기업의 ESG 활동 속성 요인이 진정성 인식과 소비자 행동에 미치는 영향

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of corporate ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) activities has been increasingly emphasized. Today, ESG is no longer a choice for companies but a necessity. However, existing studies have limitations in that they only verify the effects of ESG using measurement scales or classify the authenticity dimension into simple types based on individual research tendencies or perspectives, thereby determining whether it is authentic or not. Unlike previous studies, this study examines the attributes of activities where ESG is actually performed. To verify this, the research participants were divided into a total of 8 experimental groups, and an experimental design was conducted between groups of continuity (high vs. low), community contribution (high vs. low), and information transparency (high vs. low). The empirical results showed that consumers felt ESG authenticity more strongly when they perceived sustainability, community contribution, and information transparency as high. Furthermore, the importance of sustainability was proven by the fact that it was high in all cases. In other words, consumers consider sustainability to be the most important factor among ESG activity attribute factors, and it suggests that it is important for companies to continuously maintain ESG activities. In addition, it was confirmed that high awareness of ESG activity attribute factors strengthens ESG authenticity, which has a positive impact on consumer behavior. In addition, through additional verification, it was confirmed that if consumers recognize the authenticity of a company's ESG activities, it has a positive impact on consumer behavior (willingness to pay additional costs, intention to recommend). Through this study, we aim to expand the research areas related to ESG in fields such as marketing, consumer behavior, and management strategy by verifying the relationship between the attributes of corporate ESG activities and consumers' perceptions of authenticity. Regarding the attributes of ESG activities, more consistent and superior ESG authenticity effects can be induced through information related to sustainability depending on the type of marketing. In cases related to the local community, the halo effect can be further enhanced by strengthening the corporate image built through ESG marketing activities linked to the community. This suggests that companies should establish consumer communication strategies through more diverse and detailed ESG activities, such as providing transparent and discernible information for consumers. Simultaneously, it aims to provide valuable insights on the aspect of 'authenticity' in marketing strategies utilizing ESG activities, within the rapidly emerging management environment where ESG activities are becoming a core strategy of corporate management.