Sensing the Green: Leveraging Sensory Cues to Overcome Barriers in Green Product Perception

Green products face persistent consumer skepticism rooted in stereotypes such as “green equals to inefficient, unpalatable, or high price.” This paper examines how sensory marketing, which was grounded in the embodied cognition theory. can be strategically deployed to counteract these biases and reshape consumer evaluations of green offerings. Drawing on empirical research across visual, tactile, olfactory, auditory, and gustatory domains, this study illustrates how sensory cues such as matte packaging, rough textures, natural scents, or crisp sounds can translate abstract environmental attributes into tangible, experiential signals that enhance perceived health, efficacy, pleasure, authenticity, and affordability. Moreover, it proposes a multisensory design framework that not only reinforces the positive “health halo” of green products but also actively mitigates functional, hedonic, trust-related, and price-related barriers. This systematic analysis offers actionable guidance for marketers and product designers seeking to align sensory experience with sustainability narratives, thereby fostering more favorable consumer perceptions and accelerating the adoption of green products in competitive markets.