Sustainable Public Relations Marketing and Libyan Consumer Attitudes Toward Eco-friendly Products and Services: An Analytical Field Study

Abstract

This study aims to analyse the role of sustainable marketing in public relations practices in shaping Libyan consumers’ attitudes toward environmentally friendly products and services. It also seeks to examine the relationship between environmental attitudes, purchase intention, and actual purchasing behaviour, while identifying the key factors associated with the intention–behaviour gap in the Libyan market context. The study is based on the premise that positive attitudes toward sustainability do not necessarily translate into actual purchasing behaviour, as this relationship may be influenced by economic, marketing, and communication-related factors, particularly price, product availability, purchasing power, environmental knowledge, trust in environmental claims, and information transparency. In this context, public relations is approached as a communication function that contributes to raising environmental awareness, strengthening trust between organizations and their publics, and providing information about corporate environmental responsibility and sustainability practices.

The study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach using a field survey conducted with a sample of consumers. A questionnaire was designed to measure environmental attitudes, purchase intention, actual purchasing behavior, and the economic, marketing, and communication-related factors associated with the transition from intention to behavior. Particular attention is given to the role of public relations activities in environmental communication, credibility building, and transparency enhancement. The theoretical framework draws on the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the Value–Belief–Norm Theory, while incorporating the concepts of sustainable marketing, green marketing, and environmental public relations to explain the relationship between organizations and consumers.

The findings indicate relatively positive attitudes toward environmentally friendly products and services, alongside higher levels of purchase intention than actual purchasing behaviour, suggesting the existence of an intention–behaviour gap. Several factors are associated with this gap, most notably high prices, limited product availability, insufficient information, and low levels of trust in certain environmental claims. These findings highlight the importance of institutional communication based on accurate information, transparency, and credibility, as well as the role of public relations in clarifying the environmental value of products and services and enhancing consumers’ understanding of sustainable practices, rather than relying solely on general promotional messages. Positive environmental attitudes alone are insufficient to ensure sustainable purchasing behavior; the transition from intention to actual practice also requires product availability, accessibility, affordable prices, and clear, verifiable environmental information.

The study concludes that strengthening sustainable marketing through public relations practices in the Libyan market requires the integration of marketing and communication efforts. This entails moving beyond the dissemination of general environmental messages toward building sustainable value that consumers can perceive and verify, combining environmental benefits, quality, affordable pricing, availability, trust, and transparency. The study also highlights the importance of developing environmental public relations practices that promote dialogue with the public, enhance the credibility of corporate information, and help create the conditions necessary to translate positive attitudes and purchase intentions into more sustainable consumer behavior.