Type of the article: Research Article AbstractCoordinated public information campaigns became a near-universal instrument of pandemic crisis communication, while the internet penetration of their audiences ranged from under 3 percent to full coverage. The study examines whether the association between campaign intensity and the pace of vaccination uptake varies with pre-pandemic internet penetration, a contextual marker of the digital environment rather than campaign exposure. Using a global country-month panel of 168 economies over 2021–2022 (N = 3,410), it estimates two-way fixed-effects models with country-clustered standard errors, drawing campaign intensity from the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker and fixing connectivity at its 2019 level. The interaction between campaigns and internet penetration is positive and robust (0.912, p < 0.001): a standard deviation of baseline penetration, 27.9 percentage points, raises the campaign–uptake slope by about 0.9 points per month. The marginal association is significantly negative at low connectivity (−1.955 at the tenth percentile, p < 0.001), indistinguishable from zero at the median (−0.289) and the ninetieth percentile (+0.501), with the confidence band excluding zero only below roughly 62 percent penetration; the firm result is the negative association under low connectivity. The pattern survives winsorizing, one-month lagging, separate estimation for 2021 and 2022, and vaccination-policy controls, yet baseline connectivity correlates with income and governance at r = 0.77–0.90, so the moderation indexes a development bundle of which connectivity is one legible marker. The illustrative cases of Moldova and Armenia, comparably connected yet facing contrasting overlapping crises, show connectivity alone does not assure uptake where parallel emergencies compete for attention. AcknowledgmentsThe authors acknowledge the financial support received for the implementation of the project “Accelerating the Digital and Green Transformation of Agri-Food SMEs in Moldova and Armenia”, funded by the National Agency for Research and Development of the Republic of Moldova (NARD) (Project No. 26.80013.0807.05ARM) and the Higher Education and Science Committee of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia (Project No. 26NARD-1D007).
Type of the article: Research Article AbstractDigital technologies have changed how consumers obtain product information, interact with brands, and make purchasing decisions. However, empirical evidence on these relationships remains limited for urban, digitally active consumers in Kazakhstan. This study examines the associations among digital marketing activities, social media engagement, promotional pricing strategies, brand trust, and consumer purchasing behavior. A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed, using survey data collected from 320 active internet users in Kazakhstan between July and November 2025, administered via a structured questionnaire with five-point Likert-scale measures. The reliability and construct validity of the measurement instrument were evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha, the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin statistic, Bartlett’s test of sphericity, and exploratory factor analysis, while regression and cluster analyses were conducted to examine the proposed relationships and identify consumer segments. The findings indicate that digital marketing activities are positively associated with consumer purchasing behavior, social media engagement is positively related to brand trust, and promotional pricing strategies significantly influence consumer purchase decisions. The measurement model demonstrated satisfactory reliability and construct validity, supporting the consistency of the empirical results. The study contributes evidence on digital consumer behavior among urban, digitally active consumers in Kazakhstan. It offers practical implications for organizations seeking to strengthen digital marketing strategies in comparable market settings. AcknowledgmentsThe authors gratefully acknowledge the Kazakh-British Technical University for its persistent support and encouragement in facilitating this research, thanks to its strong commitment to academic excellence and innovation. Sincere appreciation is also extended to all the respondents who generously devoted their time and insights to this study, making a valuable contribution to its completion.
Type of the article: Research Article AbstractThis study examines the relationships between short-video creativity, influencer credibility, and impulsive buying intention through the sequential mediating roles of perceived cultural relevance and perceived content authenticity. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 155 active users of TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts in Indonesia who had recently viewed fashion-related promotional content and considered purchasing after exposure, ensuring direct relevance to short-video commerce behavior. Data were collected online between September and October 2025 using purposive sampling and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that short-video creativity (β = 0.297; p = 0.004) and influencer credibility (β = 0.616; p < 0.001) are positively related to perceived cultural relevance, which is positively linked to perceived content authenticity (β = 0.762; p < 0.001). Perceived content authenticity was positively associated with impulsive buying intention (β = 0.559; p < 0.001), while the direct effects of short-video creativity and influencer credibility were not significant. Sequential mediation was supported for both pathways, supporting the proposed statistical mediation model in which impulsive buying intention is linked to short-video stimuli through perceived cultural relevance and perceived content authenticity. Because the study employed purposive sampling and the sample was predominantly female and concentrated on respondents from Java Island, the findings should be interpreted within the context of consumer groups similar to those represented in the sample rather than as representative of all Indonesian consumers. These findings extend the Stimulus–Organism–Response framework and provide managerial implications for designing culturally resonant and authentic digital marketing strategies.
