As consumers increasingly seek sustainable products for consumption, firms must better
understand the drivers behind consumer adoption of these products to improve marketing
effectiveness. This paper examines the roles of media in the diffusion of sustainable products.
Based on data from the 1999~2007 U.S. hybrid vehicle market, it studies how media coverage of
broad sustainability issues influences the sales of hybrid vehicles. We find that the media
coverage of climate change exerts an overall positive impact on hybrid vehicle sales. The media
coverage enhances the sales effect of fuel economy, a key product attribute that has
environmental and sustainability implications. However, it reduces the impact of vehicle design,
which is not linked to sustainability, on purchase. We find substantial competitive effects for
hybrid vehicles as a category: the media coverage of climate change shifts consumer purchase
from conventional towards hybrid vehicles. Finally, our results show that such media coverage
reduces the effectiveness of tax incentives intended to stimulate hybrid purchase. These findings
demonstrate the important roles of media on the diffusion of sustainable products. The
implications for marketing strategies and public policy are discussed