THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BRAND POSITIONING, ATTITUDE KNOWLEDGE AND GREEN BRAND PURCHASE INTENTION IN THAILAND

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INTRODUCTION
Around the world, environmental issues like air pollution, and water contamination and the city's overflowing garbage problem currently be a major concern. Every year, there is a population that constantly increasing. As a result, consumption will expand in tandem with population growth (Alam, 2009). Minimizing exposure to environmental risk factors by improving air quality and access to improved sources of drinking and bathing water, sanitation, and clean energy is associated with substantial health benefits and can significantly contribute to achieving the Millennium Development Goals of environmental sustainability, health, and development (Tyagi, Garg & Paudel, 2014). Consumer items are typically packaged in multi-layer encapsulation to minimize contamination of the products. This is causing more unnecessary garbage and creating an issue. The scenery is not pleasant in terms of several environmental concerns, such as air pollution, water pollution, and as a source of disease vectors (Buranasing, 2016). There is a global effort to utilize environmentally friendly products and green marketing. The trend of natural and green product consumption has been increasingly noticed in recent years. The environment, climate change, and global warming have forced companies to use natural resources in a smart way and create environmentally friendly products (Cherian & Jacob, 2012). Environmentally friendly products (green products) must be manufactured using procedures or technologies that have no negative impact on the environment throughout their usage, beginning with the resources used in manufacturing and ending with no pollution (Wang, 2016). It degrades spontaneously and can be reused again. In the meantime, there is a global campaign advocating customer behavior when utilizing items ecologically friendly to aid in the resolution of environmental issues There are several ecologically friendly items available. A form is a type of ecologically friendly or natural product, such as food packaging, and it is manufactured from biodegradable bagasse that does not pollute the environment or leave pollutants behind (Nguyen et al., 2017). The intention to purchase environmentally friendly items indicates that consumers are eager to purchase environmentally friendly products, which offers an incentive for consumers whose "deliberate" purchase of these replacement items is concerned with more than just the quality of the ecosystem. There is a direct association between buying intent and green products, as well as green goods purchasing habits (Sethi, Tandon, & Dutta, 2018). Other behaviors include environmental concerns, understanding of the quality of environmentally friendly items, and social pressure. This influences the intention to purchase ecologically friendly items (Lavuri, 2022).
The world is now undergoing a major environmental disaster. Human action is mostly responsible for environmental challenges, including population growth, technological innovation, and economic development. The intensity of natural change in our world is increasing, such as global warming and the loss of wildlife habitats; decreased animal welfare due to pollution; environmental pollution (Ottman, 1992). Most of these challenges are the consequences of human activities (Houghton et al., 2001). As the population grows, so will the demand for natural resources. The world is losing a growing number of important natural resources. Human inventions are wreaking devastation on the ecosystem and innumerable living species. Changing production and consumption patterns to conform with applicable legislation. The best way to overcome such obstacles is to use consumer-oriented products and services. By preserving natural resources and reducing emissions. Consumers are growing more concerned about environmental problems (Kolkailah, Aish, & Bassiouny, 2012). The popularity of eco-friendly products is increasing. Aside from more ecologically friendly production to suit the expectations of ethical consumer groups because different people probably decide which items to acquire. Protecting the planet's consumers in this sector in Thailand has a unique marketing and environmental consciousness. Furthermore, customers' decisions to purchase eco-friendly items in Thailand are influenced by their knowledge and comprehension of eco-friendly products (Tianwansuwan, 2018). Therefore, it can be used to develop strategic planning to meet the needs of consumers. Thus, green product purchase intention is very crucial for the business analysis model and the examination of the predictors for purchasing green products in Thailand through its determinants. In this study, the determinant of green product purchase intention is green brand positioning, but attitude and knowledge are considered the mediator.

Research Objective
This study examines the relationship between brand positioning, attitude, knowledge, and green product purchase intention among Thai consumers.

Research Question
How does the partial least square model (PLS-SEM) explain the relationship between brand positioning, attitude, knowledge, and green product purchase intention among Thai consumers?

Research Method
The quantitative study in a relationship between brand positioning, attitude, knowledge, and green brand purchase intention in Thailand using a survey method. The researcher conducted pilot testing to determine the reliability and validity of the instrument. It is critical to understand that validity of an instrument refers to how well it measures the researcher's conceptual framework or hypotheses . The main variables in this study were evaluated using a five-point Likert Scale ranging from 5(strongly agree) to 1 (strongly disagree). The demographics of those who responded to the survey questions were based on the study of Siripipatthanakul et al. (2022a), Sitthipon et al. (2022), and Jaipong et al. (2022). The questionnaire items on green brand positioning, attitude, knowledge, and green product purchase intention questions were adapted from previous research by El Dahshan et al. (2018).