Type of the article: Research Article AbstractIndonesia’s star-rated hotel industry has become increasingly competitive, placing pressure on hotels to adapt to rising guest expectations. This paper examines how perceived dynamic capability and perceived guest-centric strategic agility jointly enhance guest outcomes (satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy) in the hotel industry using remains underexplored. Data were collected through an online questionnaire using purposive non-probability sampling to Indonesian guests (Gen X, Gen Y, and Gen Z) who stayed in three-star to five-star hotels within the past twelve months in 2025. This segment was selected because upper-tier hotels tend to implement adaptive service practices that are perceivable to guests. A total of 324 valid responses were analyzed using PLS-SEM with SmartPLS 4. The results revealed that perceived dynamic capability positively and significantly influenced both perceived guest-centric strategic agility and guest outcome. There was also a significant mediating effect of perceived guest-centric strategic agility on the relationship between perceived dynamic capability and guest outcome, indicating partial mediation. Age and income showed no significant effects, confirming the main model’s robustness across demographic groups. The findings suggest that hotels can enhance guest satisfaction, loyalty and advocacy by developing guest-perceivable dynamic capabilities and translating them into agile service delivery to sustain competitive positioning in a dynamic hospitality environment. AcknowledgmentConflict of interest: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest related to this study.
Type of the article: Research Article AbstractTourism decision-making increasingly relies on digital assistants, yet the mechanism through which conversational AI may support sustainable travel planning remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine whether ChatGPT adoption disposition is associated with sustainable travel planning intention and whether this association operates through ChatGPT relationship engagement and AI-assisted travel-planning experience. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted online between January and March 2025 among adults from Tunisia, France, Italy, Germany, and other countries who had previously used ChatGPT to search for environmentally responsible travel information. From 234 questionnaires initially received, 48 were excluded after screening and quality control, leaving 186 valid responses. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling was used to test the measurement model, structural paths, mediation effects, and dummy-coded country controls, with France as the reference category. The results show that attitude (β = 0.421, p < 0.001), subjective norms (β = 0.353, p < 0.001), and perceived behavioral control (β = 0.297, p < 0.001) are positively associated with ChatGPT adoption disposition. The direct path from ChatGPT adoption disposition to sustainable travel planning intention is not significant (β = 0.080, p = 0.734). However, two indirect effects are significant: through ChatGPT relationship engagement (β = 0.250, p < 0.001) and through AI-assisted travel-planning experience (β = 0.124, p < 0.001). Country controls are non-significant. The study concludes that ChatGPT is more relevant as an experiential and relational facilitator than as a direct driver of sustainable travel intention, within the limits of a pooled non-probability international sample.
Type of the article: Research Article AbstractThis study investigates how social media marketing influences the engagement and purchase intentions of Generation Z (Gen Z) consumers in the beauty industry. As digital technologies and social commerce continue to reshape consumer behavior, understanding the mechanisms through which social media activities translate into purchasing decisions has become increasingly important. Drawing on the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S–O–R) framework, this study examines the effects of Value of Brand Page (VBP), Self-Brand Connection (SBC), and Social Media Marketing Efforts (SMME) on Viral Behavioral Intention (VBI) and, subsequently, Purchase Intention (PI). Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), data were collected from 341 Saudi female Generation Z consumers during the second half of 2025. The results indicate that VBP, SBC, and SMME each have a significant positive effect on VBI, while VBI, in turn, positively influences purchase intention. Among the examined predictors, social media marketing efforts exert the strongest influence on viral behavioral intention within the proposed structural model. The findings suggest that effective and engaging social media activities, together with consumers’ perceived value of brand pages and psychological connection with brands, encourage content sharing and enhance purchase intentions. This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence of the mechanisms linking social media marketing and consumer behavior in the Saudi beauty sector and offers practical implications for marketers seeking to strengthen brand engagement and stimulate purchasing through digital platforms.
