What Drives Consumers to Go Green? A Psychological and Digital Engagement Perspective on Eco-Marketing

As global environmental concerns escalate, customers are more inclined to make sustainable choices, compelling businesses to implement eco-centric marketing techniques. This conceptual paper investigates the psychological mechanisms that influence green consumer behaviour, extending beyond rational decision-making to analyse aspects such as identity, environmental values, moral norms, and perceived behavioural control. This study, grounded in the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), incorporates novel constructs such as eco-engagement and digital engagement to elucidate the transformation of consumer knowledge into advocacy. The proposed model characterises a hierarchical progression that involves cognitive awareness, affective concern, behavioural involvement, and advocacy, highlighting the mediating role of psychological catalysts. Findings highlight social media’s and green marketing’s strategic role in increasing consumer involvement with sustainability. This study contributes to the literature by providing a holistic framework that can stimulate further empirical research and encourage brands to design more psychologically driven sustainable marketing strategies.