Influencer endorsement of sustainable consumption: the role of vertical individualism

Purpose The purpose of this research is to investigate whether and how the cultural value of vertical individualism impacts consumers’ reaction to a social media influencer’s sustainable consumption behavior. The authors propose that consumers with higher vertical individualism are more likely to identify with an influencer and adopt the sustainability practice the influencer showcases on social media. Design/methodology/approach Two studies involving different sustainable consumption behaviors were conducted via an online research platform. In the first study, the structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized relationships between vertical individualism, identification and behavioral intention. In the second study, the PROCESS macro was used to test the hypotheses. Findings In both studies, participants with higher (vs. lower) vertical individualism indicated a higher intention to adopt a sustainable consumption behavior that an influencer endorsed. Mediation analysis revealed that participants with higher vertical individualism identified more strongly with the influencer, resulting in a greater behavioral intention. Originality/value This research focuses on influencer marketing as the specific context in which vertical individualism positively predicts sustainable consumption behaviors. By doing so, it adds to the literatures of cultural psychology and sustainable consumption, which have shown mixed results about the role of individualism as an antecedent of sustainable consumption behaviors.