Type of the article: Research Article AbstractThe rapid adoption of artificial intelligence in digital banking is transforming how financial institutions manage customer relationships and encourage customer advocacy. However, empirical evidence explaining how artificial intelligence-driven electronic customer relationship management influences brand advocacy through different consumption values remains limited. This study aims to assess the effect of AI-driven electronic customer relationship management on brand advocacy and to examine the mediating roles of consumption values in Vietnam’s digital banking context. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 468 users of digital banking services who had interacted with artificial intelligence-enabled customer service functions, and the data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. The results show that AI-driven electronic customer relationship management has a positive and statistically significant direct effect on brand advocacy (β = 0.194, p < 0.001). Functional value (β = 0.092, p = 0.030), monetary value (β = 0.347, p < 0.001), epistemic value (β = 0.197, p < 0.001), and social value (β = 0.104, p = 0.010) also positively influence brand advocacy, whereas emotional value does not have a significant effect (β = 0.023, p = 0.703). Monetary value emerges as the strongest predictor of brand advocacy, and the model explains 63.4% of the variance in this construct. The findings indicate that artificial intelligence-enabled relationship management systems strengthen brand advocacy primarily when they deliver tangible economic, informational, and functional benefits to digital banking customers. AcknowledgmentThis research is partly funded by Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City and University of Finance – Marketing.
Type of the article: Research Article AbstractGrowing concern over environmental degradation and increasing skepticism toward corporate sustainability claims has heightened interest in how consumers form sustainable consumption decisions in emerging markets. This study examines how internal sustainability orientations and firms’ green marketing practices jointly shape sustainable consumer behavior, and how perceived greenwashing moderates these relationships among Generation Y and adult Generation Z consumers in Vietnam.Using survey data from 656 urban consumers, the study applies regression, sequential mediation, and moderation analyses. The results show that green consumer identity is the strongest driver of sustainable behavior, with environmental awareness and environmental protection attitude operating indirectly through identity formation. Green purchase willingness serves as a proximal mechanism linking identity to behavior. Green marketing practices have weaker but significant effects, indicating a complementary role alongside internal motivations.Perceived greenwashing weakens the translation of both identity-based motivation and marketing signals into behavior, but does not affect willingness formation, suggesting a stage-specific credibility effect at the behavioral conversion stage.The findings highlight an integrated mechanism in which identity-based motivation dominates, external signals complement, and perceived authenticity constrains sustainable consumption in emerging markets.
Type of the article: Research Article AbstractGamified marketing has become an increasingly critical strategy in digital commerce, yet the full pathway from consumer attitude through engagement to purchase behavioral intention remains insufficiently examined, particularly across demographic cohorts in emerging markets. This study investigates how gamification elements shape consumer attitudes, engagement and purchase behavioral intention among digital consumers in the Delhi National Capital Region of India. This quantitative study employs a structured survey administered between July and November 2025, yielding a final usable sample of 643 (56.8% male, 43.2% female). The study integrates the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) within a Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) framework. The results demonstrate that perceived agility (β = 0.307, p < 0.001), perceived ease of use (β = 0.278, p < 0.001), perceived usefulness (β = 0.259, p < 0.001), perceived enjoyment (β = 0.248, p < 0.001) and social influence (β = 0.188, p < 0.001) are significant drivers of consumer attitude. Consumer attitude strongly predicts consumer engagement (β = 0.550, p < 0.001) and purchase behavioral intention (β = 0.334, p < 0.001), with engagement partially mediating the attitude–purchase behavioral intention relationship (β = 0.196, p < 0.001). Measurement invariance testing followed by multi-group analysis reveals significant generational and gender-based differences in gamification drivers, underscoring the need for demographically tailored strategies. These findings advance theory by confirming the TAM-UTAUT integrated model in a gamified emerging-market context, and offer practitioners a roadmap for designing differentiated gamification campaigns that enhance engagement and drive purchase intention.
