Consumers’ Visual Attention and Eco-Labeled Product Preference: An Examination of Logo and Text Effectiveness

Eco-labels communicate environmental information to consumers, yet evidence regarding their effectiveness remains mixed. Drawing on the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S-O-R) framework, this study examines relationships among empathy, environmental behavior, willingness to pay for eco-labeled products, product preferences, and visual attention to environmental cues. Data were collected from 121 participants in Istanbul, Türkiye, using questionnaires and eye-tracking measurements. Participants evaluated six beverage categories presented in neutral, eco-label logo, and environmental-message conditions while fixation and saccade metrics were recorded. Empathy was positively associated with environmental behavior (r = 0.585, p < 0.001) and willingness to pay for eco-labeled products (r = 0.699, p < 0.001), but not with product preferences. Differences in product preferences according to environmental behavior emerged only in the green smoothie and coffee categories, where participants with higher environmental behavior scores were more likely to prefer environmental-message products. Eye-tracking analyses indicated that the relationship between environmental behavior and visual attention varied across product categories and areas of interest. Heatmap analyses showed that eco-label logos and environmental messages redirected visual attention toward sustainability-related information. The findings indicate that consumer responses to eco-labels depend on individual characteristics and product context. The results provide practical implications for firms and policymakers seeking to improve eco-label design and environmental communication strategies.