Population and Sample
The study's population was undetermined in the number of green product consumers in Thailand. The respondents were Thai and over 18 years old who lived in Northern, Central, Eastern, North-eastern, and Southern and Western Thailand. It is necessary to collect a minimum of 200 cases by convenience sampling (Siripipatthanakul, 2022b). This study's total number of respondents was three hundred and thirty-five (335).

Data Collection
The researchers gathered the information through online self-administered questionnaires using the convenience sampling method. The study's purpose was explained to the respondents before the online questionnaire distribution to participate. The data collection duration was from February 15 th to June 22 rd , 2022.

Data Analysis
The respondents' demographics were analyzed using SPSS Version 27 for descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage). Mean analysis and standard deviation were used to calculate each variable's results and questionnaire items. Cronbach's Alpha was used to determine the reliability of the data set at 0.7. The validity test was carried out using the factor loadings and was set at 0.7 following the recommendation of Siripipattanakul, et al. (2022). The hypotheses were analysed using the partial least square structural equation model (PLS-SEM).

RESULTS Green Consumer Behavior
Green consumption is defined as consumption created by environmentally conscious customers who use the world's resources wisely. Consumers worldwide are becoming more aware of this marketing tactic. Green marketing tactics are being used by business owners The Thai people will help. Gaining access to the global market is getting more feasible (Wichaya Pongklam, 2020). The worldwide data to recommend green consumption st strategies for consumers. It depicts market segmentation based on environmental conservation principles, as well as product consumption patterns that take into consideration the various settings in each type of product and service. Environmentally conscious consumers scrutinize items. Green consumers will also search for terms like "Recyclable," "biodegradable," "eco-friendly," "sustainable," "degradable," and "bio-based." Green shoppers support reputable producers and shops. and will not purchase any harmful items. In addition, if retailers do not understand a product's environmental qualities, their reliance on them will grow (Norazah, 2013). It is necessary to characterize the green items that are available on the market to analyze customer attitudes toward green products. Organic eggs, organic veggies, solar panels, and LED televisions are examples of green products. A green brand is one that may attract customers who are concerned about the environment. Green brand firms should also have plans in place to position the brand in the minds of consumers to be competitive in the green product market and become sustainable. The green market may be categorized into several divisions based on customer expectations to increase the green brand positioning and establish a green marketing mix (Sareekham, Mettathamrong, & Chaithongsri, 2022). As a result, green firms should establish green product marketing strategies so that customers can easily identify the green product in the green market from the rival product in the conventional market.

Green Brand Positioning
Green brand positioning is described as the characteristics of green brand product that are ecologically friendly and provide considerable value to consumers. Many studied discovered that many researchers highlight the green brand positioning for the brand to satisfy the expectations of green customers on important traits (Chaisaeng, 2021). It is critical to place a brand in the minds of consumers for the firm to survive in the green product industry (Afzaal, et al. 2011). Because of brand positioning, consumers who have had a pleasant experience purchasing green or ecological items and have some environmental understanding about the green products are more likely to repurchase. Green brand positioning can be described as the value or quality that a green brand product can deliver, which indicates that the product's qualities are based on eco-friendly items that are important to the buyer. Green brand positioning is concerned with how a firm employ a green image to portray itself to the market and customers (Vazifehdousta, 2013). Green brand positioning is the green image as perceived by the market or the customer. It is emphasized that a green posture or a green image includes a mental picture or description for customers to characterize the organization (Banytė, Brazionienė, & Gadeikienė, 2010). Therefore, green brand positioning in this study is concerned with how a green brand company created a green image to portray itself to the market and customers.

Attitude towards Green Brand
Perspectives on the green brand should match consumer expectations for the brand to be well-positioned in the market and for customers to connect with the important features of the green brand. The green brand attitude may be focused on functional features and emotional advantages (Peattie, 2016). A brand attitude refers to a consumer's propensity to judge the brand itself. Attitude refers to a consumer's likes and dislikes, and it is influenced 120 by the consumer's environmental attitude. Attitude is an essential component in customer behavior and the customer's desire to acquire a good (Solomon, 2015;Yamaqupta, 2018). It was found that family, friends, and coworkers encourage most buyers to purchase green brand items (Haiyasuk, 2015).

Green Brand Knowledge
Customers who have information and understanding about organic food or product are more likely to purchase them in the future. This is due to the brand's positive attitude and how the brand provides environmental awareness to customers. "Green brand knowledge" refers to how a firm gives knowledge or information about the uniqueness of its product via the features of its brand. It is about a promise made by the corporation to its customers and the environment. Customers want to acquire the most trustworthy information possible to improve their understanding of green products and purchase green brand products for ecologically beneficial goals (Thøgersen, Zhou, & Huang, 2015). If customers lacked information or expertise about a green product or green brand, the customers will desire to acquire a green product would suffer. It has also been discovered that green customers would consume green products (Smith & Paladino, 2010). Therefore, for customers to have a better understanding of a given brand or product. The firm should provide trustworthy green information that allows them to learn about and purchase the brand or product. Consumers that are aware of the environment and understand how to safeguard the environment are more inclined to buy green brands or green items because of customers' green brand knowledge.