Type of the article: Research Article AbstractSmart wrist wearables (SWWs) represent the leading segment in the multi-billion-dollar global fitness tracker industry. Despite the robust and thriving global market, South Africa remains far behind in adoption, penetration rate and market value. As such, this study aims to predict SWW adoption intention among South African youth by examining the influence of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, information availability, social image, brand name, perceived performance risk, perceived cost, and attitude. The study surveyed 312 South African Parkrun attendees aged 18-34 using a self-administered questionnaire. The youth market was specifically targeted as they represent the primary users of wearable technology and because of their high digital engagement. SPSS and AMOS v. 27 were used for model validation and hypothesis testing through confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis, respectively. The results show that device ease of use boosts perceived usefulness (β = 0.82, p < 0.01), consequently influencing attitudes (β = 0.78, p < 0.01) and adoption intentions. Information availability (β = 0.20, p < 0.01) significantly influences adoption intentions, where perceived performance risk (β = 0.22, p < 0.01) echoes this finding for attitude. Social image (β = –0.11, p < 0.05) and perceived cost (β = –0.47, p < 0.01) had a significant, adverse effect on respondents’ attitude towards SWWs. Notably, brand name (β = –0.01, p > 0.01) plays no notable role in attitude formation and ultimate adoption intentions. These findings offer actionable insights for SWW brands seeking to develop targeted, competitive strategies.
Type of the article: Research Article AbstractArtificial intelligence-based chatbots are increasingly used on e-commerce platforms to improve customer interactions and service efficiency, yet their effectiveness in influencing consumer purchase intentions in emerging markets remains insuffi-ciently understood. This study aims to examine how interaction, entertainment, perceived enjoyment, service quality, per-ceived ease of use, trendiness, communication competence, and credibility influence purchase intention, mediated by cus-tomer satisfaction, in the context of Tokopedia’s AI chatbot in Indonesia. The study employed a quantitative approach using a structured online survey of 240 Tokopedia users in Yogyakarta and Central Java conducted between March and July 2024, and the collected data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indi-cate that communication competence (β = 0.287, p < 0.001), credibility (β = 0.254, p < 0.001), and trendiness (β = 0.231, p < 0.01) are the strongest predictors of customer satisfaction and indirectly influence purchase intention. Service quality (β = 0.214, p < 0.001) and perceived ease of use (β = 0.198, p < 0.01) also significantly contribute to satisfaction, while entertainment (β = 0.176, p < 0.05) and perceived enjoyment (β = 0.169, p < 0.05) enhance the experiential aspect of chatbot interaction. Satisfaction demonstrates a strong positive effect on purchase intention (β = 0.412, p < 0.001), confirming its mediating role in translating chatbot service attributes into behavioral outcomes. These findings suggest that effective AI chatbot design should integrate functional service quality with relational and experiential communication capabilities to strengthen consumer engagement and purchasing behavior on e-commerce platforms. AcknowledgmentThe authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Tech-nology (KEMENDIKTISAINTEK) of the Republic of Indonesia through the regular fundamental research grant scheme (PFR). This research was funded under the contract number 126/C3/DT.05.00/PL/2025; 0498.02/LL5-INT/AL.04/2025; 012/DPPM.LLDIKTI/PFR/UST/LP2M/K/VI/2025. The findings and opinions expressed in this article are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding institution.
