Is t he dev il in t he det ails? The signaling effect of numerical precision in env ironment al adv ert ising claims

Numerical information is an important feature in green advertising claims. In four experiments, the authors examine the extent to which numerical precision signals the competence of an advertised company. The results suggest that consumers who are low in advertising skepticism tend to perceive the advertised company as more competent when presented with precise numbers, which are considered more informative and scientific. Highly skeptical consumers are less likely to be affected by numerical precision. Furthermore, the moderation effect of advertising skepticism can be mitigated by consumer topic knowledge about the advertised environmental issue: Highly skeptical but less knowledgeable consumers are also susceptible to numerical precision.