Green Product Purchase Intention
Consumer demand for green products has prompted firms to concentrate their efforts in some areas. As green products become increasingly popular, they have grown into a large area of social and economic improvement, including both consumers and businesses (Warisara & Nantapong, 2021). Marketers have come to see environmental problems as a critical component of economic success. Green business growth lowers the cost of unnecessary waste, provides employees with a safe and healthy working environment, and secures the enterprise's long-term and efficient operation (Ekwanich & Bunga, 2019). As a result, corporations have begun to pursue the simultaneous development of environmental preservation and economic growth to achieve a green economy. Companies have developed a variety of green products to fulfill the demands of consumers to acquire a broader market for green products (Lorek & Spangenberg, 2014). Green product purchase intention in this study refers to the intention to purchase green products in the future because of brand positioning, attitude, and knowledge.

Research Hypotheses The Relationship between Green Brand Positioning and Green Product Attitude and Knowledge
Green product attitude and knowledge about the friendly-environment product are closely related to green product awareness and positioning (Oliver & Lee, 2010;Hwang et al., 2021). The positive perspective attitude of a customer toward a green brand is powerfully connected to green product positioning (Teng, 2009;Kang & Hur, 2012). When individuals convey an attitude, attitude is connected to a customer's likes and dislikes, and it is impacted by a customer's environmental attitude. The customer's choice and the full package of the green brand are mostly related to their green brand attitude (Mostafa, 2007). There is a more powerful green product positioning, green product attitude, and knowledge (Chin et al., 2019). Based on the above discussion, H1 was proposed as follows. H1: Green brand positioning has a significant effect on green product attitude and knowledge.

The Relationship between Green Brand Positioning and Green Product Purchase Intention
The customers' perception of green brand positioning significantly affects their buying perspectives and preferences (Fraj-Andrés & Martínez Salinas, 2007;Chen & Chai, 2010). Consumers' awareness of green brands has led to the development of positive green marketing and has increased their purchase intent to protect and preserve the environment. However, green brand knowledge and attitude played no moderating role in the relationship between green brand positioning and green product purchase intent (Suki, 2016). When developing promotional messages that elicit positive customer responses to a company's green initiatives, marketing managers should consider a company's green brand positioning strategy as a key factor. A well-executed green brand positioning strategy can result in more green brand purchase intention among consumers (Mehraj & Qureshi, 2022). For instance, this study H2 was proposed as follows.
H2: Green brand positioning has a significant effect on green product purchase intention.

The Relationship between Green Brand Attitude-Knowledge and Green Product Purchase Intention
The basis for a customer to decide to purchase a green product is the customer's attitude toward the environment (Gupta & Ogden, 2009). Current knowledge of friendly environmental products contribute to people's changing customer behavior toward friendly green products and the environment regarding their purchase intention (Bhaskaran et al., 2006). Attitude is an important factor in customer behavior and the intention to purchase. Most customers are influenced by family, friends, and knowledge from the internet to buy green brand products (Chen, Chen, & Tung, 2018). In addition, the positive image of a green brand and the feelings of the customer provide a huge impact on customers when deciding to purchase the green brand product. The customer's attitude will affect the purchase intention of green products (Hartmann & Apaolaza-Ibáñez, 2012). Moreover, customers who have a positive experience purchasing green products and understanding the green environment has a higher proclivity to repeat purchases due to environmental knowledge (Mostafa, 2009). Thus, H3 was proposed as follows.
H3: There is a positive and significant relationship between green brand attitude and knowledge and green product purchase intention.

The Mediating Role of Green Brand Attitude-Knowledge between Green Brands Positioning and Green Product Purchase Intention
Green brand positioning has positive effects on green brand knowledge, despite the fact that it has no effect on green brand attitudes. Green brand knowledge positively influences green brand attitude, and green brand attitude positively influences green purchase intention (Aulina & Yuliati, 2017). Green brand positioning has a significant impact on brand attitude and knowledge. In addition, attitude toward green brands acts as a partial 122 mediator between green brand positioning and green product purchase intention (Wang, Zaman & Alvi, 2022). If green companies want to increase their consumers' purchase intent, they should develop marketing strategies and programs that improve their brand's position and the consumers' understanding of the importance and benefits of green products, thereby fostering a favorable attitude toward the brand (Baiquni & Ishak, 2019). H4: Green attitude-knowledge significantly mediates between green brand positioning and green product purchase intention.