This study examines how integrated marketing communications influence purchase decisions in digitally saturated e-commerce environments, where consumers increasingly resist direct persuasion. Data were collected from 316 millennial e-commerce consumers in Jakarta, Indonesia, and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that integrated marketing communications do not have a significant direct effect on purchase decisions (beta = 0.074, p > 0.05). Instead, their influence operates entirely through indirect mechanisms, with customer-based brand equity (beta = 0.556, p < 0.001) and customer satisfaction (beta = 0.144, p < 0.05) acting as mediators. Customer-based brand equity emerges as the dominant cognitive pathway, while customer satisfaction provides a complementary affective mechanism. Additionally, a significant sequential mediation effect indicates that communication first shapes brand-related cognitive evaluations, which subsequently enhance satisfaction and lead to purchase decisions. These findings challenge persuasion-centric models and demonstrate that communication effectiveness in digital markets depends on building long-term brand and experiential value. The study provides theoretical and managerial insights for designing communication strategies in increasingly competitive digital environments.
Type of the article: Research Article AbstractThis study addresses the growing importance of integrating advanced digital technologies with local cultural values in enhancing customer loyalty in Islamic banking. The study aims to examine the mediating role of Minangkabau culture in the relationship between hyper-personalization, artificial intelligence (AI), and customer loyalty. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 206 Islamic bank customers in Padang City, Indonesia, during 2025. Data were collected using structured questionnaires distributed via online platforms and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4. The results reveal that hyper-personalization (β = 0.387, p < 0.001) and AI (β = 0.183, p < 0.01) have significant positive effects on customer loyalty. Both variables also significantly influence Minangkabau culture (β = 0.360 and β = 0.369, respectively), which in turn has a strong effect on loyalty (β = 0.409, p < 0.001). The mediating analysis confirms that Minangkabau culture significantly mediates the relationships between hyper-personalization and loyalty (β = 0.147, p < 0.01) as well as AI and loyalty (β = 0.151, p < 0.01). The model demonstrates substantial explanatory power, with an R² value of 0.773 for customer loyalty. The findings indicate that aligning digital personalization and AI with local cultural values enhances customer trust and strengthens long-term loyalty. This study highlights the importance of culturally embedded digital strategies in Islamic banking and provides practical insights for developing ethically grounded and culturally relevant financial services. AcknowledgementThis research was funded by Yayasan UPI YPTK Padang under the Penelitian Unggulan Grant 2024/2025 (Contract No. 062/UPI-YPTK/LPPM/P/KP/VII/2025). The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided for this study.
Type of the article: Research Article AbstractInnovative marketing increasingly requires reliable market intelligence signals that reduce uncertainty, support product positioning, and guide venture financing in technology-intensive green and digital markets. This study aims to assess how patent-based technological signals shape innovative market development by predicting the formation and venture financing of green and digital energy start-ups, while also examining whether entrepreneurial market entry and funding stimulate subsequent patenting activity. The empirical analysis is based on a balanced panel of 146 countries for 2000–2023, combining IEA energy start-up and funding indicators with OECD patent data. The empirical strategy follows a sequential design: descriptive statistics and log1p transformations are used to characterize the data; Dumitrescu–Hurlin panel Granger causality tests provide the main evidence on predictive causality; and PVAR, multiple-testing corrections, PPML and TWFE models are used as complementary robustness and dynamic checks. The results show highly concentrated innovative market development: average green and digital energy start-up activity is around 7 per country-year, while the median is 0 for both indicators. The Dumitrescu–Hurlin tests reveal 69 significant relationships out of 120, with stronger evidence for patents predicting start-up formation and funding than for the reverse direction. These findings remain robust after Benjamini–Hochberg correction and after excluding numerically extreme statistics. TWFE results support the positive association between climate adaptation and ICT-mitigation patents, digital energy start-up formation and early-stage digital funding, while PVAR models provide only complementary dynamic evidence and are interpreted cautiously due to stability limitations in the main GMM specification. Country fixed effects indicate that Ukraine has a more favorable estimated structural position for digital energy start-up formation than Kazakhstan and Armenia.
