examines technology, education and digital communication, with emphasis on social media behaviour, blended learning and agile practices in business education. She has contributed to technology‑enhanced learning initiatives, and her work appears in The International Journal of Management Education, Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education and Business and Professional Communication Quarterly. Dr Witt also mentors nationally recognised ERPsim teams and leads training for CMU’s ERPsim Invitational.
Kristen Chatham is a sales engineer at Palo Alto Networks, supporting clients in designing cybersecurity solutions and improving Security Operations Center efficiency. She holds a BSc in business administration from California State University, Chico, with emphases in marketing and management, and a Professional Sales Certificate. During her studies, she managed the Seufferlein Sales Program, competed in more than ten collegiate sales competitions and contributed to applied marketing research. She continues to mentor students and emerging professionals interested in cybersecurity sales and technical solution design.
