Does moral branding on the organic cosmetics market influences self-licensing effects on consumers choice and anticipated guilt?

The present study examines the effect of brand morality and self-affirmation on the purchasing decision of an organic cosmetic product in order to prove if a marketing approach based in this two concepts could be effective in this industry. We have seen in literature that individuals on a self-affirmation position usually license themselves to commit a less moral action of purchase that they would normally do in no self-affirmation conditions. We study this effect further adding a possible effect regarding brand morality in the organic cosmetic sector. Results from one study manipulating self-affirmation and brand morality failed to show licensing effects on individuals when choosing either moral (organic) or immoral cosmetic products in participants choice between utilitarian or hedonic products, anticipated guilt and regret and expected hedonic experience. Only brand morality influenced participants choice between the purchase of a utilitarian or hedonic product and lead to higher levels of anticipated guilt and regret. Despite of our study registered no influence from the self-affirmation task on participants, it is a fact that this effect was working on the results from the manipulation check. As a conclusion, we could affirm that on the organic cosmetic sector having a brand with a higher morality would influence consumer behavior.