Type of the article: Research Article AbstractOpen science is increasingly recognized as an innovative educational tool for developing creativity, idea generation and problem-solving skills in higher education, with potential implications for marketing-oriented learning. This study examines how students’ engagement with open science practices is associated with their perceptions of creativity and problem-solving with particular attention to open data, open educational resources, open scientific publications and barriers to adoption. The empirical analysis is based on a cross-sectional survey of 2,250 students from Ukrainian higher education institutions. Descriptive statistics, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients, a correlation matrix and ordinal logistic regression models were applied in RStudio. The results show that the frequency of open science use is positively associated with the overall perceived creative value of open science (ρ = 0.498, p < 0.001). Among specific open science elements, the strongest correlations with use frequency are observed for open data (ρ = 0.295), open educational resources (ρ = 0.260) and open scientific publications (ρ = 0.240). Ordinal logistic regression shows that the overall perceived creative value of open science is the factor most strongly associated with reported open science use (β = 1.236; OR = 3.440; p < 0.001), while open data and open educational resources are also positively associated with engagement. Barriers have weaker associations, although lack of instructor support is negatively related to students’ perception of open science’s creative value (β = –0.092; OR = 0.912; p = 0.015). The findings suggest that open science practices may support marketing-relevant competencies, including evidence-based thinking, data interpretation, creative communication and innovation-oriented problem-solving. AcknowledgmentsThis research was funded by an EU grant “Immersive Marketing in Education: Model Testing and Consumers’ Behavior” under the project No. 09I03-03-V04-00522/2024/VA, by the Cultural and Educational Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic under the project “Innovative business models in relation to Generation Z consumer behavior towards economic decarbonization activities” under project No. KEGA 026EU-4/2026 and by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine “Modeling and forecasting of socioeconomic consequences of higher education and science reforms in wartime” under the project No. 0124U000545.
Type of the article: Research Article AbstractThe global hotel industry has progressively integrated sustainable practices to mitigate its environmental impact, with an increasing emphasis on active customer involvement. This study aims to explore the relationship between customer norms and their green behavior, and examine how green hotel knowledge moderates this relationship. A survey of 254 domestic guests staying at green hotels in Vietnam was analyzed using structural equation modeling. The findings indicate that perceived moral obligation significantly influences both subjective norms (β = 0.584) and personal norms (β = 0.429). Similarly, ascription of responsibility is a strong predictor of personal norms (β = 0.424). The results further reveal that both subjective norms (β = 0.240) and personal norms (β = 0.269) positively affect customer green behavior. Importantly, green hotel knowledge acts as a moderator between personal norms and green behavior (β = 0.247), though it does not significantly moderate the relationship with subjective norms. This study contributes to a better understanding of customer behavior in the context of green hotels and offers managerial implications for promoting active participation in environmentally friendly initiatives.
Type of the article: Research Article AbstractAs companies in Jordan’s food and beverage sector face increasing pressure to demonstrate environmental, social, and economic responsibility, digital content marketing has become an important channel for communicating sustainability initiatives to consumers. This study examines how digital content marketing influences consumer perceptions of corporate sustainability and whether consumer trust strengthens this relationship. Drawing on signaling theory and trust dynamics, the study explores whether sustainability-oriented digital content can shape consumer perceptions beyond the baseline of pre-existing trust. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 346 consumers of food and beverage products in Jordan using a structured questionnaire measuring perceptions of companies’ digital content marketing activities, corporate sustainability practices, and consumer trust. The respondent sample included both male and female consumers representing different age groups, educational backgrounds, and income levels, reflecting the diversity of the Jordanian consumer market. The collected data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine relationships among latent constructs. The findings indicate that digital content marketing has a strong positive effect on perceived corporate sustainability (β = 0.526, t = 12.434, p < 0.001), suggesting that transparent and informative digital sustainability content can serve as a credible signal of corporate responsibility and help reduce information asymmetry between companies and consumers. However, consumer trust does not significantly moderate this relationship (β = 0.014, t = 0.436, p = 0.663), indicating that consumers tend to evaluate sustainability-related digital content similarly regardless of their initial level of trust in a company. Overall, the results highlight the importance of clear and substantive sustainability communication in digital environments for shaping consumer perceptions.