Conceptual Framework
The conceptual framework of this research was as follows:  Three hundred thirty-five (335) Thai respondents completed online questionnaires on the relationship between brand positioning, attitude, knowledge, and green brand purchase intention in Thailand, which were classified and analysed. The data indicated that most respondents (55.8 %) were female, between the ages of 26 and 35 (77 %), unmarried (78.8 %), had a bachelor's degree (71.3 %), earned a monthly income of more than 30,001 Baht (70.4 %) and lived in the central region (71.9 percent). Respondent demographics reflected the green brand product customers in Thailand.      Green brand positioning can predict attitude and knowledge at β=0.608, and p<0.001 (Two tails at 0.000 and one tail at 0.000). Thus, H1 was supported. Green brand positioning can predict purchase intention at β=0.407, and p<0.001 (Two tails at 0.000 and one tail at 0.000). Thus, H2 was supported. Attitude and knowledge can predict purchase intention at β=0.255, and p<0.001 (Two tails at 0.000 and one tail at 0.000). Thus, H3 was supported. Attitude and Knowledge significantly mediated between green brand positioning and green product purchase intention. It can be explained by about 37.0% (R 2 =0.370). Thus, H4 was supported. Overall, the study's conceptual framework can explain the green product purchase intention by approximately 35.7% (R 2 =0.357).

DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONS Discussion of the Research Finding
The respondents (n=335) were Thai customers who were all enthusiastic about green products. Most of the respondents (green product consumers) were female. They are between the ages of 26 to 35, have a bachelor's degree, and had a monthly salary of below 40,001 baht. Most resident regions were in the central area.
Green brand positioning has a significant effect on green product attitude and knowledge.
The findings supported the study of Oliver & Lee (2010) and Hwang et al. (2021) that green product attitude and knowledge about the friendly-environment product were closely related to green product awareness and positioning. The results also confirmed the study of Teng (2009) and Kang & Hur (2012) that the positive perspective attitude of a customer toward a green brand is powerfully connected to green product positioning. The findings supported Mostafa (2007) and Chin et al. (2019) that when individuals convey an attitude, the attitude was connected to a customer's likes and dislikes, and it was impacted by a customer's environmental attitude. The customer's choice and the full package of the green brand were mostly related to their green brand attitude. There is a more powerful green product positioning on green product attitude, and knowledge. Therefore, H1 was supported.
Green brand positioning has a significant effect on green product purchase intention.
The findings supported the study of Fraj-Andrés & Martínez Salinas (2007), Chen & Chai, (2010) that the customers' perception of green brand positioning significantly affects their buying perspectives and preferences. The results also confirmed Suki (2016) that consumers' awareness of green brands has led to the development of positive green marketing and has increased their purchase intent to protect and preserve the environment. However, green brand knowledge and attitude played no moderating role in the relationship between green brand positioning and green product purchase intent. The findings supported Mehraj & Qureshi (2022) that when developing promotional messages that elicit positive customer responses to a company's green initiatives, marketing managers should consider a company's green brand positioning strategy as a key factor. A well-executed green brand positioning strategy can result in more green brand purchase intention among consumers. Therefore, H2 was supported.
There is a positive and significant relationship between green brand attitude and knowledge and green product purchase intention.
The findings supported the study of Gupta & Ogden (2009) that the basis for a customer to decide to purchase a green product is the customer's attitude toward the environment. The results confirmed the study of Bhaskaran et al. (2006) that current knowledge of friendly environmental products contributes to people's changing customer behavior toward friendly green products and the environment regarding their purchase intention. The findings supported Chen, Chen, & Tung (2018) that attitude is an important factor in customer behavior and the intention to purchase. Most customers are influenced by family, friends, and knowledge from the internet to buy green brand products. In addition, the results were confirmed by Hartmann & Apaolaza-Ibáñez (2012) and Mostafa (2009) that the positive image of a green brand and the feelings of the customer provide a huge impact on customers when deciding to purchase the green brand product. The customer's attitude will affect the purchase intention of green products (Hartmann & Apaolaza-Ibáñez, 2012). Moreover, customers who have a positive experience purchasing green products and understanding the green environment have a higher proclivity to repeat purchases due to environmental knowledge. Thus, H3 was supported.

Attitude Knowledge is a significant mediator between green brand positioning and purchase intention
The findings supported the study of Aulina & Yuliati (2017) that green brand positioning has positive effects on green brand knowledge, even though it has no effect on green brand attitudes. Green brand knowledge positively influences green brand attitude, and green brand attitude positively influences green purchase intention. The results confirmed Wang, Zaman & Alvi (2022) and Baiquni & Ishak (2019) that green brand positioning has a significant impact on brand attitude and knowledge. In addition, attitude toward green brands acts as a partial mediator between green brand positioning and green