From promotion to prevention: the influence of de-influencers on sustainable consumer behavioral intentions

This study looks at how people who discourage certain products might help in sustainable purchasing decisions. It does this by looking at credibility, authenticity, and altruism. The aim of this study is to differentiate the impact of homophily and sustainable lifestyle commitment on behavioral intentions through de-influencers consumer. Based on the ELM model, this study proposes that peripheral cues, such as authenticity and credibility, are key influencers of sustainable consumption behaviour. To test these hypotheses, quantitative methodology was employed with the help of surveys administered to sample 360 respondents. To test the relationships between credibility, authenticity, homophily and sustainable lifestyle commitment and their influence on consumer intentions, structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied. The research team stated that high credibility and authenticity positively influence perceptions of altruism, which in turn positively affects behavioral intentions. This shows how important credibility is in the efforts of an organization. Also, while homophily might encourage you to reach out, it is the commitment to a sustainable lifestyle that will drive long term behavioural change. Marketers and policymakers can make use of de-influencers to boost sustainability efforts and drive change. Managers should work with de influencers who share the target audience’s values. Additionally, policymakers can include de-influencers in public awareness campaigns for better pro-environmental communication. In the future, researchers should investigate cognitive dimension like knowledge outcomes to serve as a complement to the outcomes here, affective and behaviour ones.