Type of the article: Research Article AbstractThe role of social media reviews in consumer food preferences is significant nowadays. Nevertheless, their impact on the informal markets of street foods in the developing economies has not been well explored. This study examines the effect of social media reviews on consumer perceptions and street food consumption intentions in Bangladesh, through an extended Technology Acceptance Model. A structured survey was conducted in Bangladesh because of the high rate of street food consumption and was administered using online and offline questionnaires to 411 street food consumers in February 2025. Respondents were selected through judgmental sampling, and quantitative results were analyzed using partial least squares–structural equation modeling in SmartPLS4. The result of the analysis reveals that Perceived Usefulness (β = 0.149, p < 0.001), Perceived Ease of Use (β = 0.147,p < 0.008), Source Credibility (β = 0.289,p < 0.001), and Information Quality (β = 0.288, p < 0.001) of social media reviews positively affect the customer Attitude and Street Food Consumption Intention significantly whereas Perceived Risk (β = −0.118, p < 0.029) has a negative impact. Also, Attitude (β = 0.323, p < 0.001) plays a key mediating role between these factors and consumption intention. These insights underscore the potential strength of social media in shaping consumer behavior among people towards Bangladeshi street food.
Type of the article: Research Article AbstractGrowing environmental degradation and unsustainable consumption have intensified the need to understand the determinants of sustainable purchasing behavior, particularly the persistent intention-behavior gap. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior, this study aims to bridge the intention behavior gap by extending it to include eco-awareness and price sensitivity. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered to students and employees in higher education institutes in Northern India (Delhi NCR, Rajasthan, and Jammu & Kashmir). The responses were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. The results indicate that eco-awareness (β = 0.237, p < 0.001), consumer attitude (β = 0.182, p < 0.001), social norms (β = 0.487, p < 0.001), and perceived behavioral control (β = 0.315, p < 0.001) have significant positive effects on sustainable purchase intention. Purchase intention had a direct influence on sustainable purchase behavior (β = 0.657, p < 0.001), confirming its central role in behavioral execution. In contrast, price sensitivity did not have a significant direct effect on purchase behavior (β = 0.012, p = 0.720), although its interaction with purchase intention showed a weak but statistically significant moderating effect (β = 0.076, p < 0.05). These findings indicate that purchase behavior is driven primarily by social and psychological factors, while economic considerations play a limited and conditional role in the intention-behavior relationship. Marketers should design demographic specific awareness campaigns by recognizing variations in consumer behavior.
Type of the article: Research Article AbstractBrand communities can significantly enhance customer loyalty among agri-food customers; however, the factors driving their formation in agri-food retailers, which are often characterized by transactional relationships, remain poorly understood. This study examines how engagement motives affect loyalty, highlighting what motives influence customer engagement and how educational benefits, economic benefits, trust, and commitment mediate the relationship between customer engagement and loyalty. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between October 2024 and January 2025, involving 247 agri-food customers who followed social media brand communities, made in-store purchases in the past three months, and were over 18 years old. The findings reveal that information (β = 0.366, p = 0.000) and entertainment motives (β = 0.356, p = 0.000) have a significant positive impact on customer engagement, whereas social relationships do not significantly affect engagement. Customer engagement positively influences educational benefits (β = 0.679, p = 0.000), economic benefits (β = 0.539, p = 0.000), and trust (β = 0.379, p = 0.000), but does not directly affect loyalty. Notably, trust significantly mediates the relationship between customer engagement and loyalty through commitment (β = 0.076, p = 0.000), and in the absence of commitment (β = 0.099, p = 0.002). In contrast, economic benefits (β = 0.053, p = 0.005) and educational benefits (β = 0.070, p = 0.003) significantly mediate this relationship only when commitment is present. These findings emphasize the importance of personalized content, meaningful benefits, and trust-building activities in fostering loyalty among agri-food retailers.
