Expanding the Prevailing Behavioral Model in A Social Marketing Context: A Case Study of an Eco-point System to Promote Eco-policies in Toyota City, Japan

ABSTRACT To analyze and expand the prevailing behavioral model (awareness–knowledge–attitudes–behavior), this study explored strategies for promoting the eco-family card, a social marketing approach whereby users in Toyota City, Japan, earn eco-points through eco-activities and exchange them for goods. This initiative aims to advance the city’s eco-policy by incentivizing participation in eco-activities. The findings indicate that the dominant theoretical models positing that environmental awareness and knowledge lead to pro-environmental behaviors via attitudes are limited for explaining behavior change in this context. Furthermore, the results suggest that, given their pro-environmental attitudes that are yet to manifest as behaviors, women in their 30s are a promising sociodemographic target for promoting the eco-family card and that residents are somewhat satisfied with the goods that can be obtained with eco-points but desire more places to acquire and use eco-points. Recommendations are provided for the city government’s effective promotion of the eco-family card.